How to Identify the B-17 Flying Fortress

More than 50 years ago, in the icy sky above an embattled Europe, B-17 crews wrote a story of unparalleled courage in the crusade to destroy Nazi oppression. Your community is probably home to a man who played a part in that story. Honor him.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Film
• Cameras
• Cameras
• Binoculars
• Binoculars
• Internet Access
• Computers
• Camcorders
• Disposable Cameras
• Digital Cameras
• VCR Tapes
• Camera Lenses
• SLR Camera
• Point-and-shoot Cameras
• Camera Accessories
• Camera Tripod
• Aircraft Band Scanner
• Air & Space Subscriptions
• Aviation Illustrated Magazine
• Telescopes
• Aviation History Subscription
• Pioneers Of Aviation Videos

1. Remember the B-17 was designed in the 1930s. Look for a small airplane (by modern standards) with four piston engines, two mounted on each wing.
2. Notice the fuselage is almost cone-shaped, decreasing in diameter toward the tail of the B-17.
3. Check the wings. They're elliptical in shape and much thicker and heavier in structure than the wings of modern jet aircraft.
4. Note the engines are radial in design, with the pistons surrounding the crankshaft.
5. Look at the propellers. Each engine bears a three-blade propeller.
6. Check the landing gear. The B-17 was the last of the big bombers to use a "tail-dragger" configuration. The main gear drops down from the wings, with support coming from a tail wheel rather than nose gear.
7. Note the amount of Plexiglas - the nose, the top and belly turrets, and the rear gunner position.
8. Remember B-17 crews used an optical bomb-aiming device. Both the bombardier and the navigator worked in the nose of the B-17, much of which was Plexiglas.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that the U.S. Air Force was not created until after World War II. Most markings and military references identify the service as "Army Air Corps."
• The first B-17 was delivered to the military in 1937.
• The B-17 was slightly more than 74 feet long and had a wingspan of just over 103 feet.
• A late-model B-17G had a maximum gross weight of 72,000 pounds. Earlier models had significantly less capacity.
• A B-17 cruised at 25,000 feet at 250 knots with a useful range of about 1,800 miles.
• B-17 crews invariably personalized the aircraft by naming them, which gave rise to "nose art." One of the most famous B-17s was the Memphis Belle.
• Only a few flying examples of B-17s remain. When one appears at an air show or exhibit near you, don't miss the opportunity to view it.