B-17G "Flying Fortress" No. 44-83690 B-17G-90-DL-44-83690 "Flying Fortress" is a heavy bomber manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California. Douglas was one of two companies in addition to Boeing, designated to manufacture B-17s during World War II. General features of the B-17 include its mid-wing monoplane design, aluminum-clad exterior, four radial engines, massive wing structure, and heavy armament. Greenfield, Kent. American Strategy in World War II: A Reconsideration. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1963. B-17G "Flying Fortress" No. 44-83690 B-17G-95-DL "Flying Fortress" No. 44-83690 is a historic B-17 Flying Fortress Heavy bomber located at the Aviation Museum, Grissom Air Force Base in Pipe
Technology during World War II fighter planes. American bomber planes such as the B-17 Flying Fortress had been built before the war as the only adequate long-range bombers in the world, designed to patrol the long American coastlines. Defended by as many as six machine-gun turrets providing 360° cover, the B-17s were still vulnerable without fighter protection even when used in large formations. Despite the abilities of Allied bombers, though, Germany was not quickly crippled by Allied air raids. At the start of the war the vast majority of bombs fell miles from their targets, as poor navigation technology ensured that Allied airmen frequently could