Detailed tour through a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (as featured on Masters of the Air)

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Thanks for watching everyone. Check out my tour through a Lancaster and B-29 to compare the different designs. And I've got a whole lot more videos coming soon... X-15,F-14, B36, B47, B58, VC-137C, first 747/727/737, YF12, F-22 and many others so make sure you have subscribed :)/

[@Harryjmacneil]

I have watched the Lanc video 4 times. Awesome! I have ordered the Border Model Lanc. 1400 parts. That’ll keep me busy for quite some time. Thanks Paul!

[@PaulStewartAviation]

@@Harryjmacneil Cheers Harry and enjoy making the model!

[@Harryjmacneil]

Thanks Paul! ♥️

[@SagebrushBallistics]

How did you get the ability to enter these bombers? I've been going to this museum for years since I was a kid.

[@m26a1pershing7]

B-24 when

[@theoldscout3478]

My Dad was the copilot on the Boeing B-17F "Peg O My Heart". Only flew one mission. Aug. 17, 1943. Lost an engine due to flack over Schweinfurt and another at the Swiss border from a Luftwaffe fighter. Belly landed in a potato field in Switzerland. All survived.

[@richardlahan7068]

Was he interned by the Swiss for the remainder of the war?

[@theoldscout3478]

@@richardlahan7068 He was kept by the Swiss for 18 months then was traded for a German detainee and spent the rest of the war in Waco, TX as a flight instructor. While in Switzerland they taught themselves to ski and tried to escape over the Alps but got turned around in the clouds and came down the wrong side, breaking both thumbs on the way down, didn't try again' The food was very poor being in a country totally surrounded by war torn Europe, lost some teeth due to poor nutrition.

[@fantasia55]

@@theoldscout3478American POWs in Switzerland were ordered by the U.S. Government not to try and escape, so as to not anger the Swiss.

[@theoldscout3478]

@@fantasia55 Dad must not have gotten the memo, or just ignored it. It wasn'nt easy living in a neutral country completely surrounded by war torn Europe, food was scarce and he lost some teeth because of poor diet.

[@punman5392]

The Schweinfurt raids were a mess. Lots of bombers were shot down and many crews killed or captured.

[@BurtSampson]

My grandpa was a bombardier/navigator on one of these during the war. He flew 34 missions, with 2 being no balls(targets covered by clouds or something else). You had to fly 35 at that time to go home. First it was 25, then 30, then 35 by the time he was doing it. He got shot down over Misburg Germany on 26 November 1944. Flak. It hit one of their engines and caused a fire. They tried making it back home, but the pilot realized it wasn't going to make it. He gave the order to bail while he and the copilot held her steady. Everyone got out, but before the pilot and copilot could escape the entire aircraft went up in a ball of flame, killing the pilot and copilot. Their names were(are) pilot 2nd Lt Frank Boettcher, and copilot F/O Edward Walota. WIthout them holding it steady while everyone bailed, the aircraft probably would have started spiraling, pinning my grandpa to the bulkhead in his aircraft, preventing him from bailing out, and killing him in the process. They saved his life, and made mine possible. And they deserve to be known. My grandpa ended up landing in the middle of a German Command Post, wind caught his chute, dragged him into some barbed wire, where he instantly had a German Mauser in his face while a German screamed for his "pistola." He finished the war out from Stalag Luft 1 before being liberated by the Soviets. He died on his birthday in 2003. I got all this information from a combination of me being a kid who loved history and was always begging his grandpa for stories from THE war. And also through official after action reports and eye witness accounts. Even up to and including the original debrief my grandpa gave after finally making it back home. My grandpa was a bigger hero to me than any lame ass superhero, or ninja turtle, or anything like that. He helped save the world, literally. They all did.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

It's pretty incredible isn't it. And they were kids. It makes me respectful of the soldiers but also angry at the politicians who's decisions are sending these guys to their deaths.

[@BurtSampson]

@@PaulStewartAviation Yea, absolutely tragic. I bet seeing a whole formation of these with their fighter escorts leaving England on their way to Germany was a hell of a site though. His bomb group was based out of Polebrook. One day I'm going to go there and see whatever's left of it.

[@BurtSampson]

@@PaulStewartAviation And oh yea, one kind of correction. Not being rude, just sharing, as some of this stuff can get lost to time. When my grandpa was doing this they only had 1 waist gunner, and he also acted as something called a toggler. I'll explain why. The B-17 crew was probably the most expensive, and time consuming to train than any other unit in ww2. To help get men in planes, they found ways to reduce crew numbers. At the point my grandpa was in, he was trained as both a navigator, and a bombardier. Only on missions when his own aircraft was the lead aircraft for that particular group, would he be a bombardier. If they were any of the other like 3 or something aircraft in their small group, the job of releasing the bombs would go to the toggler. He was the waist gunner, and he would leave the waist and head up to the nose. Once the lead dropped their bombs, the other aircraft would do it at the same time. Remember, this is saturation, not precision. Freeing my grandpa to focus solely on navigation. This freed up 2 spots, which with a bunch of crews, starts to add up to saved manpower. Getting these dude's out there dropping bombs quicker. I think the casualty rate of a B-17 crewman, 8th AIr Force, doing the missions like my grandpa was doing over Germany, was 50%. They needed these guys(like you said, kids) bad. I've got the mugshot they took of my grandpa at hte prison camp when he got there. He looks so young, it's crazy.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

@@BurtSampson thanks for the extra info. I’m always happy to be corrected and learn more. :)

[@whisthpo]

Thank you for your time and sharing another piece of History Burt.

[@leemeadows9292]

My father was a bombardier on a B-17 in World War II. He recently passed two months shy of his hundredth birthday. He flew 35 successful missions.

[@jamesrecknor6752]

He really beat all the odds, during and after the war. A friend was a B-17 bombardier, he lived to about 94. His wife is still with us and nearing 100.

[@leerich8758]

Your father was a brave man, and a true hero.

[@bluskytoo]

im 66 yrs old, my father flew B-24s in WWII , i asked him once what was the scariest thing on missions , flak? fighters? , i was surprised by his answer and have not heard it anywhere. He said it was the noise over the target area. He said the flak fragments after exploding rained down like a metal hailstorm , empty cartridge casings fell from fighters and other airplanes all hitting the plane and propellors, he said when all fifty caliber machine guns were going the plane was shaking and vibrating and the noise was deafening. He said that made it terrifying. Just sharing with yall.

[@rolandsolomon7728]

I had the privilege of flying on a B-17G (Sentimental Journey) almost 11 years ago in the nose. I sat in the navigator's seat and then in the bombardier's seat. It was an expensive joyride that was on my bucket list since I was a kid. It was a beautiful July day out. We had no flak or shells or anything else hitting the plane. But the engine noise alone was unbelievably deafening. The pilot gave me ear plugs to wear. At first, I went without putting them in. After about 5 minutes, I couldn't get them in my ears fast enough. 😅

[@Cogic]

Yes i saw a vid of a crewwman firing from the side and it was sooooooo loud coming threw my speakers so I could imagine

[@evr-mr3cp]

Thanks for doing this video. My father was a top turret gunner on the “Glittering Gal” and flew 50 mission out of Foggia Italy. Several years before dad passed I was able to fly in a B-17 with him as he took over the in flight tour of the plane to the delight of the other passengers. As we lifted off the ground I saw tears coming down my father’s face. He said “this plane plane brought me back more than once when it shouldn’t have”. I will always cherish that memory and count it as one of the best days of my life. I knew he had a purple heart from being wounded by flak; however it wasn’t until after he passed that we found more of his medals including the DFC and Silver Star. Sadly I was never able to talk to him about what he did to merit these medals. Later we found a journal he had kept which described the experience which lead to him being awarded these medals. Watching this today brought back memories of the ride I took with my dad and brought a smile to my face, thank you!

[@onlyGodcanfixtheUSA]

Thank you for sharing! This story blesses you with memories that MOST people don’t have.

[@sasqwatch00]

My Grandfather was a ball turret gunner and flew many missions in the Mighty Eighth Air Force. I'd seen photos of the ball turret but never truly realized how small and exposed they were. The courage these men had is incredible. I can remember him telling me stories of how unbelievably cold it got at altitude. He said you could spit and it would freeze before it hit the floor. He met my Grandmother who was a Land Army girl stationed in the airfields in England. They married shortly after the war. I'm thankful for that generation of men and women that fought with such amazing bravery and grit.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

I fully agree with your. Incredible bravery.

[@Linuxpunk81]

My uncle was also a belly gunner in a b17 and after the war he never flew in an airplane again. He had an RV that he used to travel the country in. He passed years ago and I haven't thought about him for some time thanks for the memory 🖖and great video too

[@pennyhelga3628]

My dad was a radioman gunner .

[@tonywilliams9041]

Interesting,did rear gun have much arc of fire?Turret did not like it rotated like on a Lanc.bomber?tw.uk

[@alexbiery2678]

The casualty rates were so high, that the United States put a 25-mission limit on crews. If a crew flew 25 combat missions and survived, they were rotated back to the states. Most crews didn't survive that long. My grandfather was a B-17 pilot and flew 29 bombing missions in Germany over Berlin, Pilzen, Wittlich, Bitburg, Cologne, Coblenz, Mannheim, Nuremberg and others. After the war ended he helped fly starving British POWs back home. Each mission he took a framed picture of my Grandmother up with him, and wrote the location and date on the frame surrounding her picture. It's one of our family's most precious heirlooms. He even kept a piece of flak that came through the fuselage, nearly missing his right leg - he said it was still hot when he picked it up off the floor and put it in his pocket. I'll never forget his stories and heroism. United States Army Air Corp. 1st Lieutenant Dale Smith was assigned to the 91st Bomb Group, 322nd Squadron, 3rd Air Force. I miss you, Papa ❤RIP 1921-2019 Off Into the Wild Blue Yonder!

[@Throttle.Therapy.]

My grandfather was a pilot of one of these during the war. He passed away before I was born, but my dad has told my stories about him!

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Wow he'd have some stories

[@masonevans7045]

Same

[@Davidfierbaugh]

My dad was a ball turret gunner in a B-17, with the 15th Army Air Corps, 2529th, out of Foggia, Italy. He flew 51 combat missions, flew of a grass strip, lived in a tent, and due to the excellent navigator, flew in the lead plane. Even though he was in the 15th, his picture was on the History channel documentary “Suicide Missions, the Ball Turret Gunner” which was about the 8th AAC. Pictured near the end, he is kneeling beside his turret, with a cover he made to cover his sight window so the mud would not freeze, and cover his sight window. Some other crew members John Hidelbaugh, “Red “Pettit,

[@henrywalton5967]

51 missions in the ball turret? How the fuck did he fit his massive balls in there damn

[@PAS_2020]

These guys were only 19 and 21 years old. My heart is thumping as I think of these guys and the adrenaline that was pumping in their veins as they took off for Germany. I am so grateful for what they did. Thank you.

[@pyker41]

Ya now they don’t even know if they’re a male or female

[@alexanderB9869]

@@pyker41okay

[@mooksieb]

​@@pyker41I'm not sure if you're moronic or just retarted.

[@BDanner]

My 3rd cousin was on the "DEAR MOM", B17. He was a ball turret gunner. The plane was attacked by enemy fire, and the crew of 10 were killed on July 17,1943. They are buried somewhere in the North Sea. They are recognized on the "wall of the missing" in the Netherlands. Thank you for your sacrifice, cousin, and crew!

[@JohnSmith-qm4go]

My dad flew B-17s, B-24s, B-25s, and a night fighter I don't know the designation for. All my time growing up he would have bad nightmares. I left home at 18 & he was still having them. PBS show said that during the 1st 2 years of the war, the US lost 50% of its planes - every quarter. No wonder Dad had nightmares. BTW while Dad was flying, Mom was a Rosy Riveter working for North American Aviation in Ft. Worth TX. They met after the war. Dad would seldom talk about his experiences but he did tell me about 3 times the B-17 had so much damage they had to bail out once they were where they could, and 1 time when he had to belly land one because it was damaged so much they couldn't get the gear down.

[@Wallllllly]

Currently watching Masters of the Air and this was very helpful to understand what's going on inside the planes. Thanks !

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Glad it was helpful!

[@FJB2020]

Do you feel like the show is a big letdown compared to the other two they made?

[@PaulStewartAviation]

@@FJB2020 yes I’ve certainly lost interest in it.

[@FJB2020]

@@PaulStewartAviation episodes 1-5 were not that good, 6 did peak my interest a little, but I do not have high hopes for this series to be a classic. I think Catch-22 did a better job.

[@mtnbike4522]

I checked out this plane earlier this year and when the guides showed me how cramped the ball turret was it made my Abrams seat feel spacious. Took a ton of fortitude to get in that turret. I got tons of respect for those guys.

[@Shadowfax-1980]

I had a chance to ride in one of these at an air show a few years ago. We got to move around during the flight including in the cockpit behind the pilots. What amazed me was how much work is involved in flying the plane even in level cruise. There are no computers to monitor, let alone control, the mechanical systems, so the pilots were constantly monitoring all the gauges and making fine adjustments to fuel mixture and throttle. They would also periodically take notes to keep track of fuel and oil consumption and other performance factors.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

how incredible to have flown in one!!

[@danhaworth6967]

I got to ride Sally B at a airshow too! Was an incredible experience, ill never forget how much it creaked during flight.. I don't know whether that was due to age or if that was genuinely how they flew at the time, but yeah "mechanical" is exactly how I'd describe it! :)

[@bloqk16]

I rode in one years ago, too. The aspect of moving around from the waist-gunner position to the bombardier nose made it a better experience than riding in a B-29, which was more like being in a cargo hold in the rear. Ever since that experience with the noise and bone rattling vibrations, I could not fathom how the flight crews could handle six hour flights. And for those out there that sees movies/TV shows of bomber crews openly conversing with each other during flight? Not! The volume of the noise is just too intense!

[@randywinklerwinkler62]

​@@bloqk168

[@phillipellis2119]

Thanks for a terrific tour. Very moved by comments below. My dad was a radio operator/gunner on a B-17, flying out of Kimbolton, UK, with the 379th Bomber Group. Crash landed twice. Following is from his flight log on his 30th mission, April 10, 1945: 'About 20 miles from Berlin- some flak before & after target - attacked by 4 ME-262s immediately after target - ‘Kid’ possibly credited with one destroyed & Jimmy with one damaged. ' These men were so brave. His log is full of hair-raising action. But he never talked about it -- except when his crew friends had their occasional reunions. So grateful for them.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

You're very welcome! I'm back to PIMA in August to film the B-24 and also filming the B-47 and B-36 elsewhere :)

[@joeverna5459]

In 2000 I flew in a B17 called Nine-O-Nine in Pennsylvania. It was a 20 minute ride of my life. What amazed me was how thin the metal was on the outside. It was as thick as a cereal box cardboard. Next was the noise. The noise was deafening. I couldn't imagine listening to that for hours. Once up in the air, we were allowed to move around. I got to see the nose gunner,, the waste gunners,, top gunner and radio and navigation.. I walked through the bombay walkway.. we could not access the pilot, tail, and ball turret areas.. The ring cost $400.00. Sadly this plane crash, I think in 2018 killing 5. I have so much more respect for those brave men.

[@jankarlohernandez9736]

Really? You were in the B-17 Bomber Nine-O-Nine? THE NINE-O-NINE that crashed due to a Engine Failure shortly after taking off from the Runway?

[@jankarlohernandez9736]

I have a Huge Obsession with WW2 Planes but I pay my Attention More on the USA/American Bombers, and maybe some American Fighters Like the P-51, but I have 75% of my Attention on the B-17 Flying Fortress, my favorite version of the B-17 is the B-17G because of the Chin Turret

[@joeverna5459]

@@jankarlohernandez9736 Yes, that is the one.

[@jankarlohernandez9736]

Cool

[@gpmo]

Sadly another B-17 crashed in Dallas today, a P63 flew directly into it's path cutting the plane in half, the crew never saw it coming. One day all that will be left are videos like this one.

[@rogerdailey9357]

Great tour of this iconic plane. My uncle flew the F model. I made a tribute to him on KZbin “3 Days in May 1943”. He was not one of the lucky ones but he did save the CoPilot, Navigator, Bombardier and Flight Engineer by getting his plane close to the German coast then he took his full bomb load to the North Sea to avoid civilian casualties. Bombay doors were damaged so he could not jettison his bombs. His body was found 2 weeks later at Cuxhaven Germany only identification on him was a Bible. Bible kept his name off the wall of the missing. His body was sent home 1949 and he is buried in American soil

[@afp18]

I flew the F-16 in the US Air Force and now fly the Boeing 777 for a major air carrier...and these are the most fascinating videos I've ever seen. Thank you so much for making these!

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Glad you enjoy them. More coming including the F-22 raptor tomorrow 😄

[@jameshaswell2345]

Thank you for the tour. My great-uncle was a waist gunner on one of these. His plane was shot up in April 1944, and all but the pilot were killed in action. Every chance that a B17 come close to where I live, I try to go see it. When I first saw the movie "Memphis Belle" it gave me a chance to see what he would have endured when on a mission. I realize the movie may not depict the actual hell that these crewmen went through, it did allow a glimpse of what could have been. I will be forever grateful to the men and women who fought for this country, especially those from WWII! Even though I never had the chance to meet my great-uncle, I am proud of what he did for this country! He and two of his crewmates are buried in Denmark.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Glad you enjoyed the video

[@straybullitt]

The B17 did in fact come equipped with a autopilot. It was mainly used to transfer directional control of the aircraft to the bombardier during bomb runs, to increase target accuracy. As you can imagine, using a autopilot while flying in tight formation with many other aircraft is a recipe for disaster, so, for the majority of the aircraft, the entire mission was hand-flown, with the exception of the lead planes which were the ones doing the bomb aiming. Great video!

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Thanks for the clarification

[@koa6820]

My great grandpa was a B-17 tail gunner in the war so its very interesting to see what kind of space he had to operate in while up there

[@dannyreynolds2751]

Likewise, my uncle was a tail gunner on a B17, stationed out of Basingborn base on England. Shot down over Germany, spent 2 1/2 years as a POW. The guy who played Mowgli in the 1942 Jungle Book, was also a B17 tail gunner out of Basingborn, named Sabu Dastiger. Sabu himself died young of a heart attack. His son became a famous British rock star.

[@melb2254]

I love your trip reports but I really enjoy these museum tours too! What an incredible privilege for us to see a real-time tour crawling through a Flying Fortress.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mikeedwards9306]

Seeing these aircraft in real life and on line really gives a person to pause, what an accomplishment of design, build and most of all the operators of these aircraft.

[@honestreviewer3283]

Thank you for the video; I've been a plane nerd all my life, but I don't think I've ever seen a video as informative as this. I'm a former infantry platoon commander (I served from 2001-2011) but have always been secretly in awe of combat pilots. Can you imagine being a young 20-something at the controls of this bomber, responsible for your crew and heading into combat? Absolutely amazing.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Glad you enjoyed it. More similar videos on my channel

[@Robslondon]

A fantastic video Paul. Whenever I think of the B17 I’m reminded of the short poem, ‘The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner’ by Randall Jarrell: ‘From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in it’s belly till my wet fur froze, Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak, and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.’ Your videos are incredible and an important learning tool. Please keep them coming.

[@johncweaver]

I love how Paul describes all of the other systems that they had to deal with obviously, oxygen and communication. Add to that tremendous engine noise and it's a wonder anybody could hear anything. I would say that Paul's description of these other issues going on which I have never thought about really brings that aircraft to life, as well as all the young men manning that aircraft.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@3DPDK]

The timing for this video to show up in my recommended list is amazing. I am a 3D artist working on an animation short specifically about a lone B-17 and P-51 escort. I have been tasked with modeling the B-17 as accurately as possible inside and out. Outside is not a huge problem although this video answered some of my questions like the shape of the cheek turret windows and some of the antenna found around the fuselage. Now I understand the ports in the wings, and my tail gun shape is all wrong. The interior is the real problem. Most photos feature the crew and only give glimpses into the equipment they used and worked with. I will be studying this video for the next several months. My thanks for the tail to nose walk through, more than you'll probably know.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

You’re welcome! :)

[@jirihamersky6152]

Thanks for a nice and interesting video. After watching the documentary, I have even more respect for the crews of these planes.

[@douglasalan5783]

This is truly amazing. My dad had a cousin from the DC area who was a navigator in a B-17. His plane collided with the other lead ship in his formation on a bombing run over Germany in 1944. He was the only survivor in his crew, and spent over a year in a Luftstalag. These young men were a special breed.

[@deweypyle696]

Excellent video walk through - I know a LOT about the B-17, but I learned some more from this video - thank you!

[@Richard-iu9sf]

Just found your channel Paul. You are extremely fortunate to have been given permission to enter the aircraft. I say this as a docent there at the 390th Memorial Museum. In the 8 months I’ve been volunteering I’ve been inside exactly three times and they were each for a specific “task”. Very well done and look forward to enjoying your other videos.

[@bigantplowright5711]

My buddy was the manager of the museum in the 90's. he was also a WW2 B-17 lead pilot. Spent a lot of time in that ship. Good memories.

[@zeedub8560]

When I was 10 years old, I put together my first model airplane, a Monogram B-17G. Long gone, but I still have the color insert with ideas for a diorama that Monogram included in their kits. I'm now 55, and it's remained one of my favorite planes and I've read many things about it and watched many YT vids. Until I saw this vid, I never knew about that tailgunner's access hatch. You're never too old to learn new stuff, and there's no end of new stuff to learn.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Glad you found the video interesting

[@fasst5511]

My father was a B17 Bombardier from April - August 1944 and survived 35 missions. 390th Bomber Group Framlingham England. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and an Oak Cluster. He was wounded a couple of times by flack but survived the war. They were all mostly 21-25 year old kids being asked to go up day after day not knowing if they would make back from a mission. Truly the greatest generation.

[@flyingfortressrc1794]

My Dad and I got involved with this B-17 the day it flew into DMAFB in Tucson. It had nothing inside it except for the pilots seats. It was a forest fire water bomber and was completely gutted inside. I was 10 at the time it came in to town in 1980. It was the ultimate father/son project since Dad was a B-17 too turret gunner. They sure have the old girl looking good. Thanks for doing this great video. I just subscribed to your channel as well.

[@hokutoulrik7345]

Yeah, she was a bit of a mess when they got her, but the corrosion control of the Coast Guard and Forestry Service did a lot of good in keeping the airframe in good shape. I was able to be a docent there at that museum for a while and got to crawl around inside and being the youngest person on staff when it came time for cleaning her up i got to climb around on her outside to shine her up.

[@rcampbell4967]

Excellent video tour and narration! Thank you!

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Glad you enjoyed it! I’m visiting there again to film the B-24 soon

[@timothyward7737]

My granfather was a radio operator on a B-17. Being able to see this video a nd seeing the plane and the area he would have been stationed is great. Thankfully my grandfather came home unlike so many young men

[@CB-ke5ev]

Another very enjoying tour! Thanks Paul! Yet another reminder of the bravery of the young men who flew in these!

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@davidcole333]

It was the tales of the B-17 crews that sparked my interest in World War 2 history as a child. They flew those missions using blood, sweat and tears. I thoroughly enjoyed this tour!

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Absolutely David, it's mind blowing how horrible it would have been.

[@kten5350]

Google frenchy's folly :) my grandfather who is 103 almost 104 built and was named after the plane at ridgewell airforce base in England:) i only share because that's just what u want for my grandfather and his generation...to never be forgotten:)

[@gaillaffer7579]

Such a beautiful plane. I had the poster of A bit o lace on my bedroom wall for years. My friends father was a co pilot who was shot down on his second mission and spent 2 years a POW. He was a great man, and my hero. Sadly passed several years ago now.

[@EIBBOR2654]

I was reenlisted in front of that B-17 at the PIMA Air and Space Museum when I was stationed at DMAFB. Also know as the Bone Yard because of the Aircraft Storage facility there. I was working the A-10's there and this was my last enlistment. A retired General that flew B-17's during WWII, he was a lieutenant back then. He did my last enlistment (Active Duty) for me. His Flight Jacket was in there with his B-17's name "The Rotten Egg" on the back. I got a really nice tour of that B-17, the facility and got to hear some good stories of his missions. I transferred over to the AZANG 162 FW in the last year of that enlistment. Worked F-16's with them.

[@williamepstein4837]

My uncle John F Mayek Jr. Was a B-17 acft commander and was shot down over Germany on bombing mission during WWII. He and his crew did not survive. He was my inspiration to join the USAF and serve as a B52 G/H crew chief.

[@DrTarrandProfessorFether]

I flew in the famous B-17G “Nine-O-Nine” in April 2019… it crashed killing a number of people in Oct 2019. We flew over San Francisco Bay Area at 4000 feet and the view from the bombarder (got video) was fantastic. Quite narrow and top hatch was open. Very noisy and lots of fuel/hauast smell and I terribly air sickness! Took me 45 minutes on the ground before I could drive home. Ride was smooth but noise and fumes just hit me hard. Walking the Bombay gantry (1 foot wide) with only 1 rope .. they said the Bombay doors open with 200 pounds in case a bomb broke loose… it would fall out…so if you slip, you are leaving the plane! It was way cool… and Masters of the Air was a great show.

[@almartin4]

My father enlisted in the Army Air Corps (1942), age 18, and served as a gunner and radio operator on B-17s. He was assigned to the 8th Air Force in England and flew 35 combat missions over Europe. Including one shown as "SECRET" on his papers. The records were lost during a fire at Fort Benjamin Harrison. His brother was a Navy aviator flying in the Pacific area: his plane was shot down . The bad news was wired to the family, who were surprised three months later when he walked in the front door in his Navy uniform. My father had left the service at the end of the war and worked as a TV/Radio engineer. He was called back to duty for the Korean conflict but didn’t have to deploy; and stayed with the new US Air Force. He retired after 26 years of active duty. Regards

[@elilevine2410]

I enjoyed the how to of getting in and out of the gunners position and other vulnerable points that had yet to find modern engineering, thanks again , a great tour!

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@TheValarClan]

I have missed several opportunities to get to see a B-17 G. To me it looks very iconic. Thanks for the tour

[@shawnwalsh5430]

Thanks for the tour. My step father that helped raise me since I was a child was a captain of a B-17 in WW2 and was only 19 years old in 1941. I can't imagine a 19 year old flying one of these. He would say that it flew itself so not to take any credit. Thanks again @

[@PaulStewartAviation]

You're welcome

[@gadjoswing1970]

As a modeller, this is great stuff !!! thx.

[@RCTanksTrucks247]

Fantastic video, absolutely love this plane. The B17G looks fantastic with the chin turret.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Hi-lb8cq]

My grandfather served with the 464th bg 779th Sq during ww2...he was a top turret gunner and a flight engineer on a b-24 stationed out of Italy from 1943 to 1945

[@leddielive]

You can really see how thin the aluminium skin of the body is and how little protection it afforded the crew. Can you imagine a battle scenario with the roar of those engines, the firing of all those .50 cal guns and top that off with the incoming enemy fire, truly terrifying stuff.

[@NitroModelsAndComics]

I wish to thank all your relatives who flew in these flying tanks. What an honor it has been to read your words. These young men left fields in Kansas, and streets of Boston or Louisiana to go across the water and fight eveil men they would never see. The Greatest Generation was just that. It is an honor to be an American.

[@thedudeshaunsa]

One of my favorites you’ve done Paul. Great tour, great choice, great narration and voice work. Thank you for honoring these treasures of U.S. and World history.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

thanks Shaun! :)

[@jackpock2681]

Something about this B 17 many people don't know about is that this bomber after the war was used by the US Forest Service to fight wildland fires and saved it from being scarpyard. Then the US Air Force got it back and restored it. Pretty neat history.

[@TurbopropMaster]

I've watched this video like four to five times now best videos ever keep it up paul

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Cheers my friend! F117 tour coming in a week or two

[@RichardinNC1]

I had the opportunity to do a charity ride in a B-17. An incredible experience. My takeoff seat was the radio operator but we were able to go forward and crawl into the front area during flight. Such a cool experience and amazing to think they'd fly 8-10 hour missions at high altitude on oxygen and heated jackets.

[@joeyoung4309]

More than anything else id love to see a teardown and inspection of a b17 turbocharger, and the fact it only spun up to 20k rpm tells me its absolutely MASSIVE.

[@bobverber8969]

Great informative tour. Thank you.

[@jmflyer55]

Time mark 14:25: Just a minor note, these ARE constant speed props. Meaning, you manually adjust the pitch to the desired rpm you want. They are the SAME thing as constant speed propellers used today in piston aircraft.

[@victorrisk6098]

What a fantastic short tour of this iconic airplane!✈️ So good that I had to subscribe. I look forward to seeing your other videos. Thank you!

[@KeithDavey2014]

Looks like this was shot at the Pima Air and Spece Museum in Tucson AZ. They have a MINT B29 as well. Both are very impressive exhibits.

[@larrybrown1824]

The armor on B-17s wasn't "bullet" proof like a lot of people believe. The armor might deflect a machine gun bullet, but definitely not a round from an airplane cannon, which the Germans carried on all of their interceptors. Both the plane armor and the flak vest were there to stop shrapnel. They did a so-so job. Guess it depended on how close the flak shell exploded to the plane. Having been on a B-17 in flight (Aluminum Overcast) I'm amazed at how brave the kids were that flew combat missions in them. The planes were made with metal that wasn't much thicker than a beer can of the same era.

[@danielgregg2530]

The crews sat on their flak jackets. Flak blasts went upwards.

[@theonlymadmac4771]

Flak blasts went 360 degrees

[@electrolytics]

That view from the pilots side window looking at the 2 engines really brought the whole thing together for me. Can you just imagine flying through flak and seeing one of those engines is on fire and there's crew members in the back wounded? And you haven't even made it to the target yet.

[@brijen3628]

Thank you! This was an amazing video find. I am the proud & honored 3rd cousin of Lt. Vandermarliere, Gilbert EC, and a pilot of the B-17-G, 306th bomb group "The Reich Wreckers", the 369th bomb squadron (Later: Lt. Col. Gilbert E.C. Vandermarliere). I called him Uncle Gilbert. Great man with an inspiring story from his military career which includes serving in 3 wars, and being a 3x POW. Then in retirement had been a bus driver for Detroit and survived a brutal assault. Aside from ALL that... he smiled... Very good man... wish someone would research and tell his story. Again, Thank you for this video.... I got to see where he sat and the controls he looked at... was interesting.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Glad you enjoyed it! I'm off to Europe next month to film more similar videos

[@josephramirez2408]

I had the pleasure of having an in person tour of one of these beautiful beasts👍👍

[@elosogonzalez8739]

What a magnificent aircraft! Although I wasn't allowed inside, I did see this aircraft displayed at the PIMA AIR MUSEUM in TUCSON, AZ. My wife and I traveled from our home in Glendale. I could have spent weeks there. Spent 3 hours walking in a cold and very windy day. I will return there again this winter if at all possible. It is a WONDERFUL MUSEUM and certainly worth the price of admission. This has got to be the most origional of those left. Thank you for sharing this with us to enjoy.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

It’s fantastic. I spent two full days there and had very sore feet by the end!

[@benrig89]

I used to go to the Oshkosh Airshow, and being fascinated with B17s since I was a kid, had the opportunity to crawl through one just like this for ten bucks. It was an incredible experience I will never forget. It was also extremely eerie, being inside this airplane that so many young men died in. Also very small, much smaller than any photo or video can convey. Designed for functionality, not comfort. I can't imagine being trapped in one for 8 hours at a time over hostile territory, flak bursts constantly rattling against the metal, all while being terrified of Focke Wulf 20mm cannon shells ripping through the airplane with little warning. Dying inside one of these must have been horrible. I did the rounds of that airplane 3 times, shelling out ten bucks each time, before the aircrew caught on and let me back in for free. I guess they could tell I was nearly in tears and just wanted to spend as much time as I could inside that airplane before I went home.

[@paulomeyer2988]

Mr. Stewart, thank you very much for sharing with us the most technically detailed walkaround and interior tour on the web. As usual, your video summarizes many books and hours of reading. Always providing something new for the most dedicated enthusiast and at the same time extremely interesting for a beginner.

[@midnight5ify]

13:59 Absolutely astounding. Great job with the video while explaining everything. Love this.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Thank you very much!

[@gatorpika]

Nice tour. I was surprised at how small the plane is too when I crawled through my first one. It's definitely different than in the movies. When I was at Pima there was a vet who flew the B-17 talking about it to the museum goers. After that was over I asked him some questions about it. He told me they used to switch flying between the pilot and copilot every 15 minutes or so because there was no hydraulic assist on the controls and the need to fly in fairly close formation. He also said they were most afraid of the flak than fighters. It wasn't necessarily being directly hit by a shell but the fact that the sky was full of shrapnel that would go through the skin of the aircraft as the plane flew into it. I guess that's why their armor is called a "flak jacket".

[@riproar11]

The B-17 isn't a small airplane. I have flown on them several times and there is a lot to explore and crawl through. The radioman had it best with his fairly large "office room". Now the B-29 is a large plane and larger than many commercial passenger planes.

[@aesirgaming1014]

My grandfather was a tailgunner on a B-17. Must have been a crazy job. Even as a grunt, I can't imagine climbing in that cramped space for every mission.

[@3DPDK]

Thanks!

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Thanks!

[@lelandfrost3221]

My brother and I got to tour the B 17 that crashed in Dallas about a year earlier when it was at an airport in the Houston area. Incredible how primative it was.

[@simonfunwithtrains1572]

There is nothing glamorous about being at war inside this aircraft. It looks absolutely terrifying and it is very obvious that if you were hit and in a spin no one was getting out. The respect for those men that flew these B17's can never be high enough. If there was an advert for not going to war, the inside of this aircraft is it.

[@user-pk2fg8im4u]

I had two uncles involved with B-17s, one as a mechanic, and one a navigator. Mechanic talked about his war experience, navigator not so much. It meant a lot to watch this video, and see the equipment that they worked on/used. I was a fighter jet mechanic, one and two engines. Mostly worked on F-102s and F-106s. Duece and Six.

[@beakytwitch7905]

Sophisticated, basic, comfortable, cramped - - all at once. Thank you for the tour. 😊❤

[@davidbailey1689]

Great video! I was at Pima in June and enjoyed the walk-around of that same aircraft. Beautiful lady. Thank you.

[@gensolo83]

The B-17 is my favorite WW2 aircraft. I appreciate your walkthrough and pointing out the various manned sections and systems in place. I was fortunate enough to do my own walkthrough of a similar B-17 several years ago, but didn't really know for sure what I was looking at, so it's nice to have a better knowledge of the inside operations. I hope to take a ride in one someday. RIP to the crew of the B-17G "Texas Raiders" and the pilot of the P-63 Cobra who all perished after a mid-air collision at the Wings Over Dallas Airshow Nov. 12, 2022.

[@Mau98-tg5cg]

Thank you for the great explanation! I’m living in Antwerp/Belgium and very close to a crash site of a B-17 named ‘Pluto’s avanger’ of the 8th 303 bomber group that crashed on 12 february 1944. 4 brave man died on that day. I’m 25 years old and These video’s give me an understanding how brave they were on my age. I will sure visit the crash memorial soon to pay my respect. Greetings from Belgium.

[@tomscience274]

This B17 close up look is incredibly awesome! Thank you for the tour. Well Done!!!

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Glad you liked it!

[@GP-pw5wb]

My grandmother took airman as loggers from the 390th bomb group during the war, as her house was on the edge of the airfield. The young men who manned these planes were brave heroes for the 301 missions they dropped over 19,000 tons of bombs lost 162 aircraft and 742 airmen were killed. Shocking statistics for just one airfield we should never forget the sacrifices made.

[@atomisum6445]

I fell in love with the B17 as a kid when the movie Memphis Belle came out. Watched it a million times lol. Flying in one would be a life highlight I'd think!

[@rayalford7434]

Paul, Great video. The B17 did indeed have an auto pilot. It was located below the throttles and you can see it clearly at 14:33. It was used to keep the plane flying smoothly prior to the release of the bombs.

[@danmanthe9335]

Thought that bombardier had control of the plane during the bomb run?

[@behindthen0thing]

Thanks for watching

[@jameskelly8506]

My uncle was a navigator on B-17s out of Ridgewell, England, 29 missions, mostly over Germany. I was the crew chief and flt. eng. on 809Z located at Marana, Az. We were testing the aerial pickup system designed by Robert Fulton. Our plane was also in "Thunderball," the last scene picking up Bond.

[@rawill1958]

My mother's older brother Joseph A. Kayatta from Providence, RI was a B17 copilot shot down on 10/12/1944 over the English Chanel in WWII.

[@Ayerstairs]

Excellent tour! Thanks! I was extremely fortunate to get a flight in the Nine-0-Nine. It was a real honor and I was deeply saddened by its loss.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Glad you enjoyed it. Yes it was horrific what happened.

[@Dave-jd9qn]

Wonderful, Paul. One thing that could be added to the tours of planes and tanks is the presence of fully-equipped reenactors to give us a sense of how crowded the spaces were in action. Maybe the museums could do that. This is an impressive exhibit. Looks like much of the equipment is original.

[@jefferycordes2505]

I had a teacher in High School Aerospace Class Col Francis Wilson "Worlds greatest pilot" retired who flew B17s in Ww2 in Europe. He was my favorite teacher ever! I learned more from him than I did from anyone eve. (Except for my father). He was shot down over Germany in winter.. He hid for 8 days and had to give up due to exhaustion and exposure to the harsh German winter. He came back to Germany in 1972 to teach Aerspace. I loved Col. Wilson almost as much as I did my father.

[@haberdasherrykr8886]

KZbin can be a great place of learning and an incredibly harmful platform at the same time I'm very glad creators like these exist Thanks random teacher

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Thankyou random student. And I agree. Commercial television is driven by views so they dumb everything down but youtube is great for obscure hobbies

[@stevenjones2371]

just wow this is always been my fav plane from war war 2 never been in one but i felt i have thank you for the vid

[@Visaliaipa]

I got to fly in one a little over a year ago. Such a fantastic aircraft.

[@waynegood9233]

I got to fly in a B-17 when it came to Boeing field in Seattle from a company that travels the USA about 10 years ago It flew north to Edmunds and back along the water about a 1 hour ride

[@charlescassidy2023]

I’ll Be Around is at the Pima Air and Space Museum in AZ. The volunteers who work the building are just the sweetest and most excited vets. They are desperate to share the story of the the brave men who fought and died, please make the trip out to see it before all of the stories are gone

[@russbellew6378]

Excellent walk through! Thanks. Very original condition. 👍 @11:55 - BC-348 HF radio receiver (black case) @12:00 - ARC-5 series HF radio transmitters (bare aluminum cases)

[@Vgk36]

Thank you to all the men that served. You maybe gone but not forgotten!!

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Here here.

[@toddmac2020]

I had the privilege of flying in the bombardier's seat on the B-17 "Sentimental Journey" a little over a year ago. It was cramped for my 6' 2" frame but I didn't care. It was a wonderful 20 minutes looking out of the bubble window at the area around the Chino Airport and flying to Lake Matthews and back. The final approach and landing looking through the bubble were exhilarating. I have a great video of it.

[@747kp7]

I just watched this after your Avro Lancer video. I really appreciate the effort you put into these. They're detailed enough for us avgeeks without being too long, but also not too superficial that there's not enough interesting info.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ar-am1976]

I'm 48 and in my 30's I was lucky enough to spend over an hour in the air in one of these. I spent a large amount of my time in the tail gunner position. The engine noise is really something else, fumes and the overall lack of insulation makes you feel very connected to the plane. Landing was a real treat, took 3 attempts due to high winds! Was an exhilarating experience and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been able to fly on such an amazing piece of history.