Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was a heavy bomber that became one of the defining American aircraft of the Second World War, known for its ability to absorb heavy battle damage and still bring its crew home. It bristled with defensive machine guns in multiple turrets and positions, giving it the 'flying fortress' name long before it entered combat. Flying in large, tightly packed formations, B-17s carried out daylight bombing raids deep into occupied Europe, at heavy cost to their crews. Roughly 12,700 were built, and a small number remain airworthy today at air shows around the world.
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Did you know?
After the 1935 prototype crash was blamed on 'too much airplane for one man to fly,' Boeing invented the pilot's pre-flight checklist for it.
Specifications
| Length | 22.7 m (74 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 31.6 m (104 ft) |
| Height | 5.8 m (19 ft) |
| Persons on board | 10 |
| Crew | 10 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 27.2 t |
| Range | 2,000 NM (3,704 km) |
| Maximum speed | 287 kt (532 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 35,600 ft (10,851 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 31,000 ft (9,449 m) |
| Rate of climb | 900 ft/min (4.6 m/s) |
| Fuel capacity | 10,600 l |
| Engines | 4x Wright R-1820 Cyclone |
| Units built | 12,731 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Boeing, the B-17 Flying Fortress family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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