Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

The history of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

While the four-engine joint B-24 Liberator heavy bomber lost more tonnage and was built in greater numbers during the war, the four-engine "heavy" Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" left a more durable legacy for the U.S. military Remembering the history of aviation in World War II (1939-1945). The aircraft was an important part of the famous Eighth Air Force ("Mighty Eighth Air Force"), as it took over daytime bombing raids on Europe on the march to Berlin - assembled troops from all over England Airport take off. Over time, the tide of war began to favor the Allies, as the territories of the Third Reich began to shrinkfirst Italy, then France and the Netherlands. The bomber became known as a workhorse and was the subject of many war bond movements across the United States to seek continued support for the war effort.

Before it's over, the Kingdom of Italy, Germany, and the Empire of Japan will all be utterly defeated - each with at least a taste of what Boeing products have to offer. Many lines were still serving foreign players after the war, and many more were sent to scrapyards after their flightsfew are still in operation today.

As a result of its contribution to the Great War, the B-17 conducted nearly 300,000 sorties against enemy targets and dropped an incredible 640,000 tons of bombs. It helped to refine the American bomber theory, which required attention even before the war began, and led to the development of another classic conflict multi-engine platform - the Boeing B-29 "Superfortress" (described in detail elsewhere on this site).

Hundreds of B-17s flew in the early days of the 8th Air Force's engagement with Europe, but before the war ended in 1945, thousands of bombers formed wave after wave to forget the enemy.

[Page. Its early importance cannot be underestimated, as the platform was both a deterrent system and a bomb delivery system. In early 1942, some were stationed on Australian soil in preparation for the Japanese invasion of Australia's South Pacific territories and surrounding areas.

In the middle of this year, the E variant arrived in the UK to support Allied bombers over Europe.

B-17F

The development of the production line did not end with the E model, as in April 1942 the B-17F based on the Boeing 299P design was rapidly introduced. It carried four Wright R1820-97 "Cyclone" air-cooled Meridians with 1,380 hp each, improving performance at higher altitudes and range, the latter made possible by the inclusion of the so-called "Tokyo Tank". Defensive armament was again addressed: a "bullet" turret was now added to the aircraft's belly line, as the tail turret has been shown to help stop enemy fighter jets from attacking the rear of heavy bombers. This addition includes a bullet casing that encloses the gunner who manages a pair of heavy machine guns.

With his feet in the stirrups and a simple belt holding him in place, the diminutive gunner was tasked with protecting the bomber from threats from below its belly. Ammunition was fed into each gun from outside the bullet but inside the hull, and into the bullet turret through a hatch.

The power supply for the system is electric.

In addition to the engine and spherical turret, the Type F is distinguished by its one-piece plexiglass nose cone, which eliminates the complex, heavy frame unit of previous production models. This gave the bombardier one of the most impressive views from the plane, as he could see through the unobstructed panes of the bomber's entire front panel - useful for identifying his character's ground target area.

These changes resulted in an increase in the overall weight of the heavy bomber, but this was acceptable given the growing demands of the war. The F model took over the production line from the now-discontinued E model and added 3,405 to the B-17 stabilization - Boeing contributed 2,300 aircraft, while the Douglas Aircraft Plant had 605 and another 500 from the Lockheed Vega plant - This is a joint effort to determine.

B-17 Mature - Final B-17G

Development of the B-17 was rapid and intense, thanks in large part to the evolution of warfare itself. The B-17G model was a major upgrade over the previous version, becoming the undisputed final form of the series. It inherits the aforementioned improvements of the improved F model, but also introduces an electric Bendix chin turret with two guns for bombardier positions. One of the enduring limitations of the early B-17's defense network was its defense against oncoming attack from enemy fighter jets. Bombardiers and navigators can rely on "cheek" machine guns, as well as some dorsal turret support, but these machine guns have a limited firing arc when dealing with direct threats from the front.

The Bendix unit has unrestricted access to the forefield of the aircraft and can scan the horizon from side to side for threats. No doubt surprised that their frontal attack was no longer useful, the German pilots were instead welcomed by hot lead from the .50 caliber Browning.

In addition to armament upgrades, increased war load capacity: Bombers are now able to carry up to 90,000 pounds of conventional interim storage over long distances. Boeing contributed 4,035 G models, Douglas added 2,395 and Lockheed Vega added 2,250.

B-17 in action

The B-17 Flying Fortress followed standard bomber principles of the time, arranging units in so-called "box formations". This formation of several bombers flew relatively close together, and nearly every gunner on each aircraft could deploy their guns as needed, providing joint firepower against any imminent threat.

A Model G is armed with no less than 12 machine guns, and a B-17 is a pretty decent defensive network for enemy fighter jets to pass through during an attack.

Gunner positions on B-17G models include 2 x .50 cal machine guns in the bendix chinturret, 1 x .50 cal machine guns in each cheek position, 2 x .50 cal machine guns in the top rear turret???? 0.50 caliber machine guns on the side ball turrets, 1 0.50 caliber machine gun in each beam position, and 2 0.50 caliber machine guns in the rear. In theory, the absence of a non-bomber approach route is indisputable.

All positions received some degree of armor protection, but this varied from position to position.

Norden Bombing Sight

One of the main challenges of bombing in 1930-40 was accuracy, and several technical attempts were made to assist the bombardier in his role, but none were as crucial to the war effort as Carl Lukas Norden Bombsight designed Norden - Worked for the Sperry Gyroscope Company before World War I (1914-1918). Lucas was first interested in inventions by the United States Navy (USN) as the service sought to increase the lethality of its own bombers against moving enemy warships.

Early Mk III bomb sights were developed from this requirement in 1921, and the design eventually evolved to the M-series units introduced in 1943.

Bomb sights helped to gradually improve the accuracy of American bombers, from nearly 25% (within 1000 yards) to about 40% (within 500 yards) by 1944 and later. The pilot also allowed the bombardier to control the aircraft laterally during bombardment raids, which further helped the bombardier to place the ammunition where it needed to go. Bomber flights often followed the lead aircraft as their "command", dropping the war load in the queue. Therefore, the primary bombardier must be absolutely sure that he is on the right target, which is achieved by spending hours studying photos and maps to verify physical structures and landmarks.

During bombing, there is also the pressure of air defense attacks, enemy fighter jets, etc. - external disturbances that are not properly replicated in training. His work was assisted by a competent navigator whose main task was to bring the bomber within target range using maps and measurements.

The pilots made their living under the direction of the navigator, and the radio operator also supported the work. As a result, the entire B-17 core crew must achieve a degree of cohesion, not only for mission success, but also for the survival of the unit.

About 40,000 candidates completed the USAF's Bombardier program, which was associated with the use of the ultra-classified Norden bomb targeting system.

B-17 Cockpit

The pilot and co-pilot sit side by side in the cockpit with the engine/throttle controls between them - equal access to the controls. Each pilot also has a good understanding of their respective engine pairings to monitor for fires and general failures.

Each pilot can also control the aircraft as needed via their control yoke, which is especially useful if the crew is incapacitated or killed during the mission. The visibility from the cockpit is adequate, but generally limited - ground walking of course requires the help of ground crew to orient.

B-17 Reliability

The B-17 soon became known for its ability to withstand huge combat penalties and keep flying. That's not to say the design was immune to enemy attack - many B-17 bombers and B-17 bomber crews were killed during the war - but Boeing products have a reputation for staggering, and even entire parts of the plane were lost.

The entire tail may have been lost Will be shot down, or the fuselage blown up or cut off until it nearly falls, but Boeing bombers always "bring the boys home." While fighter jets posed an immediate threat, the seemingly random fire from ground-based anti-aircraft guns was terrifying for the bomber formations needed to maintain course while penetrating aerial minefields. When enemy interceptors stopped attacking the fort, it was a clear signal that a full-scale anti-aircraft attack was imminent.

Despite all the dangers, the B-17 crew excelled throughout the war. This led to the bomber becoming a symbol of American air power over its enemies, and a major component of the war effort that disintegrated the Empire by 1945. Flights of thousands of such bombers became commonplace in the last year of the war, when the German nation surrendered under pressure from all sides in May of that year, marking the end of the war in Europe.

The B-17 also contributed to the Pacific Theater, eventually paving the way for the high-flying Boeing B-29 "Superfortress" that eventually helped end the War in the East by dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

B-17 postwar exposure

By the end of the war, total B-17 production had reached 12,731. Production time span from 1936 to 1945. Outside the United States and the United Kingdom, the B-17 served the military and civilian markets primarily through various global operations in the postwar years.

Operators range from Brazil, Canada and Colombia to Portugal, the USSR and the Republic of China.

During the war, those B-17s that fought in the Far East for some reason could not return to US bases in the region and were forced to land on Soviet territory, where the specimens were detained by the Soviets and rebuilt with the last bolts. This launched the Soviet Cold War bomber program and led to types like the Tupolev Tu-4 taking over from the outdated B-17 in Soviet service.

The Soviet B-17 operated until 1948.

Likewise, during the war, the German regime captured as many as 40 B-17s in various conditions and returned them to combat status. Known locally as Dornier Do 200, these were used by Luftwaffe units KG 200 for reconnaissance and general espionage.

When Israel was established in 1948, it was equipped with three B-17s to establish the newly established aviation service. Due to the 1956 Suez Crisis, samples were procured from the Czech Republic and South America and entered into combat during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, with the fleet flying until 1958.

Notable projects and branches

While many derivatives of the B-17's basic design have stood the test of time over its long career, two stand out in their attempts - the XB-38 and XB-40, both based on The established framework for the original B-17 (and both are described elsewhere on this page). Based on the B-17E model, the XB-38 attempted to develop an in-line, piston-powered version of the flying fortress to maximize the performance of the heavy bomber. 4 x Allison V1710-89 12-cylinder engines, each producing 1,425 hp, replaced the typical air-cooled radial engine during the project, allowing the use of a streamlined engine nacelle for better aerodynamics.

While performance did improve, the only prototype was destroyed by fire during a test in June 1943, ending its days of flying. This fire and the arrival of the F-Type production unit, along with the Allison inline engine needed elsewhere, led to the demise of the XB-38.