B-17 “Flying Fortress”
B-17G S/N 44-83663 at the Hill Aerospace Museum
Castles in the Sky
Developed in the 1930s by Boeing, the B-17 Flying Fortress was a four-engine heavy bomber used by the US Army Air Forces during World War II. Boeing designed it to penetrate deep into enemy territory, and it became highly revered for its ability to incur damage while still in flight. The B-17’s mission impact also proved the effectiveness of daylight strategic bombing. Despite this method resulting in heavy American losses, it proved effective as it severely impacted production centers that aided the Nazis, such as ball bearing, fuel, aircraft, and transportation facilities.
A B-17 posing for a photo at Hill Field, 1935
During the plane’s public debut in 1935, reporter Richard Williams coined the bomber’s iconic nickname when he exclaimed “Why, it’s a Flying Fortress!” Recognizing the value of the name, the Boeing Company had it trademarked. The name emphasized the magnitude of armament, primarily machine guns and bombs, in addition to the high service ceiling of 25,000 – 35,000 feet, depending on the bomb load. It took a total of 10 crew members to operate this fortress when in flight. The positions included the pilot, co-pilot, bombardier, navigator-radioman, flight engineer, ball turret gunner, tail gunner, and two waist gunners.
Later, in 1943, the B-17G model entered service and became the most produced variant of the B-17, with over 8,680 built. The B-17, in their E, F, and G variants, dropped 640,000 tons of bombs compared to the 452,500 tons dropped by the more prevalent B-24s. Besides service in Europe, B-17s served in the Pacific Theater, the Korean and Vietnam Wars and the Arab Israeli War. The B-17 finally retired in 1968 after Boeing had produced 12,731 aircraft.
B-17s became the RB-17 reconnaissance models as part of a modification program at Hill Field
From Maintenance to Training: B-17s in Utah
The Flying Fortress commanded quite the presence in Utah. During World War II, Hill Field’s Ogden Air Depot earned a renowned reputation for its repair and supply support for the B-17, in addition to other bomber and pursuit aircraft. Hill performed heavy maintenance on B-17 aircraft during World War II and remained one of two primary sources of repair for this airframe until 1956.
Legendary B-17 Suzy-Q undergoing depot maintenance at Hill Field
As a heavy bomber training base, Wendover Army Air Field worked with many B-17s. Seven of the 20 heavy bomber groups from World War II trained at Wendover and flew B-17s, including the 306th, 100th, 379th, 384th, 388th, 393rd and the 457th. Many of these groups trained at Wendover for only a few short months before they deployed to the European Theater. This type of high turnover was common for US Army Air Force pilots as the demand for air power increased in both the European and Pacific Theaters.
“Short Bier” – Hill’s B-17
A miscellaneous B-17 preps for travel as it boards the C-5 Galaxy
Out of the 12,371 B-17s built, less than 8,000 survived the war and only 40 remain intact today, with one of those housed at the Hill Aerospace Museum. Tail #44-83663 was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, California, and delivered to the US Army Air Force on 1 May 1945. The following month it was transferred to Patterson Field, Ohio, and later that year transferred to the 4132nd Base Unit in Garden City, Kansas. It was then transferred to the 4141st Base Unit at Pyote Field, Texas, in December 1946 and finally placed in storage there with the 2753rd Aircraft Storage Squadron in April 1950. In March 1951, the aircraft transferred to Spartan Aircraft Corporation in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for maintenance, and in June 1953 was turned over to the Brazilian Air Force. It served in the Brazilian Air Force for 15 years.
In 1987, Ogden businessman and Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Utah Board Director John A. Lindquist obtained the Museum’s B-17G. The aircraft officially arrived at the Hill Aerospace Museum via C-5 Galaxy on 8 April 1987. The exterior was restored in 1991 to replicate the Short Bier, a B-17 that was part of the 493rd Bombardment Group (Heavy). Originally, the Short Bier was a B-24 Liberator, but when the squadron switched to B-17s, the Airmen transferred the name to a Flying Fortress. A member of Utah’s Aviation Hall of Fame, Major John A. Lindquist and his crew finished their tour of duty in the B-17 Short Bier, but that aircraft was later lost in action.
Boeing B-17G-90-DL “Flying Fortress”
S/N 44-83663
Type: High altitude bomber
Crew: Ten
Engines: Four Wright Cyclone R-1820-97 radial; 1,200 hp each
Wingspan: 103 ft 9 3/8 in
Length: 74 ft 4 in
Height: 19 ft 3 in
Weight: empty: 36,135 lbs; maximum: 72,000 lbs
Speed: cruise: 182 mph; maximum: 287 mph
Range: normal: 2,000 miles; max: 3,750 miles
Service Ceiling: 35,600 ft
Armament: 13 .50 caliber machine guns; up to 17,600 lbs of bombs in internal bomb bay and external racks; normal bomb load: 4,000 lbs
Cost: $204,370 (average B-17 unit cost in 1944)
