,731 B-17s were built. Roughly 4,735 were destroyed during World War II and while thousands of them continued to be used in various military and civilian applications around the world, most were eventually retired or destroyed.
What was the life expectancy of a B-17 crew
Nothing in the peacetime lives of thousands of young Americans had prepared them for the violence that lay ahead. Although such statistics were not circulated among Army Air Forces crews, the average life expectancy of an Eighth Air Force B-17 in late 1943 was 11 missions.
How many fighters did B-17s shot down
After the Second Raid on Schweinfurt, USAAF gunners aboard the B-17 bombers claimed to have shot down 138 German fighters. German records show that 38 were lost and 20 were damaged. German fighter pilots claimed they shot down 121 bombers and 1 fighter.
How many B-17 planes are left
As of November 2022, four aircraft remain airworthy, none flown in combat. Dozens more are in storage or on static display. The oldest of these is a D-series flown in combat in the Pacific on the first day of the United States’ involvement in World War II.
What did the Luftwaffe think of the B-17
Enemy pilots gained a healthy respect for the tail guns. ‘A German pilot did once say that attacking a B-17 formation from behind was like trying to make love to a porcupine that is on fire,’ Walt Miller, Former 0311/0302 at United States Marine Corps (1973-1993), explains on Quora.
What was the toughest bomber in ww2?
Avro Lancaster – UK
It was one of the heaviest and most powerful bombers used by the Allies, capable of carrying large payloads of bombs and flying long distances at high speeds.
Did the B-17 have a toilet
During World War II, large bomber aircraft, such as the American Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and the British Avro Lancaster, carried chemical toilets (basically a bucket with seat and cover, see bucket toilet); in British use, they were called “Elsans” after the company that manufactured them.
How cold was it in a B-17
“It was 60 degrees below zero at 22,000 feet.” Throat microphones allowed them to communicate, while electrically heated suits and gloves helped the crew members deal with the cold. They wore oxygen masks because they operated at up to 28,000 feet.
Were B-17 guns effective
It was a very effective weapons system, dropping more bombs during the war than any other American aircraft. 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.
Can a B-17 fly on 1 engine
It had a crew of ten and could carry 6,000 pounds of bombs at 300 miles per hour for a range of 2,000 miles. Its famous nickname came from the fact it carried 13 . 50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns for protection, and had a legendary toughness for carrying its crew home on one engine or even with the tail shot away.
Which German pilot shot down the most bombers
Schnaufer’s greatest one-night success and the second time he became an ace-in-a-day was on , when he claimed nine Lancaster heavy bombers in the course of one day. Two were claimed in the early hours of the morning and a further seven, in just 19 minutes, in the evening between 20:44 and 21:03.
What is the oldest bomber still in service
The B-52 has been in service with the USAF since 1955. As of June 2019, there are 76 aircraft in inventory; 58 operated by active forces (2nd Bomb Wing and 5th Bomb Wing), 18 by reserve forces (307th Bomb Wing), and about 12 in long-term storage at the Davis-Monthan AFB Boneyard.
When was the last B-17 retired?
In August 1959, only days after flying her last mission for the U.S. Air Force, B-17G #44-83684 was officially retired from active service as the last of 12,731 B-17s to serve with the USAAF / U.S. Air Force.
What replaced the B-17
While the B-17s were used in the Pacific, by 1944 the B-29 had replaced the B-17 for use in the Pacific Theater. B-17s were initially intended as a fast, land-based bomber, which could patrol at sea and intercept naval vessels.
What bomber shot down the most planes in ww2
Later, another author took this information but just stated that P-38 shot down more Japanese aircraft than any other aircraft. The important qualifier of USAAF was deleted. Then it has become the classic case of other author’s using the second author’s information without doing the necessary historical research.
How many German bombers were shot down in ww2?
During World War II, German pilots claimed roughly 70,000 aerial victories, while over 75,000 Luftwaffe aircraft were destroyed or significantly damaged. Of these, nearly 40,000 were lost entirely.
Is the Luftwaffe still a thing
After the defeat of Germany, the Luftwaffe was disbanded in 1946. During World War II, German pilots claimed roughly 70,000 aerial victories, while over 75,000 Luftwaffe aircraft were destroyed or significantly damaged.
How many B-17s were built in a day?
Production History
Eventually, over 12,000 B-17s were built. At the peak of this amazing production effort, 16 B-17s rolled off the assembly line per day at Boeing’s Plant 2 in Seattle. Much of this labor was done by women who filled jobs after men left for war.
What was the weakest plane in ww2
The product of an ambitious designer and a doomed regime, the Bachem Ba 349 Natter was a radical idea that almost worked. In 1945 Austria, after the German surrender, a U.S. engineer lifts the hinged canopy of a captured Bachem Ba 349 to take a look inside the cockpit.
Has the US ever lost a b2 bomber?
On , Spirit of Kansas, a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber of the United States Air Force, crashed on the runway moments after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. The aircraft was destroyed, but both crew members successfully ejected.
Was the B 29 a failure
B-29s were judged a failure in their original roles as conventional high-altitude daylight strategic bombers. They were much more successful as low-altitude night bombers. However, the use of B-29s as the world’s first nuclear bombers likely muted more intense criticism of the program.
How many B-17 made 25 missions?
In May of 1943, two B-17s (from two separate Bomb Groups) were the first two heavy bombers to complete 25 combat missions in the European Theater.
What was the nickname of the B-17
The workhorse of this mighty bomber force, the B-17, had the nickname “Flying Fortress”.
How much is a B-17 worth?
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.
What was the average age of a B-17 pilot
The average age of the crew of a B-17 was less than 25, with four officers and six enlisted Airmen manning the aircraft.
How long did it take to train a B-17 pilot
Flight Training Aircraft
At the beginning of the war, flight training lasted nine months, with three months of primary, three months of basic, and three months of advanced training. Each pilot had 65 flying hours of primary training and 75 hours of both basic and advanced training.
What does the B stand for in B-17
B-17 and General Aircraft Terms FAQs
Answer: The B in B-17 and B-24 stand for Bomber and the P in P-38 stands for Pursuit.
Could the B-17 defend itself
The tactics used by the USAAF units operating the B17 in Europe were based on the principle that bombers flying in formation could combine their firepower to effectively defend themselves against any attack.
Did the Japanese use B-17
By Japanese standards, the B-17’s fire-control system was very advanced. The navy perfected such a system for its G8N. Another improvement based on the B-17 was the development of an automatic computing gunsight for fighter aircraft.