27-feet was the standard .50 caliber belt used by American fighters and bombers in World War II. By firing an entire belt length of ammunition at an enemy, it was said he had given the adversary "the whole nine yards". On American bomber aircraft such as the B-17 Flying Fortress or B-24 Liberator, that 9-yards of ammunition would have travelled through this type of belt feed to create a smooth transfer from the ammunition crate into the Browning M2 .50 Caliber Machine Gun.

B-24 Waist Gunners

M2 Browning .50 Caliber Machine Gun Belt

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.

This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Latest Stories

View all

The Return to Pearl Harbor

The Return to Pearl Harbor

This fine art print by artist Craig Tinder depicts a flight of three B-17E Flying Fortresses rounding the landing pattern to deliver much needed supplies and equipment - one of the first landings after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This limited edition canvas series includes an actual fragment of B-17E 41-2443. 

Read more

From Veteran to Buckeye One to Beach City Baby

From Veteran to Buckeye One to Beach City Baby

This fine art print by artist Craig Tinder depicts C-53-DO Skytrooper 41-20095 soaring past the Great Pyramids of Egypt during her service in North Africa. This Limited Edition canvas series includes an original relic from the aircraft supplied by Vintage Wings, Inc. 

Read more

The Sinking of a Super Battleship, the story behind "The Attack on Yamato"

The Sinking of a Super Battleship, the story behind "The Attack on Yamato"

This fine art print by artist Craig Tinder captures the pivotal moment during the attack on Yamato, in which SB2C Helldivers of VB-83, from the USS Essex, participated in the sinking of one of the world's largest Super Battleships. What makes this piece truly special is the inclusion of the iconic red outboard divebrake from Helldiver BuNo. 83393. This art piece was created in partnership with Fagen Fighters of Granite Falls, Minnesota, who supplied the Helldiver divebrake from aircraft 83393. Not only has this aircraft been restored back to flying condition, but she is also painted in the livery of VB-83.

Read more