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Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during World War II, used primarily in the European Theater of Operations, United States Army, European Theater of Operations. It is the List of most-produced aircraft, third-most produced bomber in history, behind the American four-engined Consolidated B-24 Liberator and the German multirole, twin-engined Junkers Ju 88. The B-17 was also employed in transport, anti-submarine warfare, and search and rescue roles. In a USAAC competition, Boeing, Boeing's prototype Model 299/XB-17 outperformed two other entries but crashed, losing the initial 200-bomber contract to the Douglas B-18 Bolo. Still, the Air Corps ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation, which were introduced into service in 1938. The B-17 evolved through numerous Boeing B-17 Flyin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
WikiProject Aircraft
A WikiProject, or Wikiproject, is an affinity group for contributors with shared goals within the Wikimedia movement. WikiProjects are prevalent within the largest wiki, Wikipedia, and exist to varying degrees within Wikimedia project, sibling projects such as Wiktionary, Wikiquote, Wikidata, and Wikisource. They also exist in different languages, and translation of articles is a form of their collaboration. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CBS News noted the role of Wikipedia's WikiProject Medicine in maintaining the accuracy of articles related to the disease. Another WikiProject that has drawn attention is WikiProject Women Scientists, which was profiled by ''Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian'' for its efforts to improve coverage of women scientists which the profile noted had "helped increase the number of female scientists on Wikipedia from around 1,600 to over 5,000". On Wikipedia Some Wikipedia WikiProjects are substantial enough to engage in cooperative activities with outsi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Most-produced Aircraft
This is a list of the most-produced aircraft types whose numbers exceed or exceeded 5,000. Any and all types of aircraft qualify, including airplanes, airships, balloons, gliders (sailplanes), helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...s, etc. Most-produced aircraft Notes *Unless noted, aircraft are piston-engined monoplanes. *Role is generally either the original designed role of the aircraft or the role dominated production, disregarding minor variants. Aircraft may be categorized as "Multirole" if no particular role was dominant. *Production period column shows overall production date span of all types included in "Numbers produced" column, disregarding production hiatuses and changes in manufacturer, while including close variants and licensed production. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martin B-10
The Martin B-10 is a bomber aircraft designed by the Glenn L. Martin Company. It was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to be regularly used by the United States Army Air Corps, having entered service in June 1934.Jackson 2003, p. 246. It was also the first mass-produced bomber whose performance was superior to that of the Army's fighter aircraft, pursuit aircraft of the time.Eden and Moeng 2002, p. 931. The B-10 served as the airframe for the B-12, B-13, B-14, A-15 and O-45 designations using Pratt & Whitney engines instead of Wright Cyclones. A total of 348 of all versions were built. The largest users were the US, with 166, and the Netherlands, with 121. Design and development The B-10 began a revolution in bomber design. Its all-metal monoplane airframe, along with its features of closed cockpits, rotating gun turrets (almost simultaneously with the 1933 British Boulton & Paul Overstrand biplane bomber's own enclosed nose-turret), retractable landing gear, internal b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Swoose
''The Swoose'' is a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Boeing B-17D-BO Flying Fortress, USAAF serial number 40-3097, that saw extensive use in the Southwest Pacific theatre of World War II and survived to become the oldest B-17 still intact. It is the only early "shark fin"-tailed B-17 known to exist, and the only surviving B-17 to have seen action in the 1941–42 Philippines campaign (1941–1942), Philippines Campaign, operating on the first day of the United States' entry into the war. After that campaign it ended up in Australia and used for VIP duties until it fell out of service. After the war it was rescued from being scrapped, eventually making its way into the hands of the National Museum of the Air Force, where in the 21st century it is being restored for display. Early history The 38th of 42 B-17Ds built by Boeing, "40-3097" was accepted by the United States Army Air Corps, Army Air Corps on 25 April 1941 in Seattle, Washington. It was ferried to Hickam Field, Hawaii, 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Surviving Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engine heavy bomber used by the United States Army Air Forces and other Allies of World War II, Allied air forces during World War II. Forty-five planes survive in complete form, including 38 in the United States with many preserved in museum displays. The number of operational B-17s has dwindled over time, but there are still several in flying condition. Of the 12,731 B-17s built, about 4,735 were lost during the war. After the war, planes that had flown in combat missions were sent for scrapping at Aircraft boneyard, boneyards, such as those at Marine Corps Air Facility Walnut Ridge, Walnut Ridge and Kingman Airport (Arizona), Kingman. Consequently, only six planes that survive today have seen combat. Most of the other survivors were built too late to see active service and then were used through the 1950s and 1960s in military and civilian capacities. Many are painted to represent actual planes that flew in combat. Survivi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalitarianism, totalitarian dictatorship. The Third Reich, meaning "Third Realm" or "Third Empire", referred to the Nazi claim that Nazi Germany was the successor to the earlier Holy Roman Empire (800–1806) and German Empire (1871–1918). The Third Reich, which the Nazis referred to as the Thousand-Year Reich, ended in May 1945, after 12 years, when the Allies of World War II, Allies defeated Germany and entered the capital, Berlin, End of World War II in Europe, ending World War II in Europe. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in 1933, the Nazi Party began to eliminate political opposition and consolidate power. A 1934 German referendum confirmed Hitler as sole ''Führer'' (leader). Power was centralised in Hitler's person, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Night Bomber
A night bomber is a bomber aircraft intended specifically for carrying out bombing missions at night. The term is now mostly of historical significance. Night bombing began in World War I and was widespread during World War II. A number of modern aircraft types are designed primarily for nighttime bombing, but air forces no longer refer to them as night bombers. More common terms today include interdictor and strike fighter, and such aircraft tend to have all-weather, day-or-night capabilities. World War I Strategic bombing and night bombing were new in World War I, and there was much experimentation at night with aircraft such as the Gotha G.IV, Gotha G.V, Handley Page Type O, and various giant airplanes such as the Riesenflugzeuge and the Sikorsky Ilya Muromets. Navigation was difficult and precision was almost nonexistent but the psychological effect was strong. Night bombing worked as a terror weapon. Prior to the introduction of radar, aircraft flying at night were nea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the Strategic bombing during World War II#Europe, strategic bombing of Germany in World War II. From 1942 onward, the British bombing campaign against Germany became Area bombing directive, less restrictive and increasingly targeted industrial sites and the civilian manpower base essential for German war production. In total 501,536 operational sorties were flown, of bombs were dropped and 8,325 aircraft lost in action. Bomber Command crews also suffered a high casualty rate: 55,573 were killed out of a total of 125,000 aircrew, a 44.4% death rate. A further 8,403 men were wounded in action, and 9,838 became prisoners of war. Bomber Command stood at the peak of its post-war Armed forces, military power in the 1960s, the V bombers holding the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent and a supplemental force of English Electric ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strategic Bombing During World War II
World War II (1939–1945) involved sustained strategic bombing of railways, harbours, cities, workers' and civilian housing, and industrial districts in enemy territory. Strategic bombing as a military strategy is distinct both from close air support of ground forces and from Air supremacy#World War II, tactical air power. During World War II, many military strategists of air power believed that air forces could win major victories by attacking industrial and political infrastructure, rather than purely military targets. Strategic bombing often involved bombing areas inhabited by Non-combatant, civilians, and some campaigns were deliberately designed to target civilian populations in order to terrorism, terrorize them or to weaken their morale. International law at the outset of World War II did not specifically forbid the aerial bombardment of cities – despite the prior occurrence of such bombing during World War I (1914–1918), the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), and t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Day Bomber
A day bomber is a bomber aircraft designed specifically for bombing missions in daylight. The term is now mostly of historical significance, because aircraft suited to both day and night bombing missions have become the norm. History During World War I, day bombing was the normal form of bomber operations. While the same aircraft often also carried out night raids, the rudimentary bomb sight technology of 1914–1918 often made bombing sorties impractical at night. While bombing was usually performed by the crews of single-engine aircraft, the heavy bomber concept was pioneered by the three-engine Caproni Ca.1 of the Italian '' Corpo Aeronautico Militare'' and the four-engine Sikorsky Ilya Muromets, operated by the Russian Imperial Military Aviation Fleet. Adapted from a pre-war civil transport, the Muromets was noted for, among other things, formidable, air-to-air capabilities. While it normally carried two heavy machine guns, in separate positions, on some occasions these ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pacific Ocean Theater Of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theater of World War II was a major theater of the Pacific War, the war between the Allies and the Empire of Japan. It included the U.S. Pacific Ocean Areas (command). which included most of the Pacific Ocean and its islands. The Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, Borneo, Australia, most of the Territory of New Guinea, and the western part of the Solomon Islands were under a different Allied command. History On March 30, 1942, US Admiral Chester Nimitz was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas. In the other major theater in the Pacific region, known as the South West Pacific theater, Allied forces were commanded by US General Douglas MacArthur. Both Nimitz and MacArthur were overseen by the US Joint Chiefs, and indirectly by the British-American Combined Chiefs of Staff. Most Japanese forces in the theater were part of the of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), which was responsible for all Japanese warships, naval aircraft, and mar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Variants
The following is an extensive catalogue of the variants and specific unique elements of each variant and/or design stage of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, a heavy bomber used by the United States Army Air Forces and other Allies of World War II, Allied air forces during World War II. Boeing Model 299 (B-17) The Model 299 was the original aircraft built by Boeing to fulfill an August 1934 requirement by the United States Army Air Corps for a bomber capable of carrying of bombs at .Hess & Winchester ''Wings of Fame'' No. 6, 1997, p. 41. The 299 was powered by four Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet, Pratt & Whitney S1EG Hornet radial engines, giving a maximum speed of and a maximum gross weight of . It carried a bomb load of up to eight bombs, with a defensive armament of five machine guns, with one in a nose turret and one each in dorsal and ventral mounts and two in waist blisters.Bowers 1989, pp. 291–292.Hess & Winchester ''Wings of Fame'' No. 6, 1997, pp. 41–42. In 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
