Problem at 19000 feet.

[Sailor]

After takeoff and a slow climb everything was fine. The plane then dipped and began a stall a couple of times. after I got that ok I began to climb again slowly,
but when I neared 19000 ft I noticed the dipping again. I also saw that the speed indicator flickered from my speed to 100 and back again several times. The plane
dipped each time. As long as I stayed below 19000 ft I was fine. I just could not climb to that height. No indications on the plane of a problem.

[TreeTops]

Could this be a weather program giving you a sudden large tailwind at 19000ft?

[Gypsy Baron]

Did you have the turbo dial set? Pitot heat on? Deicers on if in icing conditions?

I fly the B-17G at or above 19K often, along with the other pilots in the 91st Bombardment Group, during missions.

Depending upon the winds we sometimes have to reduce our 'normal' rate of climb down from 500 FPM to 300 or
200 FPM to maintain a save IAS but we can always get to our cruise altitude.

I typically run my turbo dial at '8' and set 36" manifold pressure for the climb. I will sometimes need to crank the MP up to 37" along with a reduction in the ROC if my IAS drops below 140 MPH.

When I am not leading the formation I will set my turbo dial to 6.5 or 7 and adjust my MP to get my speed close to that of the lead aircraft and then use one or two clicks up or down on the turbo dial to fine tune my speed to hold formation.

[Sailor]

It wasn't wind. I have been higher than that also so it was not something that has been there. De-icing was on and I had the speed and power to get there.
Just to be sure I eased it up, but still could not get at 19k. Maybe it is just one of those things that will work ok next time, who knows?

[Sailor]

Well whatever it was it healed itself. It works fine now.