General Discussion

mahatmakanejeeves

(69,916 posts) Tue Jul 28, 2015, 04:26 PM Jul 2015

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress: First Flight, 80 Years Ago Today [View all]

The first flight of the Model 299 was on 28 July 1935 with Boeing chief test-pilot Leslie Tower at the controls. Richard Williams, a reporter for the Seattle Times, coined the name "Flying Fortress" when the Model 299 was rolled out bristling with multiple machine gun installations. The most unusual gun emplacement was the nose installation (see note for description and drawing), which allowed the single machine gun to be fired toward almost any frontal angle that an approaching enemy fighter could take to attack the B-17.

Boeing was quick to see the value of the name and had it trademarked for use. Boeing also claimed in some of the early press releases that Model 299 was the first combat aircraft that could continue its mission if one of its four engines failed. On 20 August 1935, the prototype flew from Seattle to Wright Field in nine hours and three minutes at an average cruising speed of 252 miles per hour (406 km/h), much faster than the competition.

Go to 3:30 to see the rollout:

Boeing Aircraft Plant Seattle Washington in WW II

Boeing women workers at Seattle in WWII

FDR touring Seattle B-17 plant on September 22, 1942

B-17 Fortresses lined up outside Boeing Seattle plant

34 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress: First Flight, 80 Years Ago Today [View all] mahatmakanejeeves Jul 2015 OP

My favorite Sherman A1 Jul 2015 #1

Tiny inside, aren't they? mahatmakanejeeves Jul 2015 #5

indeed Sherman A1 Jul 2015 #6

My favorite Trimotor picture: mahatmakanejeeves Jul 2015 #8

Here is a clip of a Ford Trimotor doing aerobatics Lurks Often Jul 2015 #18

I flew on the plane (Nine O Nine) a couple months ago The Second Stone Jul 2015 #7

There is a second (soon to be) airworthy example. "Doc" A HERETIC I AM Jul 2015 #12

Uh, B-29 "Superfortress" there. nt eppur_se_muova Jul 2015 #25

If you'll take note, I was responding to Sherman A1 who said: A HERETIC I AM Jul 2015 #27

My father, who will be 91 in October, was MineralMan Jul 2015 #2

That's incredible. Tell him thanks from me. cherokeeprogressive Jul 2015 #28

I will tell him you said that. MineralMan Jul 2015 #30

My father was a co-pilot with the 379th Bomb Group, Kimbolton, England. Number9Dream Jul 2015 #33

For process nerds... MannyGoldstein Jul 2015 #3

I'm a big believer in checklists pokerfan Jul 2015 #9

A good friend of mine, now deceased, was at NASA from MannyGoldstein Jul 2015 #14

Actually, a crash of a model 299 is what prompted the use of a checklist A HERETIC I AM Jul 2015 #10

The engineering on the multi-engine aircraft of WW2 simply amazes me. LanternWaste Jul 2015 #4

Search Google images for "Damaged B-17's " A HERETIC I AM Jul 2015 #11

I would imagine that the tail gunner had a pants load when he got home. oneshooter Jul 2015 #13

I imagine he did! A HERETIC I AM Jul 2015 #17

This F-15 made it home MannyGoldstein Jul 2015 #16

Thrust, the fuselage acting as a lifting body Lurks Often Jul 2015 #19

Was the F-15 fly by wire? MannyGoldstein Jul 2015 #20

No it did not. And congrats, it's rare for anyone to catch me making a mistake like that. Lurks Often Jul 2015 #21

I assumed digital fly by wire MannyGoldstein Jul 2015 #24

Dug a little deeper and found this Lurks Often Jul 2015 #26

My Grandmother, Moms mom, worked at Boeing in California in WW2. oneshooter Jul 2015 #15

That's a row of B-17Gs lined up outside the Boeing Seattle plant. Octafish Jul 2015 #22

Someone's gotta let Omaha Steve know... Octafish Jul 2015 #23

I just got home Omaha Steve Jul 2015 #31

If you are in Ohio... Octafish Jul 2015 #34

I got inside "The Memphis Belle" rickford66 Jul 2015 #29

My uncle William Borman flew in B-17s... bcool Jul 2015 #32