Inside the waist compartment of the Commemorative Air Force's (Mesa, AZ) B-17G 'Flying Fortress' a WW-II heavy bomber on display this week at the Fargo Air Museum. This B-17 is painted as quot;Sentimental Journeyquot;.

Average life expectancy of the waist gunners was among the shortest of all the crew members Ð standing up, right in the middle of the aircraft makes you a big target. The ball turret was actually one of the safest places, and the only armored crew member position on the aircraft. -azcaf.org