"A Thing of Beauty"
(Photo Credit: from the book
"Down Under" ,
Angus and Robertson, Ltd., Sydney, Australia, 1943)
|
| The Flying Fortress is one of the most workhorse
airplanes ever built; it became the symbol for air might. Its
prototype first flew on July 28, 1935 and though few B-17s were in
service on December 7, 1941, production quickly accelerated such that a
total of 12,726 were made by May, 1945. |
Click here to hear
the
sound of
a B-17.
Specifications
|
| Length
|
74' 4"
|
| Height
|
19' 1"
|
| Wingspan
|
103' 9.4"
|
| Wing
Area |
1420 sq ft
|
| Loaded
Weight |
555000 lbs
|
Propulsion
|
| Number
of
Engines |
4
|
| Powerplant
|
Four Wright "Cyclone"
R-1820s of 1,200 hp. ea.
|
|
Performance
|
| Range
|
1850 miles
|
| Cruise
Speed |
170 mph
|
| Max
Speed |
300 mph
|
| Ceiling
|
35,000.0 ft
|
|
|
|
