B-17 Bomber Takeoff Training Film

In this video you can visualize how the first B-17 (model 299) crashed on takeoff in 1935. The rudder/elevator gust lock lever and tail wheel lock lever are located next to each other on the floor between the pilot and co-pilot seats. Both levers must be down for flight. When both levers are down the tail wheel is in the lock position and the rudder/elevator are in the unlock position. Unlike in this video, Model 299 did its fatal takeoff with the rudder/elevator gust lock lever up postion, locking the elevator in the down postion and the rudder in the neutral position. Once air borne, by the time the crew had realized the mistake, it was too late. A Boeing test pilot on board this flight as an advisor, lived long enough to tell investigators what went wrong. With this crash came the very first pilot's check list.
Capt. Arthur Kennedy who plays the instructor in this video was a Broadway and Movie actor long before joining the Army Air Force.

Видео B-17 Bomber Takeoff Training Film канала B17GMODEL