Boeing B-17

        The Boeing B-17 was developed for a 1934 US Army Air Corps proposal requesting a multiengine bomber to replace the earlier B-10. The first prototype flew in 1935, where it was christened the "Flying Fortress," after a reporter commented on the number of guns bristling from its fuselage. Boeing often advertised the strategic bomber on its merits as a four engine aircraft, claiming it could complete its missions even after losing an engine. The B-17 starred chiefly in daylight raids for the Allied strategic bombing campaign, dropping over 640,000 tons of bombs on Nazi Germany and occupied territories. Across all variants between initial production and the end of the war, 12,731 B-17s were produced.

    The initial run of the B-17 was rocky. The first prototype went up in flames during an altitude test shortly after takeoff, costing the lives of both test pilots. Modern written takeoff checklists are a direct result of this event. Since the prototype could no longer be tested, the B-17 was disqualified from the competition. The USAAC was still optimistic about the aircraft, and made an initial purchase order of 13 in 1936, which would be delivered the following year. Boeing made improvements upon the B-17 as requested, fitting the aircraft with turbo-superchargers from General Electric. Issues with the technology delayed delivery of the aircraft until 1939, but the performance increase was more than worth it. The turbo-supercharged B-17s had a service ceiling of 38,000 feet, nearly two miles higher than the previous B-17s. The large size of the B-17 provided it a high fuel capacity, and with four engines it could climb more aggressively than the twin-engine bombers American pilots were used to. Together, the fuel capacity and climb rate provided the B-17 with a 2,000 mile range, allowing the B-17 to strike deep into Europe from British airfields.

    In terms of armament, the B-17 easily earned its moniker of Flying Fortress. As development on the bomber series continued, it was equipped with more and more armament until the B-17G was almost unrecognizable from the initial YB-17. The first B-17s were equipped with five .30-caliber Browning machine guns, which were considered more than adequate when they were drawn up in 1936. Its first substantial armament adjustment occurred with the B-17D. Most of the .30-caliber guns were exchanged with heavier .50-caliber Browning machine guns, retaining only a single .30-caliber gun in the nose. A new turret was placed on top of the bomber with a twin .50-caliber mount, and the ball turret below the bomber was similarly refitted with a twin mount. Altogether, the B-17D had one .30-caliber gun and six .50-caliber guns. Between the bottom ball turret and top turret, the B-17 had nearly full coverage, enabling it to respond defensively to any attack on the aircraft. The trend of adding more guns would continue until the final variant, the B-17G. Guns were added in the sides and cheeks of the plane as well as a twin-mount chin turret, culminating in a grand total of 13 .50-caliber Browning machine guns. In its primary mission, the B-17 was able to comfortably carry between 4,500 and 8,000 pounds of bombs.

    While the B-17 performed incredibly well in Europe, it did much worse in the Pacific Theater. It would only serve in the bombing role for a year before being replaced and relegated to search and rescue missions instead. Below is an older picture of B-17s in formation. I also linked an incredible video taking a look at the interior of a B-17!

Four B-17s flying in formation


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