Why were automatic turrets were designed for the B-29? Because of the dangerous conditions for gunners in the B-17... Walt Bardsley recalls his time as a tail gunner in a B-17 with a close call. The B-17 Flying Fortress was a workhorse bomber during World War II. The B-29 came out at the end of the war and had a better safety record thanks to Engineers like Harold Chestnut. There work translated to peacetime applications in commercial aircraft afterwards.
