WingFlaps wrote:
On Apr 18, 8:39 am, gatt wrote:

I think pretty much anybody who's ever flown a C-172 on a warm summer
day, with more than one passenger, has pushed it near or over gross.

You people need to go on diets! The 172 should be a 3 seater with full
fuel (144l)...

Unfortunately, too true. Under the pilot's storm window on a B-17 is a
placard with the maximum crew weight: 1200 lbs. Let's see: 10 men in
uniform, bunny suits, flight suits, boots, gloves, mae west, parachute
and harness, body armor, flak helmet...

I went to a park on Sunday with my wife and noted that previous
generations would be absolutely stunned by the average American's
physical condition nowadays.

An old 96th BG waistgunner/armorer told me one time that they would
sneak in extra ammunition for the long raids, but if the pilots found
out they'd make 'em offload it. So they ditched the fire
extinguishers, waist and radio room windows and just about everything
else nonessential and replaced it with a steel plate on the floor of the
waist, and whatever extra ammo could be slipped onboard in the tail
without the pilots finding out. "Aft of CG limit" apparently meant
nothing to gunners.

(Also mentioned using their oxygen masks to keep cigarettes lit on the
way to Schweinfurt.)

-c