Warbird Information Exchange

Excuse me if previously posted:
http://www.theballybomber.com/

There are some folks that used to fly the B-17's for Dothan Aviation back in the day that would argue that the full-size B-17 is single pilot too!

Seriously though, you look at some of the mods like what Fuddy Duddy has and you can see that some of the old sprayers were a lot easier to operate with one person than the originals.

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Ryan Keough
Stow, MA

When Paul Mantz bellied in that B-17 for the "12 O'clock High" movie scene, he did that solo, right? He didn't seem to have any issues getting it off the ground, around the pattern and into the most famous belly landing of all time...

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Life member, 91st BG Memorial Association
Owner, 1944 Willys MB #366014
Former REMF (US Army, O3)

For a Transport Category aircraft to certified as single pilot it has to have only one pilo'ts position (Duh) like the TBM Avenger or pass a couple of other conditions. the small things include position of the transponder squawk button on the yoke, be able to raise and lower the gear handle easily from the left seat and pilot must wear or have access to headsets. The big items include how difficult is the aircraft to fly single pilot. Can the emergency checklist be ran by the single pilot with emergency procedures being conducted, IFR, without the autopilot, while all kinds of emergency scenarios are taking place?Okay, can a guy have a very good outcome of flying the aircraft under all conditions? (Not just test pilots).
All this to say, it's probably not the weight or speed of the B-17 that requires a crew, but being able to operate it to the four corners of the envelope without assistance that requires a second pilot.

You beat me to it....

I understand there were some cockpit mods so he could reach everything...

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

The old term "everythings fine as long as everythings fine" comes to mind here. Those old cable controlled non hydraulic systems.... I would hate to be in any kind of situation that required 1) a lot of rudder 2) one hand pulling levers, throwing switches, or both and 3) the other hand hanging on to 15-20 tons of airplane.

I should know the answer to this but don't....

Anyone ever fly DC-3s single pilot? I know C-47s had two pilots.
I suppose it would have to be a non-commercial flight.

Some B-25s were single pilot, as we're A-26s....obviously P-61s and F7Fs, any other large multi-engine U.S. WWII types capable or regularly flown single pilot?

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

It would be rather difficult for a single pilot to start the engines of a B-17. That process pretty much takes four hands. Maybe one person could do it, but it would have to be done from the right seat. The starter switches and primer toggles are on the far right side of the panel, and the mag switches, throttle levers, and mixture levers are on the center pedestal. At least this is how it was with Chuckie.

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

Immediately post war Paul Mantz was the owner of the worlds 5th largest Air Force. He bought the entire inventory of surplus bombers and fighters at Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. About 450 warbirds. Plus he owned a bunch on the west coast. I'm sure he started with a full crew and they whittled it down . He probably had a copilot that was so green , inexperienced or incompetent that one day he just flew it himself.
He was a "one of a kind " guy.

Immediately post war Paul Mantz was the owner of the worlds 5th largest Air Force. He bought the entire inventory of surplus bombers and fighters at Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. About 450 warbirds. Plus he owned a bunch on the west coast. I'm sure he started with a full crew and they whittled it down . He probably had a copilot that was so green , inexperienced or incompetent that one day he just flew it himself.
He was a "one of a kind " guy.

In New Zealand they were used as agricultural aircraft and operated single pilot. Started in the 1960s, last one retired mid-80s I think.

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Zac in NZ
#avgeek, modelbuilder, photographer, writer. Callsign: "HANDBAG".
https://linktr.ee/zacyates

"It's his plane, he spent the money to restore it, he can do with it what he wants. I will never understand what's hard to comprehend about this." - kalamazookid, 20/08/2013
"The more time you spend around warbirds the sooner you learn nothing, is simple." - JohnB, 24/02/22

One old timer I know says that the DC-3 was pretty easy to operate single pilot but you had to have a yardstick to move the cowl flap rotary switch-valves.
Chris...

It was actually Stillwater, OK; here's the inventory list (from the Aero Vintage Tallmantz site):
http://www.aerovintage.com/mantz_rfc.pdf

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Ernie Gann and I once flew a DC-3 over one of his 1940s routes, for Flying Magazine's 50th Anniversary issue. (We were on the cover.) When we were through mistreating the poor airplane, the old guy who had brought it up to Newark from Texas (solo) took over. Ernie and I were tired enough to just sit back and watch while he landed at SWF (to drop me off near my home), and he rolled out, turned off, taxied to the ramp and parked...all with the tail still off the ground. "You guys may be famous," he was saying, "but I'm A Pilot."

Upon that event, I'm surprised that Gann didn't reprise one of his quotes from...If I remember correctly, "Fate Is The Hunter"...though it would be with an inverse intent from the original, "That wasn't a landing, that was an ENTRANCE!"

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He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF