The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was the first mass-produced, four-engine heavy bomber. It is still one of the most recognised aeroplanes ever built. It was most widely used for daylight strategic bombings of German industrial targets during World War II as part of the United States Eighth Air Force.
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B-17 Flying Fortresses over Eastern Europe during World War II
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Operational history
The name "Flying Fortress" was coined by Dick Williams, a reporter for the Seattle Times who gave this name to the Model 229 when it was rolled out showing off its machine gun installations. Boeing was quick to see the value of the title and had it copyrighted for use. Among the combat aircrews that flew bombers in World War II, noted aviation writer Martin Caidin reported that the B-17 was referred to as the "Queen of the Bombers."
The B-17 was noted for its ability to take battle damage, still reach its target and bring its crew home. It reportedly was much easier to fly than its contemporaries, and its toughness more than compensated for its shorter range and lighter bomb load when compared to the Consolidated B-24 Liberator or the British Avro Lancaster heavy bombers.
The design went through eight major changes over the course of its production, culminating in what some consider the definitive type, the B-17G, differing from its immediate predecessor by the addition of a chin turret with two 0.50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine guns under the nose. This eliminated the aeroplane's main defensive weakness of head on attacks.
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