The Boeing 17 Flying Fortress was a heavy bomber, that was used by the United States Strategic Air Force during World War II. It first flew in 1935, and was introduced in 1938. It had a shorter range, and a smaller bomb load, than its sister bomber the B-24 Liberator, but it had more defensive armament. It dropped large amounts of bombs during air raids against Germany, such as the raid on Dresden. The B-17 was also used in the Pacific, including the Battle of Midway. The Flying Fortress had its name for a good reason, it could survive the hits and was able to fly while under enemy fire. The B-17 was a heavy bomber plane that carried 2 tons of bombs. The reason why few B-17's survived WWII was because lack of escort by allied fighters and enemy fire. Later in WWII, the U.S. increased escort fighters for the bombers giving more protection. The escort fights flew until the end of WWII.
| B-17 Flying Fortress | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| A B-17G performing at the 2014 Chino Airshow | |
| Role | Heavy bomber |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| First flight | July 28, 1935 |
| Introduction | April 1938 |
| Retired | 1968 (Brazilian Air Force) |
| Primary users | United States Army Air Forces Royal Air Force |
| Produced | 1936–1945 |
| Number built | 12,731[1] |
| Unit cost |
|
| Variants |
|
| Developed into | Boeing 307 Stratoliner |
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was a large American aircraft, and arguably one of the most successful or dangerous bombers. These 4-propeller destroyers could carry well over 10,000 pounds of bombs, and can travel hundreds of miles without refuelling. Similar to other long-range bombers, the B-17 was armed with plenty of small turrets to cover all angles from anti-air. Flocks of these massive aircraft with escorts would be spotted from kilometres out, making them a large target for enemy Flak.
Technical data (Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress)
| Data | Units |
|---|---|
| Years of production | 1935-1945 |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Wingspan | 31,62 m |
| Length | 22,66 m |
| Height | 5,82 m |
| Wing area | 131,92 m² |
| Weight (empty) | 16.391 kg |
| Max takeoff weight | 29.710 kg |
| Crew | 9 |
| Speed | 462km/h |
| Service ceiling | 10.800 m |
| Range | 3.220 km |
| Powerplant | 4x Wright-R-1820-97 Cyclone |
| Power | 4x 895 kW (1.217 HP) |
| Weapons | 8 T bombs and 13* machine guns 12.7mm |
References
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