What did the radio operator do on a B-17?

What did the radio operator do on a B-17?

The radio operator will be required to: Render position reports every 30 minutes. Assist the navigator in taking fixes. Keep the liaison and command sets properly tuned and in good operating order.

Did the B-17 have a flight engineer?

The bombardier sat forward of the navigator in the glass nose of the airplane, and the flight engineer sat in a jump seat behind the pilot and copilot. The flight engineer was the only enlisted man, or non-commissioned officer, in the cockpit.

What are the crew positions for the B-17?

It was operated by a crew of 10, including the pilot, copilot, navigator-radioman, bombardier, and gunners.

How many B-17s are still airworthy?

Today, 46 planes survive in complete form, 10 of which are airworthy, and 39 of which reside in the United States.

How many B-17 flew 25 missions are there?

Hell’s Angels B-17 Crew

B-17F Hell’s Angels, tail number 41-24577 and crew. The first heavy bomber to complete 25 combat missions in the European Theater, May 13th, 1942. After completing 25 missions, Hell’s Angels remained in theater until 1944 and flew a total of 48 missions without any injured crewmen or abort.

How many guns does a B-17 have?

The B-17’s armament consisted of five . 30 caliber (7.62 mm) machine guns, with a payload up to 4,800 lb (2,200 kg) of bombs on two racks in the bomb bay behind the cockpit.

What was the safest position in a B-17?

The safest crew member was the ball turret gunner (5.5 percent), the pilot (7.7 percent), and co-pilot (6.6 percent), who together accounted for 19.8 percent of casualties). They were most likely to be hit in the legs (44 percent of the time), followed by the arms (31 percent).

Can a B-17 fly on 1 engine?

Its famous nickname came from the fact it carried 13 . 50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns for protection, and had a legendary toughness for carrying its crew home on one engine or even with the tail shot away.

Which was the better bomber B-17 or B-24?

The B-17 had a very large wing and ailerons (the moveable portion of the wing), while the B-24 used a smaller wing and ailerons for speed. Thus, the Liberator was faster, but the Flying Fortress could fly higher. Typical approach landing speeds for both planes, using full wing flaps was 120 miles per hour.

How much is a B-17 worth today?

The four-engine (1200 hp each) Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber, which cost over $200,000 each in 1940 (the equivalent of about $3,000,000 in today’s market), was a key component of the United States Army Air Forces’ (USAAF) World War II strategy in Western Europe.

Can the Memphis Belle still fly?

The Liberty Foundation’s B-17 “Memphis Belle” is one of only 13 B-17’s that still fly today. The B-17, dubbed the “Flying Fortress” as a result of her defensive fire power, saw action in every theater of operation during World War II.

What was the life expectancy of a tail gunner in WW2?

The Rear-Turret Gunners were in the most vulnerable position on the Plane. The life expectancy of a WW2 Rear-gunner varied but was never high, mostly about just 5 Sorties.

What B-17 completed the most missions?

Nine-O-Nine was a Boeing B-17G-30-BO Flying Fortress heavy bomber, of the 323rd Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, that completed 140 combat missions during World War II, believed to be the Eighth Air Force record for most missions, without loss to the crews that flew her.

What did German pilots think of the B-17?

‘A German pilot did once say that attacking a B-17 formation from behind was like trying to make love to a porcupine that is on fire,’ Walt Miller, Former 0311/0302 at United States Marine Corps (1973-1993), explains on Quora.

How long was an average B-17 mission?

B-17s from the Eighth Air Force participated in countless missions from bases in England. These missions often lasted for more than eight hours and struck at targets deep within enemy territory.

How much fuel does a B-17 burn per hour?

200 gallons
A B-17 will easily burn 200 gallons of fuel per hour, plus about 10 gallons of oil per hour. Consumables and wear items cost an estimated $3,000 per flight hour.

Which was easier to fly B-17 or B-24?

The B-24 was a faster plane having a greater range and payload capacity. However, in the ETO, the B-24 operated with the B-17 which constrained the aircraft’s operating speed. The B17 was a sedate aircraft and placed fewer demands on the flight deck crew. The B-17 was also an easier aircraft to fly in formation.

Why was the B-24 called the flying coffin?

In addition, crews nicknamed the B-24 the “Flying Coffin” as it possessed only one exit which was located near the tail of the aircraft. This made it difficult to impossible for the flight crew to escape a crippled B-24.

How many guns are in B-17?

Technical Specifications

Why is the Memphis Belle so famous?

The Memphis Belle and its crew became timeless symbols of the service and sacrifice of the heavy bomber crews and support personnel who helped defeat Nazi Germany. This famed aircraft was the first US Army Air Forces heavy bomber to return to the United States after completing 25 missions over Europe.

What was the safest position in a b17?

Is the b17 hard to fly?

The rugged B-17s would often return with many of their working parts shot up, but the Flying Fortress earned its reputation as one of the toughest planes to fly in World War II.

Is the B-17 hard to fly?

How many German fighters did B-17 shot down?

One of the few gunner aces who received official recognition was Benjamin Warner, a B-17 waist gunner. During a bombing mission on July 5, 1943, Warner shot down 7 German fighters, for which he was given the Distinguished Service Cross.

What replaced the B-17 bomber?

Consolidated’s B-24 was designed to replace the B-17 and was in many ways a much better airplane, with vastly improved performance due to an aerodynamically shaped wing that afforded higher speeds and greater payloads using engines with the same rated horsepower.