NOTE: RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PAGE.
A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress prototype first flew on July 17, 1935.
The aircraft went into service in mid 1938. On December 7, 1941, the start of World War II, few were in service. Production was then accelerated and by the time the last B-17 Flying Fortress rolled off the assembly line in May of 1945, over 12,700 had been built.
By the start of the war the B-17 was already being outclassed by other bombers of not only the United States and its allies, but by Axis aircraft as well. Many were faster, had a greater range, could carrier more ordnance, and had better defensive weapons systems.
It was at that time that the Flying Fortress was modified and improved. The rear fuselage was redesigned and lengthened for twin .50 cal. machine guns which were aimed from a rear gunners position. A powered dual .50 cal. machine gun blister was added aft of the pilot in the top of the aircraft.
A power ball turret with two more .50 cal. machine guns was added just aft of the wing, under the fuselage. These changes were incorporated into what was to become the model "E". The next production model "F" was fitted with the now familiar looking power twin .50 cal. chin turret.
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress served in every zone of World War II. They were known for their toughness in being able to absorb a great deal of punishment from enemy fire. If any heavy bomber of World War II could be called a "pilot's aircraft" it was the Flying Fortress.
In the above picture you can see some of the changes made on the aircraft through the years. An easily recognizable feature of the model F was a turret added under the front fuselage.
With the end of the war B-17 production ceased. Flights of the aircraft were primarily for the maintenance of air superiority. However the role of the aircraft was quickly taken over by faster, larger, and more modern aircraft.
The B-17 Flying Fortress served with the Strategic Air Command as photo reconnaissance aircraft from 1946 to 1951.
A number of the bombers were converted to air tankers and airliners. In recent years these have been converted back to their former configurations and the aircraft put on display.
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses are preserved in a number of museums and airports. About fifteen still fly and can be seen performing in air shows.
About 38% of the total 12,700 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses produced were lost in action during World War II.
Pictured above is the rc B-17 Flying Fortress from Nitro Planes. The ARF has a wing span of 65", length is 47" and weight is around 4 1/2 lbs. You can power it with four brushless 400 size motors.
American Eagle Plans has a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress rc airplane. It has a 123" wing span. Recommended power comes from 4 x Saito .72 four strokes.
Pictured below is the magnificent scratch built RC B-17 Flying Fortress built by Jan Hermkens. It has a 158" wing span and is powered by 4 x Laser 0.70 four stroke engines. Jan's new home page is www.janhermkens.nl.
In the second picture below is a rc B-17 Flying Fortress radio control airplane built by Brian Gafford from American Eagle Plans. The rc airplane has a 123" wing span and is powered by 4 x Saito .65's.
The third picture below is the scratch built rc B-17 Flying Fortress built by Matt Miller. It has a 18 ft. wing span and power is by 4 x G-38's.
Another scratch built model B-17 Flying Fortress rc pictured below has a 13' wing span and 4 x Saito 1.50 engines. It was built by Roger Layton and is flown by Paul Gruber.
ATI has a RC B-17 Flying Fortress kit with a 103" wing span. Recommended power is by 4 x Webra .32's or equivalent.
Don Smith has plans for a 138" wing span Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress RC powered with four .91 engines.
Madden Model Products has a 138' 5" wing span rc B-17 Flying Fortress kit with recommended power by four Saito .91's.
You can find plans from Bob Holman for a 1/10 scale RC B-17 Flying Fortress. It weighs around 44 lbs. ready to fly with recommended power as 4 x .61's.
Aerotech has a kit for a rc Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress with an 8' 7" wing span. We have seen it converted to electric power using 4 Mega 600/20/8 motors.
We would appreciate you emailing us if you know of any other rc Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress that we should post to this site.
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
