>From http://gcc.gnu.org/ml/fortran/2008-10/msg00045.html :
$ cat foo.f90 character(len=16) :: string, string2 string='BIG_ENDIAN' open(unit=13,form='unformatted',file='gftest.dat',convert='big_endian',status='UNKNOWN') write(13) string close(13) end $ gfortran foo.f90 $ ./a.out $ od -t x1 -t a gftest.dat 0000000 00 00 00 10 20 20 20 20 20 20 4e 41 49 44 4e 45 nul nul nul dle sp sp sp sp sp sp N A I D N E 0000020 5f 47 49 42 00 00 00 10 _ G I B nul nul nul dle 0000030 -- Summary: [4.4 Regression] Convert="BIG_ENDIAN" reverses character Product: gcc Version: 4.4.0 Status: UNCONFIRMED Keywords: wrong-code Severity: major Priority: P3 Component: libfortran AssignedTo: unassigned at gcc dot gnu dot org ReportedBy: tkoenig at gcc dot gnu dot org http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=37753