The Boeing Company
B-17 Flying Fortress
The B-17 Flying Fortress was a four-engine, turbo-supercharged heavy bomber that served as the primary daylight strategic bombing workhorse of the U.S. heavy bomber force in Europe. Across the complete production run, 12,731 aircraft were produced. Combat attrition was extreme: 4,735 B-17s were lost in combat in WWII, with training and noncombat losses of comparable magnitude.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Heavy Bomber
- Manufacturer
- The Boeing Company
- Nation
- United States
- Era
- World War II
- Produced
- 12,731
- Combat Losses
- 4,735
12,731
Built
4,735
Combat Losses
10
Crew
~46
Survive Today
4
Engines
13
Defensive Guns
Aircraft Description
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress became the symbol of American strategic bombing in Europe. With its bristling defensive armament and ability to absorb tremendous battle damage, the B-17 carried the daylight bombing campaign against Nazi Germany alongside the B-24 Liberator. The Eighth Air Force's massive formations of B-17s became an iconic image of the air war.
Engines & Armament
Powerplant
4x Wright R-1820-97 "Cyclone" turbo-supercharged radial engines, 1,200 hp each
Armament
13x .50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns (chin, dorsal, ventral ball, two waist, tail turrets plus cheek positions); up to 8,000 lbs of bombs
Design Features
Specifications
- Crew
- 10
- Length
- 22.66 m
- Wingspan
- 31.62 m
- Height
- 5.82 m
- Wing Area
- 131.92 m²
- Max Speed
- 462 km/h
Variants & Models
| Variant | Engines | Max Speed | Range | Ceiling | Armament | Built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y1B-17 | 4x Wright R-1820-39, 930 hp | — | — | — | Limited defensive armament | 13 |
| B-17B | 4x Wright R-1820-51, 1,000 hp | — | — | — | 5x .30 cal + 1x .50 cal machine guns | 39 |
| B-17C | 4x Wright R-1820-65, 1,200 hp | — | — | — | Improved defensive armament | 38 |
| B-17D | 4x Wright R-1820-65, 1,200 hp | — | — | — | Incremental defensive improvements | 42 |
| B-17E | 4x Wright R-1820-65, 1,200 hp | — | — | — | Dorsal, ventral ball, and tail turrets added | 512 |
| B-17F | 4x Wright R-1820-97, 1,200 hp | 523 km/h | 4,506 km | 11,430 m | 3 twin-.50 turrets plus 5 single-.50 mounts | 3,405 |
| B-17G | 4x Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone, 1,200 hp | 483 km/h | 2,977 km | 10,668 m | 13x .50 cal machine guns including powered chin turret | 8,680 |
Y1B-17
- Engines
- 4x Wright R-1820-39, 930 hp
- Built
- 13
- Armament
- Limited defensive armament
More details
ID Features: Pre-standard service-test configuration
Notes: Service test series; useful mainly for archival and museum provenance research
B-17B
- Engines
- 4x Wright R-1820-51, 1,000 hp
- Built
- 39
- Armament
- 5x .30 cal + 1x .50 cal machine guns
More details
ID Features: Early "small tail" generation; lacks chin turret and later tail arrangements
Notes: First operational variant
B-17C
- Engines
- 4x Wright R-1820-65, 1,200 hp
- Built
- 38
- Armament
- Improved defensive armament
More details
ID Features: Early "small tail" generation; RAF Fortress I derived from this era
Notes: Often discussed in the context of early RAF employment
B-17D
- Engines
- 4x Wright R-1820-65, 1,200 hp
- Built
- 42
- Armament
- Incremental defensive improvements
More details
ID Features: Still early family; incremental improvements rather than the E-model redesign
Notes: Famous survivors can be from this early group
B-17E
- Engines
- 4x Wright R-1820-65, 1,200 hp
- Built
- 512
- Armament
- Dorsal, ventral ball, and tail turrets added
More details
ID Features: Major redesign: tail and defensive positions change markedly vs B/C/D
Notes: Often treated as the first "modern Fortress" in recognition guides
B-17F
- Engines
- 4x Wright R-1820-97, 1,200 hp
- Max Speed
- 523 km/h
- Range
- 4,506 km
- Ceiling
- 11,430 m
- Built
- 3,405
- Armament
- 3 twin-.50 turrets plus 5 single-.50 mounts
More details
ID Features: No chin turret; refined aerodynamics over E model
Notes: Boeing 2,300 + Douglas 605 + Vega 500. Museum fact sheet lists max speed 325 mph, range 2,800 mi, ceiling 37,500 ft.
B-17G
- Engines
- 4x Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone, 1,200 hp
- Max Speed
- 483 km/h
- Range
- 2,977 km
- Ceiling
- 10,668 m
- Built
- 8,680
- Armament
- 13x .50 cal machine guns including powered chin turret
More details
ID Features: Powered chin turret under the nose is the defining late-war visual cue
Notes: Boeing 4,035 + Douglas 2,395 + Vega 2,250. Museum fact sheet lists max speed 300 mph, range 1,850 mi, ceiling 35,000 ft. Definitive late-war variant.
Production & Service
- Number Built
- 12,731
- First Service
- 1938
- Last Built
- 1945
- Retired
- 1968
- Combat Losses
- 4,735
- Status
- Retired
Development & Operational Timeline
Model 299 Prototype First Flight
Boeing Model 299 makes its maiden flight from Boeing Field, Seattle.
Entry into U.S. Army Service
The B-17 enters operational service with the United States Army Air Corps.
RAF Operational Use Begins
The Royal Air Force begins operational use of the Fortress I (derived from B-17C).
U.S. Daylight Bombing Campaign Expands
The U.S. daylight heavy-bomber campaign in Europe expands significantly.
Schweinfurt-Regensburg Double-Strike
60 of 376 bombers shot down; more than 600 airmen killed, missing, or captured in a single day. Illustrated both B-17 capabilities and the devastating cost of deep penetration raids without continuous long-range escort.
B-17G Fielded with Chin Turret
The definitive B-17G variant enters service, featuring the powered chin turret as its defining visual feature — addressing the forward-defense gap exposed in earlier combat.
"Big Week" / Operation Argument
A major inflection point in the Combined Bomber Offensive, coupling heavy bomber mass with effective long-range escort and demonstrating the ability to sustain deep penetration raids.
Production Ends
B-17 production concludes. Conversion activity accelerates for special roles including air-sea rescue.
Rescue Designations Standardized
SB-17G / "B-17H" designations standardized in the postwar system for air-sea rescue conversions carrying an A-1 lifeboat.
Combat History
Schweinfurt-Regensburg Double-Strike
August 17, 1943A two-pronged deep-penetration daylight raid targeting ball-bearing factories at Schweinfurt and a Messerschmitt assembly plant at Regensburg. The Regensburg force continued to North Africa as a shuttle mission.
376
Dispatched
60
Aircraft Lost
600
Personnel Lost
Emblematic of the escort-range crisis: demonstrated both B-17 capabilities and the unsustainable cost of unescorted deep raids, accelerating demand for long-range fighter escort.
"Big Week" / Operation Argument
February 20-25, 1944A concentrated series of heavy bomber missions against German aircraft production facilities, conducted with increasingly effective long-range escort coverage.
Demonstrated that Americans could penetrate the worst the Luftwaffe could muster with escort support, marking a turning point in the Combined Bomber Offensive.
Where to See One
Sally-B
S/N: 44-85784
Variant: B-17G
Imperial War Museum Duxford
Duxford, United Kingdom
B-17 Preservation Ltd
Official flying programme published online; last airworthy B-17 in Europe
Sentimental Journey
S/N: 44-83514
Variant: B-17G
Falcon Field
Mesa, Arizona
Commemorative Air Force Airbase Arizona
Tour schedule published seasonally
Ye Olde Pub
S/N: 44-8543
Variant: B-17G
Erickson Aircraft Collection
Madras, Oregon
Champaign Lady
S/N: 44-85813
Variant: B-17G
Urbana, Ohio
Under restoration to operational
Desert Rat
S/N: 41-2595
Variant: B-17E
Marengo, Illinois
Under restoration to operational; rare E-model survivor
Yankee Lady
S/N: 44-85829
Variant: B-17G
Madras, Oregon
Long-term restoration/maintenance back to operational
Aluminum Overcast
S/N: 44-85740
Variant: B-17G
EAA Aviation Museum
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Experimental Aircraft Association
Long-term preservation/repair discussed publicly
