a large bomber built by
Boeing Airplane
Company. See also
Boeing in this glossary.
a designation for a large bomber aircraft built by the
Boeing Aircraft
Company and first used in combat in the early 1940s. The B-17 (B
standing for bomber) was used extensively by the United
States in Europe during
World War II (1939-1945). It was called the "
Flying Fortress" due to its heavy
defensive armament-thirteen
machine guns that projected from every
corner of the
plane. Although the B-17 was not the fastest bomber, nor did it
hold the most bombs, it became one of the most famous aircraft in the
war due to its widespread
use. Its reputation was also benefited by its impressive
ability to continue
flying after sustaining tremendous amounts of damage.