What is Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress?
{|{{Infobox aircraft begin |name = B-17 Flying Fortress |image = File:B17 - Chino Airshow 2014 (framed).jpg |caption =A B-17G performing at the 2014 [[Chino, California|Chino]] [[Airshow]] }}{{Infobox aircraft type |type = [[Heavy bomber]] |national origin = United States |manufacturer = [[Boeing]] |first flight ={{Start date and age|1935|07|28|dtf=yes}} |introduction ={{Start date and age|1938|04}} |retired = 1968 ([[Brazilian Air Force]]) |status = |primary user = [[United States Army Air Forces]] |more users = [[Royal Air Force]] |produced = 1936–1945 |number built = 12,731<ref>Angelucci and Matricardi 1988, p. 46.</ref> |unit cost = {{plainlist| *US$238,329 (1945) *US${{Inflation|US-GDP|.238329|1945|fmt=c|r=1}} million (in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars){{Inflation-fn|US-GDP}}}} |variants with their own articles = {{plainlist| *[[Boeing XB-38 Flying Fortress|XB-38 Flying Fortress]] *[[Boeing YB-40 Flying Fortress|YB-40 Flying Fortress]] *[[Boeing C-108 Flying Fortress|C-108 Flying Fortress]]}} |developed into = [[Boeing 307 Stratoliner]] }} |} The '''Boeing 17 Flying Fortress''' was a heavy [[bomber]], that was used by the [[United States]] Strategic Air Force during [[World War II]]. It first flew in [[1935]], and was introduced in [[1938]]. It had a shorter range, and a smaller bomb load, than its sister bomber the [[B-24 Liberator]], but it had more defensive armament. It dropped large amounts of bombs during air raids against Germany, such as the raid on [[Dresden]]. The B-17 was also used in the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]], including the [[Battle of Midway]]. The Flying Fortress had its name for a good reason, it could survive the hits and was able to fly while under enemy fire. The B-17 was a heavy bomber plane that carried 2 tons of bombs. The reason why few B-17's survived WWII was because lack of escort by allied fighters and enemy fire. Later in WWII, the U.S. increased escort fighters for the bombers giving more protection. The escort fights flew until the end of WWII. The Boeing