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| Frustrated in their efforts to acquire a fleet of strategic bombers for service with the Army Air Corps, US Army planners - who were devotees of the theories expounded by Brig Gen William 'Billy' Mitchell - inserted the thin end of an important wedge when they ordered a small number of YB-17 prototypes in January 1936, ostensibly for the nation's defence. Originating as the Boeing Model 299, the prototype was built as a private venture, Boeing gambling heavily on producing a winner that would bring a large military contract. It must have seemed to Boeing that their gamble had failed when, almost at the end of the military trials, the Model 299 crashed on take-off. Fortunately investigation proved that the aircraft had been flown off with the flying controls locked and safety of the basic design was not suspect.
It was not until 1938 that the USAAC was able to place an order for 39 production B-17B, the last of this batch entering service in March 1940. These were the first B-17 production aircraft to be equipped with turbocharged engines, providing a higher maximum speed and much increased service ceiling. Of the B-17C which followed, a batch of 20 were supplied to the RAF (designated Fortress I) and used operationally in Europe for evaluation, leading to improved B-17D and B-17E aircraft with self-sealing fuel tanks and revised armour and armament.
The B-17E was truly a flying fortress, armed with one 7.62mm and 12 12.7mm machine-guns for defence and able to carry a maximum 7,983kg of bombs. Most extensively built variant was the B-17G (8,680), being built by Douglas and Lockheed Vega as well as at the Boeing plant, Seattle. Pratt & Whitney R-1820-97 radial engines and improved turbochargers enabled the B-17G to operate at an altitude of up to 10,670m; and the addition of a chin turret below the nose (containing two 12.7mm machine-guns) provided better defence against the head-on attacks being launched by Luftwaffe fighter pilots in their attempts to reduce the numbers of Fortresses striking daily at strategic targets deep in German territory.
Special variants included the B-40 with up to 30 machine-guns/cannons, which was intended as a B-17 escort, but proved to be an operational failure; BQ-7 pilotless aircraft packed with explosives to be deployed against German targets by radio control, which failed due to unreliable control equipment; CB-17 and C-108 transports; and F-9 long-range B-17 equipped to serve as an air-sea rescue aircraft and able to deploy a lifeboat carried beneath the fuselage.
In Britain, more than anywhere else in the world, the B-17 evokes vivid memories of courageous aircrew who day after day - despite sometimes horrific losses - continued to attack targets in Europe until victory was won. For Boeing, their private-venture gamble paid off: a total of 12,731 Fortresses were built by the Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed team.
| CREW | 11 |
| ENGINE | 4 x Wright-Cycl. GR-1820-97, 885kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 32720 kg | 72136 lb |
| Empty weight | 24900 kg | 54895 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 31.6 m | 104 ft 8 in |
| Length | 22.7 m | 75 ft 6 in |
| Height | 5.8 m | 19 ft 0 in |
| Wing area | 141.9 m2 | 1527.40 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 438 km/h | 272 mph |
| Cruise speed | 250 km/h | 155 mph |
| Ceiling | 10700 m | 35100 ft |
| Range | 2980 km | 1852 miles |
| ARMAMENT | 13 x 12.7mm machine-guns, 8000kg of bombs |
 | A three-view drawing (1000 x 927) |
| Jessie, e-mail, 14.08.2011 19:51 My grandfather Lloyd Powell was a radio operator in the B17's during WW2. He was 463rd BG, 15AAF, 774 BS. He has told me he was assigned to the "Nancy Lou" but the day that the "Jersey Misquite" was to go on a mission it needed a radio man, theirs was sick" and he was the lucky man. The Jersey Misquite was shot down I believe he said over Austria, my grandpa was then held in Stalag 17B for 13 months. If anyone else knows anything about his group or knows of anyone that was also in this group and possibly knows my granpa please contact me with any info reply | | bob, e-mail, 28.07.2011 19:14 I meant t /o & landing lenghts.
Sorry reply | | Bob, e-mail, 28.07.2011 19:11 Do you have min. t /o and landing requirements.
Thks reply | | Richard Lewis, e-mail, 14.05.2011 17:49 I noticed some of you have questions about Airmen & Aircraft of the 379th BG. I tried your E-mails with no success so I will share the info here.
Contact me for the best sites to do your research. reply | |
| | Lloyd G. Coplin, e-mail, 13.04.2011 06:15 To anyone that flew the Rose of York--send me any information that you may have about its faitful mission.My brother Sgt. Okey R. Coplin was T /G serial #35847952 on this mission Feb.3, 1945. I am interested also in any information that anyone would have concerning his missions
before volunteering for this mission on the Rose of York.
I do not know the names of his regular crew or aircraft. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Lloyd G. Coplin reply | | Lloyd G. Coplin, e-mail, 13.04.2011 06:09 To anyone that flew the Rose of York--send me any information that you may have about its faitful mission.My brother Sgt. Okey R. Coplin was T /G serial #35847952 on this mission Feb.3, 1945. I am interested also in any information that anyone would have concerning his missions
before volunteering for this mission on the Rose of York.
I do not know the names of his regular crew or aircraft. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Lloyd G. Coplin reply | | JACK MCMICHAEL, e-mail, 10.04.2011 02:24 MY BROTHER WAS A GUNNEER ON B17 I THINK.IN ENGLAND 43 &45 DOES ANY ONE REMEMBER HIM. PAUL V.MCMICHAEL FROM KENNETT SQUARE,PA . NICKNAME BOOTY .HE NEVER TOLD US ANYTHING ABOUT WAR AND HIS RECORDS WERE LOST IN A FIRE. reply | | dude, e-mail, 17.03.2011 21:40 if any1 knows more about this amazing plane then please email me because i would really appreciate it. reply | | dude, e-mail, 17.03.2011 21:34 i am currently working on a science class poster on this plane and i am a great fan of it. does any1 know that it can withstand damage untill almost half the plane blows up AND can still land reply | | William R Anderson, e-mail, 14.03.2011 18:29 My father is Robert,(Bob),G Anderson, in his combat logbook he has listed flying the aircraft Lady Luck on 5-28-44 to Dessau and Swamp Fire on 10-25-44 to Gelsenkirghen. I'm interested in stories and photos of my father during his service. reply | | Joe Blevins, e-mail, 11.03.2011 21:25 This is grate...would appreciate getting a list of targets
flown on SONS-O'SATAN..John Wildes, Pilot.
Thank you:
Joe Blevins reply | | Woody Weidemeyer, e-mail, 28.02.2011 17:55 I was with VX 4 and VW 2 in the Navy during the 50s. We had the Navy Version, PB 1 W with belly guppies for radar. They are featured in the Book: B 17s in Blue. I would be nice to see photos of the Navy versions here. reply | | Ray Burke, e-mail, 24.02.2011 06:43 Flew out of Foggia, Italy with the Swoose Group -463rd BG, 772nd BS until Germany surrendered. Great airplane. Could take unbelievable punishment and still manage to limp back home. reply | | Peter Mundell, e-mail, 15.02.2011 19:01 Pls I desperately need (Like i need Air) a set of blue prints for a model RC B17 (1939) airoplane
I am prepared to pay
Peter reply | |
| | Joe Blevins, e-mail, 08.02.2011 22:57 I flew 30 missions on B17-F Kimbolton...Pilot John Wilds
Plane {SON'O'SATAN) 379th Bomb Group (HEAVY) Crew 74..
USAAF -Station 117 Kimbolton, Huntingdonshire, England.
Sgt. Clarence R.(Dale) Dalrymple..did a BIO of all 30 missions of our crew,,Need to contact him..Please advise if
you could locate him...THANK YOU...Joe Blevins reply | | Sean, e-mail, 23.01.2011 16:50 If the De Haviland Mosquito was used instead of the B17, there would have been an increase of 5000% in accuracy of bombs dropped, 90% reduction in aircrew deaths, 95% reduction in German civilian deaths. The Mosquito could carry 1800kg of bombs 2400km at a speed of 668 km /h with a crew of 2. Compare that to the B17! reply |
| JAY HODSHON, e-mail, 20.01.2011 22:44 5DEC43 MOST OF THE CREW OF THE B-17 MARY PAT WERE KILLED 3 WERE POWs THIS DAY THEY WERE ON THE B-17 "FIGHTING COCK" AND DITCHED IN THE BAY OF BISCAY ERNEST HIBBARD, FROM KY, LEO E. DEGRAW MY BROTHER IN-LAW FROM N.J. THEODORE KLEUSER,JOHN SLATER, FREDERICK ALBERT, STANLEY WYSOKINSKI,N.Y.C. JAMES O'KEEFE ALBANY N.Y. POWs STEWART DAY, TOM BETOW, WALTER OLOWNIUK 3 POWs reply | | Barry Siegle, e-mail, 15.01.2011 21:30 My Dad was shot down in the B-17 named RedDragon on 9 August 1944. He passed away in 1998. Anybody interested in getting rid of their B-17 parts, I would certainly like to get hold of some! Let me know and many thanks! God Bless all that are serving and have served! Barry reply | | Jaap Verduijn, e-mail, 13.01.2011 12:55 Does any of the oldtimers here happen to have piloted or crewed on "31971 B-17G-75-DL 44-83330"? Due to my life, marriage and finances coming apart at the seams I am sadly but seriously considering offering the above aircraft's steering yoke (left seat AKA captains'side) for sale. I would prefer selling it to somebody whose own hands, or his father's, might have grasped it white-knuckled when bombing the shit out of the Rumanian oil refineries! reply | | Richard, e-mail, 09.01.2011 14:36 The primer and paint on a B-17 averaged 65 lbs. reply |
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