There is a reason that the B-17 is known as the “Flying Fortress.” It’s built to take a beating and keep right on going. It has four powerful engines, a wingspan of around 100 feet and it weighs 50,000 pounds. With all of this power, it can carry an enormous payload of about 8,000 pounds for a range of more than 2,000 miles. That’s enough to make even the most intimidating enemy pause before engaging in combat!
The B-17 served as one of America’s primary long-range bombers during WWII and was responsible for over 60% of all strategic bombing missions flown by US forces from 1942 until surrendering of Germany in 1945.
Each B-17 aircraft had 13 machine guns.
- 8 were located on the wings and were operated by two gunners in each wing.
- 4 guns were in the waist, one on either side of the plane, and were operated by one gunner each.
The last gun was in the nose of the plane and was operated by the bombardier.
The B-17 is a heavy bomber, meaning it uses its 4 engines to carry a large number of bombs, almost 5 tons! It can hold 10 crew members, who are responsible for different tasks during a flight: piloting the plane, navigating the route to their target, operating the radio and radar equipment, dropping bombs on targets, and shooting back at enemy aircraft.
With a maximum speed of over 320 miles per hour and an ability to fly up to 30 thousand feet (5 miles) into the air—which is important because German bombers couldn’t reach that height—the B-17 was one of the most advanced planes of World War II. When America started building these planes in 1935 (before World War II), they never imagined it would become such an essential part of WWII. But by the time production ended in 1945 (after WWII), 12 thousand had been built!
The B-17 was used primarily as a daylight bomber, meaning it had to be able to defend itself against enemy aircraft by shooting them down. It also had to be able to continue flying and bombing even after suffering extensive damage from anti-aircraft fire. These two factors gave the B-17 the ability to carry more bombs than other bombers of its time, allowing for longer sorties and increased effectiveness in strategic bombing campaigns. These attributes were important because they helped bring about the Allied victory in World War Two.
The B-17’s normal crew was comprised of a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier, and radio operator. Other crew members included engineers and gunners. Each person on the plane had responsibilities for specific tasks; the pilot flew the plane and made sure it reached its destination safely, while others were in charge of navigating it to its target. The bombardier released bombs during a mission; gunners defended the aircraft from enemy aircraft. All of the crew worked together to complete their missions successfully.
In the early 1950s, the planes were used by the Air Force in Korea and they became a symbol of freedom for prisoners of war. Many North Korean prisoners refused to believe that the Communists could produce such an advanced aircraft design and assumed the B-17s were American jets or even flying saucers! The U.S. military also used B-17s for reconnaissance missions during the Vietnam War, although only a few bombers were ever converted for this purpose.
Even after serving as a bomber ended, many B-17s remained on active duty as air transports or rescue planes until 1960. Some were even used to dropping leaflets over Communist countries toward the end of their careers.
On some flights, an additional man — usually a volunteer — would squeeze into a spot at the radio room window or on top of the bomb bay doors to provide yet another set of eyes for spotting enemy planes during long trips across Europe or over Japan. Another crew member might be added when carrying bombs instead of fuel tanks under the wings or when extra supplies were aboard to support an invasion force landing on French soil. Additional pilots sometimes flew as observers when aircrews were being trained to fly new aircraft.
In all instances though, it was exceptionally rare for more than 14 people to attempt flying one B-17 at any time. There simply wasn’t enough oxygen available for everyone beyond that point!
The B-17 is often lauded as “the queen of the skies,” a title that refers to both its elegant design and its ability to fly high above enemy anti-aircraft fire. It was also called “the flying boxcar” by Germans and Japanese, while they referred to it as “the ghost plane” due to its ability to complete missions and return home even if heavily damaged.
The construction of the B-17 had a few advantages over other aircraft. For example, the B-17 was powered by the same Wright R-1820 Cyclone engine as the earlier Boeing Model 299 and Douglas DB-1 Dakota bombers. This was convenient because it meant that an already tested engine could simply be used in the new plane; there would be no need to design or test a new one, which saved time and money.
It is also worth noting that parts of the B-17 were manufactured at plants all over America, and then assembled at Boeing Field in Seattle. Because this allowed different companies to work on production simultaneously, it made construction move even faster than if only one company had built the entire plane.
According to Jon Guttman’s article “Boeing’s Flying Fortress: 1930s Bomber Program Built World War II Weapon” published in Military History Quarterly (Spring 2011), “As early as May 1938, two months after its first flight, production contracts for 17 of these aircraft per month (204 per year) were underway—a rate exceeded only by the Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber among U.S. military aircraft programs of any type between 1935 and 1941.”
There are currently 12 B-17s still flying today (as of 2017) across the world. Seven B-17s are airworthy in the United States, one is airworthy and based in Europe, and four are airworthy in Asia.
The B-17 aircraft was retired by the military in the 1960s, and used up during the Vietnam War. However, there are still plenty of World War II B-17’s left today. The owners can use them for freighting, demonstration flights, and even for historical purposes. So for the time being, it looks like this symbol of freedom will remain with us for quite some time to come.
The B-17 aircraft is still in use today as a piloted aircraft for aeronautical research and other historic purposes, as well as for airshow demonstrations and commemorative flights. The majority of B-17s that still fly are operated by private individuals or organizations, with only one known to be operated by a foreign government (Mexico’s Green Beret Museum). A few have been restored to airworthy condition with the intent to continue use in airshow demonstrations.
The largest plane in the US inventory when it entered service, the B-17 continues to be a symbol of freedom, tactical innovation, and engineering genius. The aircraft remains in active service and may continue to be used as long as there are enough airframes available.