Why was the B-17 called the Flying Fortress?
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Why was the B-17 called the Flying Fortress?
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.
What altitude did the B-17 fly at?
35,600 feet
Technical Specifications
| First flight | July 28, 1935 (prototype) |
|---|---|
| Range (max.) | 3,750 miles |
| Ceiling | 35,600 feet |
| Power | Four 1,200-horsepower Wright R-1820-97 engines |
| Accommodation | 2 pilots, bombardier, navigator, radio-operator, 5 gunners |
Was the B-17 the best bomber?
Most agree, given the above criteria, that the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is the best bomber ever built. Apparently, the US military felt the same way. The baker one-seven was not fully retired from active service until the late 1960s!
What does the B in B-17 stand for?
Acronym. Definition. B-17. Boeing Flying Fortress (US; WWII bomber)
How much is a Flying Fortress?
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
| B-17 Flying Fortress | |
|---|---|
| Primary users | United States Army Air Forces Royal Air Force |
| Produced | 1936–1945 |
| Number built | 12,731 |
| Unit cost | US$238,329 (1945) US$2.6 million (in 2016 dollars) |
What did a bombardier do in ww2?
The bombardier’s job was quite obvious, get the bombs on the target. On a bombing mission, the pilots would get the aircraft to their assigned bombing area. Once the bomb run was reached, the pilot engaged autopilot and notify the bombardier.
What plane delivered the atomic bomb?
Enola Gay
Enola Gay, the B-29bomber that was used by the United States on August 6, 1945, to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, the first time the explosive device had been used on an enemy target. The aircraft was named after the mother of pilot Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr.