B17 bombers have auto pilots?

[DenisH]

I've noticed in WW2 documentaries that pilots of B17's flew manually when in the "box" formation. Didn't these planes (1943-44) have some sort of auto pilot? If they did, why weren't they used when flying formation?  And how did these waist gunners swinging .50 caliber MG's around avoid shooting off a wing?  Did the guns have governors? Just curious.

[Romulus111VADT]

B-17 Pilot Training Manual
http://www.stelzriede.com/ms/html/mshwpmn1.htm

Operation of the C-1 Autopilot for Bombers B-17 B-24
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/operation-of-the-c-1-autopilot-for-bombers-b-17-b

THE C-1 AUTOMATIC FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM
http://www.shockwaveproductions.com/wingsofpower/manual/c1.htm

Google is your friend....

I just hope it's correct...lol....

[ozzy72]

You're bang on the money Rom

[DenisH]

Excellent stuff. Thanks.

[GlobalHobo]

pilots of B17's flew manually when in the "box" formation.

Or any other formation. You won't use an autopilot when flying formation. "George" is great when you are alone in the sky, but he can't react to all the interactions when in formation with other aircraft. The exception to that is that the lead ship is often on autopilot.

When we do aerial refueling, we train with the autopilot on and autopilot off, which is to say that part of the time the tanker is on A/P and other times not. The receiver aircraft is always hand-flown. That's training. In the real world, the tanker is always on A/P, because that makes it a smoother delivery platform. The reciever is still hand-flown.

[C]

GH hit the nail on the head.

As for tanking, in my background the tanker has the autopilot in...


...until the autopilot decides it can't be bothered any more, and then, well, just be there and cope!

[GlobalHobo]

Tru 'dat!

[hyperpep111]

yeah. If It did not have it, the ww2 pilots would be allot better than modern day.
WW2:
flying 1000 miles in formation maintaining altitude and heading at night without formation or any lights. Manually. If the pilot needs the bathroom too bad :-/
today:
flying 1000 miles in formation maintaining altitude and heading at night with formation lights Ah just set altitude heading and speed and go to the bathroom

[C]

flying 1000 miles in formation maintaining altitude and heading at night without formation or any lights. Manually. If the pilot needs the bathroom too bad

Hence the USAAF used their formations by day. The RAF on the other hand used much looser stream formations at night (and lost a lot of aeroplanes doing it). The USAAF generally had the advantage that most of their bombers were dual controlled - so shared the workload between two pairs of hands. The RAF's Lancaster and Halifax, to cite two examples, were single pilot.