Gondola (airplane)

Gondola is the general term for the usually-armored ventral casemate-style positions used on many World War II-era military bomber aircraft, especially on German designs,^[1] where they were usually known as Bodenlafette, often shortened to Bola^[2] (from German Boden, 'floor', + Lafette 'gun carriage or mounting', from French l'affût, gun carriage).

Gondolas were either used to house a gunner or a bombardier.

^ Kay, Anthony L.; Smith, John Richard (2002). German Aircraft of the Second World War: Including Helicopters and Missiles. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1557500106. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
^ Stedman, Robert F. (2012). Kampfflieger: Bomber Crewman of the Luftwaffe 1939-45. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1782006633. Retrieved July 1, 2014.

[1] Kay, Anthony L.; Smith, John Richard (2002). German Aircraft of the Second World War: Including Helicopters and Missiles. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1557500106. Retrieved July 1, 2014.

[2] Stedman, Robert F. (2012). Kampfflieger: Bomber Crewman of the Luftwaffe 1939-45. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1782006633. Retrieved July 1, 2014.

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