Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, a four-engined heavy bomber in service since 1935 with the USAAF with exports made to Nordmark. Dimensions 103.9/ 74.4/ 19.1/ 1,420 sq ft; four 1,200hp Wright R-1820 Cyclone radials; max speed 290mph; service ceiling 35,800ft; range 2,000 miles with 6,000lb bomb load; armament ten .50in Browning MGs (1 nose, 3 dorsal, 2 beam, 2 ventral, 2tail) and up to 6,000lbs of bombs.
Variants and production figures:
13 YB-17 prototypes first flown in December 1933
1 YB-17A prototype with turbocharged Wright GR-1820-51 engines
39 B-17B service version of YB-17A from 1935 armed with five .30in MGs and 4,800lb bomb load. Also exported to Nordmark
38 B-17C with 1,200hp R-1820-65 engines and seven MGs
42 B-17D entered service 1937 with self-sealing fuel tanks and crew armour added in light of Nordish combat experience
51 B-17E entered service 1939 with a new larger tail for improved stability at altitude, powered dorsal and ventral turrets added and a new tail gunners station for a total of 10 .50in Browning MGs and bomb load increased to 6,000lbs
Boeing F-9, four photo-reconnaissance aircraft converted from B-17D bombers in 1941 with three cameras in the nose and additional fuel tanks in the bomb bay