Description
Turret Ammunition-Booster Sprocket Assembly, GE P/N 8281864G1
The Turret Ammunition-Booster Sprocket Assembly, identified by General Electric P/N 8281864G1, is a WWII USAAF aircraft-turret ammunition-feed component with a January 1945 date marking. Its sprocket engaged linked .50-caliber ammunition so a powered booster could help move the belt toward the turret guns.
This assembly belonged to the ammunition-feed system. It was not a sprocket for rotating or aiming the turret.
Historical Significance
General Electric developed the central fire-control system that became standard equipment on the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. The system allowed gunners in pressurized sighting stations to direct unmanned remote turrets positioned around the aircraft.
Those turret installations depended on separate ammunition-feed equipment to carry linked .50-caliber belts from storage to the guns. Powered booster assemblies reduced the load placed on the gun's own feed mechanism. The January 1945 marking places this sprocket assembly within the late-WWII period of USAAF remote-turret production.
B-29 Remote-Turret Relationship
B-29 parts documentation includes ammunition boosters and sprocket assemblies within the aircraft's upper and lower two-gun turret groups. This General Electric assembly is associated with that remote-turret ammunition-feed system and the B-29's linked .50-caliber gun belts.
What This Item Does
The sprocket assembly was the belt-engaging component of a powered ammunition booster. As the booster operated, the sprocket engaged the linked ammunition belt and helped advance it through the feed path toward the turret guns.
The assembly supported ammunition movement only. Turret traverse and elevation were handled by separate mechanisms in the larger remote-control turret system.
Key Features
- Product: Turret ammunition-booster sprocket assembly
- Manufacturer: General Electric
- Part number: 8281864G1
- Date marking: January 1945
- Service: U.S. Army Air Forces
- Era: World War II
- Ammunition type: Linked .50-caliber ammunition
- Technical role: Belt-engaging component in a powered ammunition booster
- Equipment class: AAF Class 11-E remote-control turret and fire-control equipment
- System relationship: Associated with the General Electric B-29 remote-turret ammunition-feed system
- Not a turret-drive component: The sprocket supported ammunition feeding rather than turret rotation
Why This Item Matters
This sprocket assembly represents a specialized part of the B-29 era's advanced remote defensive-gunnery equipment. Its General Electric part number and wartime date make it useful as a restoration reference, technical-study component, or focused display piece for WWII aircraft-armament collections.
About This Item
The offered component is identified as General Electric P/N 8281864G1 and has a January 1945 date marking. It is an ammunition-booster sprocket assembly rather than a complete booster, gun turret, or aircraft-gun assembly.
Its documented function was to engage a linked .50-caliber ammunition belt within the powered feed system. It did not control turret traverse or elevation.
All items are opened from the original packaging to verify its condition before shipment. If your prefer to receive an item in its original, unopened packaging, please indicate your request in the order comments at checkout.
Please Note: If you request an item in its original, unopened packaging, we are unable to verify the item's condition prior to shipment.
Ideal For
This item is a strong fit for:
- WWII USAAF aircraft-armament collections
- Boeing B-29 Superfortress restoration reference
- General Electric remote-turret system displays
- Museum and educational exhibits on aircraft ammunition feeding
- Military-aviation technical study and identification collections
- Period aircraft exhibit and film-prop projects
Approx length 6", Approx width 2.5", Approx height 2.5", Approx weight .5lbs.
Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item's general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
Please visit our page about order lead times here: Order Lead Times