ORIGINAL: bobogoboom
yeah it still had the cargo door as of 2 weeks ago. the collins foundation one is very nice through when i got to rid in it you had to climb in through the bomb bay. it was very cool.
When I rode in the Collins Foundation B-24, I went in through the bomb bay too. That's was standard procedure. It's possible to bail out of the nose by falling on the nose wheel doors (they didn't have locks to facilitate bailing out). For take off and landing I sat just forward of the ball turret with my back to the bomb bay bulk head. It was a bit weird watching the runway zip by, visible in the spaces around the ball turret. Walking through the bomb bay was nerve wracking because I could see the ground through the cracks in the bomb bay doors and there are no hand rails.
Good thing I have long arms. I was able to hold onto the bulk head until I got a hold of the bomb rack.
My father's WW II flight jacket really came in handy. It has horizontal pockets so you can reach them while sitting down. I was able to stuff my camera into an inside pocket while I moved around. I was the first person in the nose after take off and the nose wheel was still spinning.
I tried to climb into the tail turret, but realized I was too tall. I got part way in and realized that if I went any further, I probably wouldn't be able to get out without help. (They give you permission to climb in the nose and tail turrets in flight.)
Bill
