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B-17 hydraulic system

PRB

PRB

Administrator
Staff member
So I’m reading a book called Ferry Command, by a Don McVicar (thanks, srgalahad, for the recommendation!) McVicar was a Canadian civilian pilot in WW-II, attached to RAF Ferry Command. As such he got to fly a lot of different planes, and his exploits (in the air and in the bar…) make for very interesting reading. So here he is about to take an RAF B-17 someplace, and invites his new friend, a New Zealand pilot who has just checked him out in the B-26 Marauder (another good story that…) to fly with him as co-pilot. Anyway, they just started the B-17 and…
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“…We did the run-up and I signaled the chocks away and nodded to my new co-pilot. He gingerly opened the throttles and we began to move. We had to make a sharp turn almost immediately to avoid aircraft parked ahead of us. As Robinson cut back three engines and poured coal to No. 1 he had to use a little brake to help the turn. I was amused to see the startled expression on his face as the famous Fort hydraulic system gave out its usual high-pitched moan…”
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Now that I’ve flown in a B-17 I knew exactly what that “moan” sounds like, and I had the same startled expression when I first heard it. How cool is that??
 
Yep, sounds like the wheels are gonna fall right off it. What a squealing sound, it's darned hard on the ears. LOL
 
Probably the squealing brakes, pretty common on U.S. built 4 engine aircraft of the era. The first time you hear it you immediately think the brake pads are worn out and need replacing, that's true of automobiles, but the brake pad composition on these aircraft tend to make a lot of noise when the brakes are applied.
 
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