Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

  • CountryUnited States of America
  • TypeFour-Engined Long Range Heavy Bomber
  • PowerplantsFour 1200 h.p. Wright R-1820-97 nine-cylinder radial air-cooled engines with General Electric Type B-22 exhaust-driven turbo-superchargers.
  • PerformanceMaximum speed 472km/h (256kt) at 25,000ft. Climb to 25,000ft 41 min. Service ceiling 35,000ft. Normal range (maximum bomb load and normal fuel) 1770km (955nm) at 352km/h (190kt) at 25,000ft.
  • WeightsWeight empty 14,855kg (32,720lb). Normal weight loaded 22,475kg (49,500 lb). Maximum overloaded weight 27,240kg (60,000lb).
  • DimentionsWing span 31.6m (103ft 9in), length 22.8m (74ft 9in), height 5.8m (19ft 1in), wing area - 132sq m (1420sq ft).
  • CapacityNormal crew of six to ten. Bomb-aimer's compartment in extreme nose. Pilot's compartment seating two side-by-side with dual controls in front of leading-edge of wing. Aft of pilot's position is an upper electrically-operated two-gun turret. Radio-operator's position amidships. Two gun positions aft of the wings, one-two gun electrically-operated beneath the fuselage and one position in the extreme tail.
  • ProductionTotal production 12731, comprising 1 Model 299, 13 Y1B-17, 1 Y1B-17A, 39 B-17B, 38 B-17C, 42 B-17D, 512 B-17E, 3405 B-17F (2300 by Boeing, 605 by Douglas, 500 by Lockheed-Vega), and 8680 B-17G (4035 by Boeing, 2395 by Douglas, 2250 by Lockheed-Vega). Many were converted to other models.

The Fortress was at first expected to meet a strike pilot specific issued by the U.s. Furnished energy Air Corps in 1934. The model, Boeing Model 299, first flew on July 28, 1935 and the first Y1b-17 of a creation appeal of thirteen was passed on to the Air Corps in March, 1937. In January, 1939 a test Y1b-17a fitted with turbo-supercharged engines was passed on to the Army Air Corps. Copying productive trials with this plane an appeal for 39 was set for this model under the task B-17b.

The B-17g was exhibited onto the Fortress creation line in July of 1943, and was sure to be conveyed in greater numbers than an alternate Fortress variety. The most speedily unmistakable improvement exhibited by the B-17g was the energy worked Bendix turret mounted in a jaw sort station underneath the nose. This turret was outfitted with two 0.50-inch programmed weapons. This stronghold had first been attempted in fight by the YB-40 and was found to be the principle achievable headway exhibited by the unsuccessful escort Fortress. A substitute improvement introduced by the G was having the waist weapons being for untouched encased behind windows rather than being mounted behind removable seals. This made the back fuselage to some degree less drafty. The cheek nose weapons displayed on the late B-17f were held, however were staggered so that the left gun was in the forward side window and the right weapon was in the inside side window, which turned around the positions used on the late Fs. The cheek weapon mounts swell to a degree outward into the airstream, which served to upgrade the forward viewpoint from the cheek gun positions. The forward jaw stronghold and the related cheek weapons were at first gone for on B-17f-115-BO 42-30631. At first, the Bendix turret was to be displayed on the Boeing creation line with F-135, however the movements were sufficient to help an alternate plan letter, and the F-135s became G-1.

The B-17g now had the defensive firepower of no short of what thirteen 0.50-inch programmed weapons: two jaw guns, two cheek weapons, two weapons in the dorsal turret, two guns in the ventral turret, two guns in the waist, two guns in the tail and one gun in the highest point of the radio executive's position. B-17gs were collected by every one of the three sections of the "B.v.d." era pool, with the Boeing packages stretching out from creation squares G-1 to G-110, the Douglas pieces set from -5 to -95, and the Lockheed-Vega pieces running from -1 to -110.

The B-17g entered organization with the Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces in late 1943. Guise paint was deleted from era B-17gs starting in January of 1944. B-17gs were passed on in trademark metal finish the procedure of starting in (however not at the beginning) of era pieces G-35-BO (Boeing), G-20-VE (Lockheed-Vega), and G-35-DL (Douglas-Long Beach). The affirmed "Cheyenne" tail gun mounting conformities were joined in the B-17g-80-BO, -45-DL, -35-VE and subsequent bunches. These tail weapon mountings also had a reflector gunsight as opposed to the past ring and dab. With this station, these B-17gs were five inches shorter than the former variations. On later creation versions, it was found imperative to astound the waist gun positions so that the two substantial deadly implement masters would not get in each other's way. On the last creation bundles (B-17g-105 and -110-BO, B-17g-75 to -85-DL, and B-17g-85 to -110-VE), the radio compartment gun was not presented. The ammunition furthest reaches of the waist guns was extended to 600 rpg. Exactly when creation finished in 1945, a total of 4035 B-17gs had been produced by Boeing, 2395 by Douglas and 2250 by Lockheed-Vega. The last Boeing-fabricated B-17g was passed on April 13, 1945. B-17g-1-VE 42-38940 was redesignated XB-17g when doled out to test work. It was not a model.

Pictures of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress