How To Start The B-17 Engine 

Internet is great. I've had a B-17 sitting in my garage for 70 years, and now I finally know how to start her!

That fuel quantity gauge is a piece of art!

Thanks I have been trying to start my bomber all morning, was almost late for work

Great Video. My Dad flew 50 combat sorties in B-17s out of Foggia, Italy in MTO Jan to June 1944. A few years ago, I had the privilege of flying in Collings Foundation's B-17 "909". One of the most memorable experiences in my 58 years. Thanks for this post.

4:13 Ahh no wonder my B-17 isn't starting. I wasn't pulling the #1 Mixture Control back when the engine fires. Thanks a ton for the helpful video!

This is great! Every once in a while I forget how to start my B-17, and I kept thinking. "I wish there was an easy, readily available source to remind me how to start my B-17". And now there is! Thanks! All kidding aside, this really is fascinating. Thank you for posting this.

My late father flew B-17 during WWII on missions into occupied France, and Germany. He had nothing but positive things to say about it's flying characteristics. The flying characteristics were so good, and the airframe so tough, that it was decided to attach a thermite device the the Norden bomb sight to ensure that it was destroyed if the crew bailed out. The Germans had a couple of B-17s in their possession that crash landed in one piece. So ... if the crew had to bail out, the aircraft commander went last after he pulled the pin on the timer for the thermite device. I don't think the Germans ever got their hands on a functioning Norden bomb site. Essentially it was a mechanical/optical computer for calculating the offset required to hit their target.

The Greatest Generation literally saved the world. Thank you all for your service.

I can't believe how this complex beast could stay airborne after being shot full of holes. Incredible.

My Father was an Arial Engineer for B-17's during WWII. Back then the Air Force was called the Army Air Corps. He had lots of great stories about his time in service and the wonderful people who he served with. He logged so many hours in the Flying Fortress teaching the "Boys" to fly that later in life he never wanted to fly unless he had to, said he had used up all his luck. Oh how he loved those planes!

Glad to see these pieces of our history are just not being preserved but readily available. Thanks so much for posting.

These Gentlemen are just simply Amazing and we owe our lives today to the thousands of men, just like them who made a stand. Thanks Guys for my freedom.

It's amazing that just 50 years before this, people were still riding around in horse drawn buggies and human flight was just a fantasy. Aside from the horrors of WWI and WWII it would have been an incredible time to be alive. My grandfather was a tail gunner on B-17's over Europe. Thankfully he made it home!

Thank you so very much for your reply. The information is helpful. I had a distant cousin who was a flight engineer/top turret gunner,. He is with God, and I miss him a lot. Be safe, my friend, and thank you for your service.

About four years ago I had the amazing opportunity to fly on the B17 Aluminum Overcast. One of the top three best moments of my life...look them up. They do tours across the US every summer and a half hour flight costs about 400 bucks...a deal at ten times the price! When u taxi to the end of the runway and they rev the engines for takeoff, the whole plane shakes, you can smell the engines, and suddenly there's nothing more beautiful than the experience. Riding in the nose and looking thru the bombsite is nothing short of a religious experience!

Coming in from a flight lesson at my small local airport and getting readyto sign out I have to waLk around this very large hanger to get to the parking lot its a bit of a walk when I turn the corner HOLY CRAP did my mouth drop like a brick! I saw that shinny badboy out there relxin was I shocked! As soon as I got home I wanted to search all about this plane but I don't know much, But I have evey respect for the people that supported and are supporting this plane an all others like it thanks

Sweet, my Dad had friends who dropped food over Holland, he would loved doing that after dropping tons of ordinance. His friends told him that they wrote out Thank You in big letters with picked tulips in the drop zone. My Cousin's maternal Uncle was a Canadian soldier in Holland. The folks he saw had such malnutrition the babies looked like the skeletal starving babies they show on TV. He wouldn't return when invited 50 years later the memories haunted him so much.

You can't imagine how happy the folks were to see your Dad!

This is why they were true Aviators...

When I was in A&P school in 1985 we had an R-985 radial engine in a test cell. I loved running that beast. You needed three hands to start it, one for the inertial starter, one for the mag switch and another for the primer pump. Even though it spewed smoke and oil when it lit off, that thing made serious power. The sound has to be experienced in person, you can feel it as well as hear it. Nothing like it.

Almost certain that Instructor was Actor Authur Kennedy (1914-1990) Kennedy was in the Military during WW2 so he probably knew about how to fly a B17. My Dad was a B17 Mechanic over in England during WW2. He loved that Plane and told me and my brother numerous stories about how bad they came back from Bombing Missions, all shot to pieces but still making it back home. He said a couple made it back flying on only one engine and hardly looking like a Bomber any longer. I still have a Mechanic's Manual he brought home from the War after 1945. Not many of these Old Bombers still around. Usually have to attend an Air Fair / Show to ever see one. Probably paid a big part in helping win the war in Europe. Didn't know they were that complicated to start ...

wow I didnt know just starting it up was so complicated, thanks for the cool historic video !

I remember Arthur Kennedy, he was in a lot of great movies.

This guy is the greatest trainer I have ever seen

Absolute brilliance at this time, the knowledge and creation was real like today even back then. Far out

Listen to that music that engine is making! Phew! Sweetest sound ever ! 💞

This was interesting to me because for years the Memphis Belle sat on display at the fairgrounds here in Memphis and as a kid I used to marvel at it. A better display home was later created for it down near the river, but it slipped into further disrepair, so was eventually sent to an aviation museum in Ohio. These planes were amazing, and could be shot up pretty good and still get their crews home.

My father was s pilot and when I was growing up seldom a werk went by without hearing a Stearman, Beaver or Beech 18 fire up. Still love the sound of a radial engine, that's what flyong is supposed to sound like.

Man I LOVE stuff like this!! Ever little bit of WWII stuff fascinates me!

I love these instructional films! Thank you!

The instructor is one of my favorite character actors, Arthur Kennedy.

I had to do the same thing to start my old '73 Monte Carlo.

That is an engineering marvel, remember almost none of those gauges is electric meaning they had fluid running from all the way from the back to the cockpit. That is just astounding given the technology of the era.

I have to hand start my 45 IH Farmal tractor. Is fun to work with. Love how the motor sounds.

26 Volts Right in the button. Good job Mullins checking the inverters!

Holy crap that external power generator is tiny compared to modern generators!

I just wanted to thank you so very much. Dad was a pilot and flew out of England. He never talked much about it. He was always my hero. Where in the world did you find this movie and is there more to it?

Omg being and A-10C Thunderbolt II Crew Chief, this whole video sounds so familiar, with the exception of external power connected. I've had to do Engines runs and the process is so similar. Battery on, Inverter on, APU start on....check your gauges, A/C generators on, #1 Engine ignite the idle after ITT and gauges are settled, check left hydraulic pressure to 3000, primary flight control check, #2 Engine ignite then idle after ITT and gauges settle, right hydraulic pressure to 3000, so on.. etc

Imaging building one of these planes?. Amazing!!,,,,really amazing.

So simple! I wish there were a few more steps. And this is a short one. There was another video a few years ago, which continued the instruction after airborne, and there were like 200 more steps, all of which had to be done in precise order. Makes you wonder if the young pilots of today appreciate how outrageously simplified the mechanics of current aircraft are.

A work of art that process is, as with the system, knowing how the older systems worked in getting the most from these machines , this is a critical method with the ground crew for full safety, you don’t break method or you die, that simple, and mistakes did cause many deaths.

B-17 had been almost refused by the military as a "too complex plane to fly". Look up the fatal crash they had during initial evaluation. High respect to the people of vision who fought to keep the program from cancelling.

it's finally nice to put a face to that epic old ass narrator's voice.

Well this will come in handy if I ever find myself in a B-17.

Next time I see a b17 sitting around, I'm going for a lil flight.

I think most people assume that starting the engines on these bombers is nothing more then turning the key and hitting the "start" button.

By the time I'm finished checking all that it's ww3

ah sir we lost the war while you were explaining everything !

Whats the percentage between accidents and lost to enemy ratio of these planes? My word, this has been an informative video. Learn something new everyday.

The Yankee Air Museum at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan, is about 15 miles south of me. They offer rides for a price in a B-17 and their flight path often comes over our house. I can hear those radial engines and can instantly recognize them. Amazing to see the procedure necessary to start those engines.

Glad I caught this. You never know when you need to start a B17

@2:23 You have to manually turn on everything in a B17. Even the air filters.

This was a nice surprise catching this unique vid....enjoyed that //

Almost 81,000 views. Internet...an enigma, wrapped in a riddle

".....and it's as simple as that. Got it?"

I saw on TV show 12 o clock high the term "Mesh-1". Looks like they got it correct.

Boing's obssesion with number 7 is legendary

beautiful

The co-pilot is Arthur Kennedy, a well known Hollywood character actor at the time. Probably fulfilling his WWII service making training films.

One mission and all that knowledge is blown out of the sky. Men and I say men although they were still young teens 18 to 20 years old just pulled together and did what had to be done. Today it's a country half filled with stoned premature beta males. The lack of Morals in society have degraded responsibility and courage. James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy - The Man from Laramie!! Good western...

my dad was a bombardier on a B17

Sounds like Arthur Kennedy was a B-17 Pilot in WW2, he certainly knows his stuff.

Awesome! Starts like my 1974 Triumph TR-6---The B17 is a bit cooler though! I gotta ask Santa for one!

Cool, inverters , not too much limelight on those things till todays world. These guys had them.in the 40s

Dad was a command pilot out of Foggia, Italy at 17 years of age. He did not learn to drive a car until 1945 on his return to the “ good ol’” USA. 56 missions and never lost a crewman.

Holy smokes that's a lot to keep track of.

I didn't realize it was this easy to start these things.

Perhaps he's the crew chief. If you can find it catch Arthur Kennedy (the instructor) in the film "Air Force"

And that's how I start my Honda Civic

Hi I am the son of one of the b17 pilots. Dad didn't talk a lot about it but He has always been my hero. I don't have any information about his crew or flights etc.. Might you have any idea how I can start to find information on Paul Koontz? He flew out of England and that is just about all I know.

Fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

Now if i ever accidentally go back in time and need to be able to fly a B-17 to return to the future, i'll be fine!!!

Actor Arthur Kennedy is the instructor. Was cast of many films including "A Summer Place" with Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue.

"Yeah, ya' mug! Switch on dat inverter, see?"

I would be so lost trying to remember how to do this. Id be yelling HELP!😂😂😂

Thanks for uploading, really enjoyed the vid.

I got a ride on the only B-24(D) still operating. Her name is "Witchcraft" She is sponsored by the Collings Foundation as a flying tribute and museum dedicated to servicemen in WWII. It has four Turbo-supercharged Twin Wasp 1830ci 14 cylinder(tandem 7's) Pratt and Whitney's, each rated at just over 1200 hp. Ten passengers, three crewmen went on the flight and we were able to walk the entire ship (sans cockpit) during flight that lasted about 45 min. We even had to all line up before takeoff and "walk the props through". Gross takeoff was rated at 85,000 pounds. We maybe weighed 50,000 pounds. We shot up into the sky like a Christian Eagle bungee corded to a Pitts Special.. Never ever forget it. $400 bargain of a lifetime.

Now I know why it takes so long for Ryanair to take off

Jesus!!!! That’s a long and complicated check list!!!!! Wow!

This is why flights never arrive on time ! Fuck this I'll take the train instead.

pump the primer line? sound like starting the old lawnmower. lol

Now being followed to start up the Memphis Belle!

Love the B17's and other WW2 aircraft!!

Instructions unclear, my cat is now glued to a revolving door.

The captain giving the instruction in start up,and takeoff is an actor who has stared in some great war movies of the early,and late forties. He was in "AIR FORCE", the story of the Maryann and her crew with John Garfield,and Harry Carry Sr.

What a great video! Thanks!

Awesome video. Thank you for finding it.

Ozzie and Harriet start a B-17!

Imagine going through all this if you were under attack.They must have had it down to a fine art

absolutely fascinating!

Great video and blurb. Id really like to watch someone hand crank a B17. Was interesting to see the pilot (though he was in the starboard seat) having to prime each engine manually. A hole in that system by flax may of being troublesome

Love all round engines!! Induction, turbocharger s complex system...so you had to know what your doing. I hear on the B 29 left,they leave superchargers off to save on maintenance. Good idea.love to wrench on them on the weekends...most relaxing....any round engine for that matter

Ok now the engines are started and we can aaaaaannnnnddddd the war is over...

It’s easy to forget how dangerous the bomber’s mission was. Most of these guys didn’t make it through their 25 missions. Of corse they would never tell you that in a training film.

Great historical video - I live near CAF Airbase Arizona (Mesa), and have watched them firing up Sentimental Journey’s engines (B-17G, of course!) at a distance, but always wondered about the complete procedure. Thanks! 🇺🇸 Believe it or not, the fire-up procedure on a P-51 is almost as complicated as this, despite the fact that you are dealing with only one engine.

I think these guys were able to keep these things flying through hell due to the fact that everything had to work manually so they had more control of the plane in a way... by pieces.

this helped me start up my A2A B-17

All cars today should have these cool gauges instead of the idiot lights

Rotary inverters!, I remember my Dad had a few of those, from a Liberator. He also had the radio set.

Wow so the inverter is just a DC motor to AC motor? Thats awesome.