B-17 FLYING FORTRESS

A key weapon used by the allied air forces to take down the industrial might of Germany in WWII

The B-17 was initially designed in 1934 by Boeing to take part in a US Army Air Corps competition to produce a modern multi-engined bomber. The company’s Model 299 prototype first flew on 28 July 1935, and a journalist at the time nicknamed it the ‘Flying Fortress’ on account of its size and sturdiness. In October 1935, the prototype crashed and the design ultimately lost out to the Douglas DB-1. Fortunately, the Air Corps recognised it was still a promising aircraft and ordered 13 299s in January 1936, which they designated the Y1B-17. Not long after, the Y1B-17 became the B-17, and Wright Cyclone engines were added to replace the 299’s Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines. In 1938, another big advance arrived in the introduction of turbo super-chargers to the…

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History of War Book of Combat Machines (Digital) - 1 Issue, History of War Book of Combat Machines 2016

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