5 Things You Never Knew About the B-17 Flying Fortress

Did you know that the B-17 Flying Fortress was originally designed as a civilian plane?

From its development history to its hidden flaws, there are plenty of secrets about this famous aircraft that we will explore in this video.

[steveskouson]

Funny, I always thought that air pressure
decreased with altitude. I stand corrected!

[nickdanger]

14, 000 pounds ? Search: Operational history of Lancaster 1B R5868
This Lanc flew 136 operational sorties in two years and ten months (less than one a week) and dropped "466 tons approx" or 3.42 long tons or 7, 675 pounds on average. I did not deduct missions in which bombs were jettisoned due to engine failure or the entire load was flares or mission was called off in flight. I will leave that to someone dedicated to perpetuating the myth all Lanc's carried 14, 000 pounds of bombs on every mission.
On pages one and two (July and August 1942) the entire load was 3, 360 pounds of bombs.
On page one two raids were in daylight, the next daylight raid would be in July 44.
On page two a bomb load is 2, 000 pounds plus "6 x 4 flares".
"(USA)" appears nine times with bomb type.
Some of the notes are interesting. Recommendation by two pilots the aircraft be withdrawn from bombing, one friendly fire incident, "bomb doors damaged by bombs" and one midair collision with another Lanc over the target.

[blaggercoyote]

"We`re flying Flying Fortresses at fifty thousand feet and we`ve only got a teeny weeny bomb" - RAF opinion of the American Airforce Bomber squadrons. Courtesy of my father who flew Stirlings.

[captainclone]

The pictures and title of the B-47 and B-52 are mixed up. That factory was called the camo building!

[psymons]

you forgot to mention, a Lancaster carried twice the bomb load further, higher and cheaper! in fact a 2 engined Mosquito carried more bombs than a B17 flying coffin!