Did B-17 have flaps?
Did B-17 have flaps?
As it turned out, the B17 was the first plane to have hydraulics to power both the flaps and the landing gear. When coming in for landing, pilots would lower the flaps and then lower the landing gear. After they landed, they would raise the flaps.
What was the B-17 fatal flaw?
“Guts and backbone of our aerial offensive.” The plane that could hold a crew of 10 —pilot, co-pilot, bombardier, navigator, flight engineer and 5 gunners — and could take down the enemy in a rugged flying fortress, was unable to land without a strange phenomenon occurring. …
What is the wingspan of a B-17 bomber?
103 feet 9 inches
Technical Specifications
| First flight | July 28, 1935 (prototype) |
|---|---|
| Model number | 299 |
| Classification | Bomber |
| Span | 103 feet 9 inches |
| Length | 74 feet 9 inches |
How many b17 are left?
Many surviving examples are painted to represent actual planes that flew in combat. Today, 46 planes survive in complete form, 10 of which are airworthy, and 39 of which reside in the United States.
Who made the B 17?
the Boeing Company
Developed by the Boeing Company in the 1930s, the B-17 was a four‑engine heavy bomber aircraft used by the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
Which is bigger B-17 or B-24?
The B-24 had a shoulder-mounted high aspect ratio Davis wing. This wing was highly efficient allowing a relatively high airspeed and long range. Compared to the B-17 it had a 6-foot larger wingspan, but a lower wing area. This gave the B-24 a 35% higher wing loading.
How many b29s still exist?
Of the 3,970 built, 26 survive in complete form today, 24 of which reside in the United States, and two of which are airworthy.
What made the B-17 Flying Fortress so special?
The B-17 Flying Fortress rolled off the drawing board and onto the runway in a mere 12 months, just in time to become the fearsome workhorse of the US Air Force during World War II. Its astounding toughness made pilots adore it: The B-17 could roar through angry squalls of shrapnel and bullets, emerging pockmarked but still airworthy.
What were the different variants of the B-17 bomber?
Design and variants. Two experimental versions of the B-17 were flown under different designations, the XB-38 Flying Fortress and the YB-40 Flying Fortress. The XB-38 was an engine test bed for Allison V-1710 liquid-cooled engines, should the Wright engines normally used on the B-17 become unavailable.
Why did B-17s crash when easing into landing?
The reason why all those pilots were crashing when their B-17s were easing into a landing was that the flaps and landing gear controls looked exactly the same. The pilots were simply reaching for the landing gear, thinking they were ready to land.
What was the first successful B-17 mission?
In one of their first missions, three B-17s, directed by lead navigator Lieutenant Curtis LeMay, were sent by General Andrews to “intercept” and photograph the Italian ocean liner Rex 610 miles (980 km) off the Atlantic coast. The mission was successful and widely publicized.
