One of the United States, the B-17 was flown by the United States Army Air Force throughout the American participation in the Second World War. The plane was used to bombard German targets in Europe during daylight hours a method which resulted initially in very heavy losses.

The Flying Fortress was designed for a competition, announced in 1934, to find a modern replacement for the assorted Keystone biplane bombers then in service. The prototype first flew on July 28 in 1935, and went on to win the competition. Top speed was 317 mph, cruising at over 200 mph with 4,000 pounds of bombs.

Production of the similar B-17 was undertaken by Douglas and Vega, a subsidiary of the Lockheed Aircraft Corp. 3 400 B-17s were produced by the three companies. By the end of production, more than 12 700 B-17s had been built.

The first American mission from England took place. The Germans were warned by radio from a picket ship off the Dutch coast, and two of the bombers flown by Americans were shot down. The bombardiers of two of the other planes were so confused by the camouflaged targets that they failed to drop their bombs at all. The Americans fought their way back to England, but in one bomber the pilot was injured and the copilot killed. The bombardier, who had been washed out of flying school, took over the controls and flew the plane back home on two engines.

Specifications:

Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress

Dimensions:

Wing span: 103 ft. 9 in (31.6 m)
Length: 74 ft. 9 in (22.8 m)
Height: 19 ft. 1 in (5.8 m)
Wing Area: 1,420 sq ft (132 sq m)

Weights:

Empty: 32,720 lb (14,855 kg)
Normal Loaded: 49,500 lb (22,475 kg)
Maximum Overloaded: 60,000 lb (27,240 kg)

Performance:

Maximum Speed: 295 m.p.h. (472 km/h) at 25,000 ft (7,625 m)
Service Ceiling: 35,000 ft (10,670 m)
Normal Range: (normal fuel & max bombs), 1,100 miles (1,760 km)
220 mph (352 km/h) 25,000 ft (7,625 m)

Powerplant:

Four 1,200 hp Wright R-1820-97 nine cylinder air-cooled single row radial engines. General Electric Type B-22 exhaust driven turbo-superchargers, installed under engine nacelles.

Armament:

Thirteen 50-cal. machine-guns. Normal bomb load 6,000 lbs (2,724 kg).
Largest bomb type carried is 2,000 lb (908 kg).