Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry (prototype Model 299/XB-17) outperformed both competitors and exceeded the air corps' performance specifications. Although Boeing lost the contract (to the Douglas B-18 Bolo) because the prototype crashed, the air corps ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation. From its introduction in 1938, the B-17 Flying Fortress evolved through numerous design advances, becoming the third-most produced bomber of all time,
The Bomber Command War Diaries The Bomber Command War Diaries The Bomber Command War Diaries (subtitled: "An Operational Reference Book, 1939 -1945") is a book by the British military historian Martin Middlebrook and the researcher Chris Everitt that documents every operation by RAF Bomber Command in Europe in World War II. The book also details the operational performances of each squadron and group and it remains in print today. Everitt who had served in the RAF throughout the war as ground staff was the recently retired Chief Administrative Officer of Slough College and his research for the book involved over 300 visits to the Public