B-17 Flying Fortress – Castles in the Sky

The Norden bomb sight with which the B-17 model airplane was equipped was reputed to be able to drop a bomb into a pickle barrel from 4000-m. (13,125 ft.).

The B-17 was powered by reliable Wright Cyclone radial engines. They were turbocharged, which enabled the Fortress to operate at higher altitudes than its European contemporaries.

Boeing aircraft models was among the pioneers of stressed-skin design, and the B-17 was among the earliest all-metal monoplane heavy bombers to enter service.

The bomb-bay was relatively small, and although the B-17 could fly with an eight-tone bomb load it generally carried a quarter of that amount on operations.

Fortresses were defended by as many as 13 heavy machine-guns. The vulnerable undersides were covered by a ball turret and by the two waist gunners.

The B-17 was immensely strong. Aircraft managed to return to base with severe battle damage and the big bomber could still fly even with large sections of the huge vertical tail shot away.

B-1 7s were not originally fitted with tail guns. A tail gunner's position was added to the B-17E and all subsequent models.