How many B-17 Flying Fortresses are left?
Many surviving examples are painted to represent actual planes that flew in combat. Today, 46 planes survive in complete form, 10 of which are airworthy, and 39 of which reside in the United States.
How much does a b17 Flying Fortress cost?
The four-engine (1200 hp each) Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber, which cost over $200,000 each in 1940 (the equivalent of about $3,000,000 in today’s market), was a key component of the United States Army Air Forces’ (USAAF) World War II strategy in Western Europe.
Is the B-17 called the Flying Fortress?
B-17, also called Flying Fortress, U.S. heavy bomber used during World War II. The B-17 was designed by the Boeing Aircraft Company in response to a 1934 Army Air Corps specification that called for a four-engined bomber at a time when two engines were the norm.
What happened to the crew of the Swamp Ghost?
While flying over Rabaul, it was intercepted and eventually, having run out of fuel, had to force-land in a remote swamp near the north coast of New Guinea. All of the crew survived the crash landing and arduous trek out.
Can the Memphis Belle still fly?
The Liberty Foundation’s B-17 “Memphis Belle” is one of only 13 B-17’s that still fly today. The B-17, dubbed the “Flying Fortress” as a result of her defensive fire power, saw action in every theater of operation during World War II.
What happened to the B 17s at Pearl Harbor?
One B-17C was destroyed on landing and another damaged beyond repair, but all eight B-17Es and two B-17Cs were safely down by the time the Navy issued orders to “cease firing on B-17s attempting to land at Hickam.”
Why was the B-17 called the Flying Fortress?
Why was the B-17 called the “Flying Fortress”? The name was coined when the plane, with its heavy firepower and multiple machine gun emplacements, made its public debut in July 1935.
Where was the B-17 Flying Fortress built?
Seattle
They were built by Boeing in Seattle (BO), Douglas Aircraft Co. (DL) in Long Beach, CA and Vega Aircraft Corp. (VE) in Burbank, CA. Following the end of World War II, the B-17 was quickly phased out of use as a bomber and the Army Air Forces retired most of its fleet.
When was the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress created?
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry (prototype Model 299/XB-17) outperformed both competitors and exceeded the air corps’ performance specifications.
Where was the B-17 bomber used in World War 2?
The B-17 was primarily employed by the USAAF in the daylight strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets. The United States Eighth Air Force, based at many airfields in central, eastern and southern England, and the Fifteenth Air Force, based in Italy,…
What kind of engines did the B-17 have?
Two experimental versions of the B-17 were flown under different designations, the XB-38 Flying Fortress and the YB-40 Flying Fortress. The XB-38 was an engine test bed for Allison V-1710 liquid-cooled engines, should the Wright engines normally used on the B-17 become unavailable.
How did the Flying Fortress get its name?
The day before, Richard Williams, a reporter for The Seattle Times, coined the name “Flying Fortress” when – observing the large number of machine guns sticking out from the new airplane – he described it as a “15-ton flying fortress” in a picture caption.