B-17 "Летающая крепость"и другие артефакты в музее Air Force. Часть 1

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was the first mass‑produced all‑metal heavy four‑engine bomber of the United States. It was one of the three main strategic bombers of the US Army Air Forces during World II, alongside the B‑24 Liberator and the B‑29 Superfortress. The nickname "Flying Fortress" came from its formidable defensive armament. Between 1936 and 1945 more than 12,000 were built, and they operated on all fronts where the United States fought. The number of defensive machine guns increased from four 12.7‑mm and one 7.62‑mm nose gun on the B‑17C to thirteen 12.7‑mm guns on the B‑17G. The B‑17’s ruggedness more than compensated for its shorter range and lighter bomb load compared with the B‑24 and the British Avro Lancaster. Numerous stories exist of returning crews with damaged wings, a single engine, or even with parts of the tail still intact. This resilience, combined with its mass deployment in the Eighth Air Force and the fame of the "Memphis Belle" that completed 25 missions over Europe, made the B‑17 one of the most famous bombers in history.