In the mid- 1930's the United States Air Corps was in need of a bomber plane that could take a massive bomb load to help reinforce other air forces across the country in the instance of an attack. Boeing was contesting against Martin and Douglas airplane manufacturers and it was set that in order for the Air Corps to decide on a manufacturer there'd need to be a "fly-off" among the Martin, Douglas, plus the Boeing models.

Boeing's model, the B-17 obtained a cruising pace of over 250 miles-per-hour and was able to carry nearly 5000 pounds of bombs. What likewise helped placed the Boeing plane aside from was that it was entirely possible that the B-17 to still perform if one of its engines were lost for what ever. After the "fly-off" the Boeing was the obvious winner. The Air Corps was content with the long range capabilities of the B-17, made possible owing to the creators at Boeing who had furnished their plane with four engines while the Martin and Douglas designs trusted twin engines.

The B-17, although more pricey to build compared with its Martin and Douglas rivals, soon became a favorite tool of the Air Corps owing to its capability to fly long flights, capacity to carry heavy loads, and its ability to defend its own self from attack owing to lots machine guns positioned aboard. It absolutely was these expensive characteristics that garnered the B-17 its well known nickname: The B-17 Flying Fortress.

As the United States switched its attention to World War II in 1941, the B-17 Flying Fortress flipped its attention too. The very first deployments of the craft were unsuccessful and it was not until 1942 that the Air Corps' recent weapon turly made an effect on the war.
Involved in mainly daylight operations, the B-17 Flying Fortress was implemented mainly as a good weapon up against German U-Boats, warehouses, air fields, and aircraft factories. It absolutely was such a tough aircraft to bring down that the German Luftwaffe determined that is would take approximately twenty hits to shoot just one out of the sky. The Germans were very impressed with the B-17 Flying Fortress that they found and refurbished a number of B-17s that had crashed for their own use during World War II.

The B-17 bomber was an incredibly successful aircraft that along with the Germans, the Soviet Union, Japan, and Great Britain have likewise obtained or rebuilt the aircraft for their own personal use. Eventhough its combat time was limited to the second World War. The B-17 bomber will likely to be remembered as one of the greatest wartime discoveries ever. The aircraft allowed the United States to undertake long missions that were previously impossible due to fuel and weight capacity. A fleet of B-17s could obliterate entire air fields and enemy warehouses in just one attack and uphold damage very well to bring their pilots to safety. The B-17 Flying Fortress undoubtedly deserves recognition as being the plane that has won the war.


B-17 Bomber, B-17