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The B-17 - A Historical Perspective
by Joe "Impaler" HighmanI looked out the port and starboard windows of the navigator’s compartment and marveled at the size and power of the Wright Cyclone engines working at 100 percent. We buzzed the airfield at just over treetop level and then pulled into a steady powerful climb. This was an unbelievable rush, as I am sure it was for those unfortunate souls left behind on the ground.All too soon we were rushed back into our seats and the plane returned to solid earth. I examined the faces of the other passengers spread throughout the plane and wondered if they realized, as I did, just how unique an experience this is for someone in our time. The B-17 is a vanishing treasure. The world can only claim a dozen ships that are still air-worthy, and of those airworthy craft, very few offer the general public the luxury of the first-hand journey.
Please check the Yankee Air Force website by clicking HERE for more details on the Bomber flight and for information on other flyable classic aircraft. One may also get more detailed information on the various crew compartments at this location. For visitors to the Detroit, Michigan area, the museum is located at the Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan, just to the West of Detroit.One should not forget the heavy sacrifice made by the brave men who flew these magnificent machines into the teeth of the enemy’s motherland. Each aircraft carried ten men and 6,000 pounds of bombs into combat. This is the whole reason for this aircraft. It was designed from the start with one purpose; to drop a heavy load of ordnance on a specific, precise target from extremely high altitudes.It was designed to fly faster than many fighters of the time, and could defend herself with as many as 13 .50 caliber machineguns mounted throughout the aircraft. Although other ships could fly faster, carry a heavier bomb load, or were manufactured in larger numbers, no other aircraft of that era is more revered and more recognized for its classic lines than the Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress.
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COMBATSIM.COM would like to thank the Yankee Air Museum for use of their images in this article. For more information on the "Yankee Lady" and other aircraft, please visit their website at http://www.yankeeairmuseum.org.
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