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A site dedicated to my favorite WWII aircraft
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| Bomber Series--Boeing B-17 Fortress (16 of 27) (next) or (back to facts) | |
| compiled by: [email protected] The B-17G was introduced onto the Fortress production line in July of 1943, and was destined to be produced in larger numbers than any other Fortress variant. The most readily-noticeable innovation introduced by the B-17G was the power-operated Bendix turret mounted in a chin-type installation underneath the nose which was equipped with two 0.50-inch machine guns. This installation had first been tested in combat by the YB-40 and was found to be the only viable innovation introduced by the unsuccessful escort Fortress. Another innovation was having the waist guns being permanently enclosed behind windows instead of being mounted behind removeable hatches. This made the rear fuselage somewhat less drafty. The cheek nose guns introduced on the late B-17F were retained, but were staggered so that the left gun was in the forward side window and the right gun was in the middle side window, which reversed the positions used on the late Fs. The cheek gun mounts bulged somewhat outward into the airstream, which helped to improve the forward view from the cheek gun positions. The forward chin installation and the associated cheek guns were first tested out on B-17F-115-BO 42-30631. Originally, the Bendix turret was to be introduced on the Boeing production line with F-135, but the changes were sufficient to justify a new series letter, and the F-135s became G-1. The B-17G now had the defensive firepower of no less than thirteen 0.50-inch machine guns--two chin guns, two "cheek" guns, two guns in the dorsal turret, two guns in the ventral turret, two guns in the waist, two guns in the tail, and one gun in the roof of the radio operator's position. The B-17G entered service with the Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces in late 1943. Camouflage paint was deleted from production B-17Gs starting in January of 1944. B-17Gs were delivered in natural metal finish starting in (but not at the beginning) of production blocks G-35-BO (Boeing), G-20-VE (Lockheed-Vega), and G-35-DL (Douglas-Long Beach). The so-called "Cheyenne" tail gun mounting modifications were incorporated in the B-17G-80-BO, -45-DL, -35-VE and subsequent batches. These tail gun mountings also had a reflector gunsight instead of the previous ring and bead. With this installation, these B-17Gs were five inches shorter than the earlier versions. On later production versions, it was found necessary to stagger the waist gun positions so that the two gunners would not get in each other's way. On the last production batches (B-17G-105 and -110-BO, B-17G-75 to -85-DL, and B-17G-85 to -110-VE), the radio compartment gun was not installed. The ammunition capacity of the waist guns was increased to 600 rpg. When production terminated in 1945, a total of 4035 B-17Gs had been built by Boeing, 2395 by Douglas, and 2250 by Lockheed-Vega. The last Boeing-built B-17G was delivered on April 13, 1945. B-17G-1-VE 42-38940 was redesignated XB-17G when assigned to test work. It was not a prototype. B-17G serial numbers: 42-3563 Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-5-DL Fortress 42-31032/31131 Boeing B-17G-1-BO Fortress 42-31132/31231 Boeing B-17G-5-BO Fortress 42-31232/31331 Boeing B-17G-10-BO Fortress 42-31332/31431 Boeing B-17G-15-BO Fortress 42-31432/31631 Boeing B-17G-20-BO Fortress 42-31632/31731 Boeing B-17G-25-BO Fortress 42-31732/31931 Boeing B-17G-30-BO Fortress 42-31932/32116 Boeing B-17G-35-BO Fortress 42-37716 Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-10-DL Fortress 42-37721/37803 Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-10-DL Fortress 42-37804/37893 Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-15-DL Fortress 42-37894/37988 Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-20-DL Fortress 42-37989/38083 Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-25-DL Fortress 42-38084/38213 Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-30-DL Fortress 42-39758/39857 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-1-VE Fortress 42-39858/39957 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-5-VE Fortress 42-39958/40057 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-10-VE Fortress 42-97058/97172 Boeing B-17G-40-BO Fortress 42-97173/97407 Boeing B-17G-45-BO Fortress 42-97436/97535 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-15-VE Fortress 42-97536/97635 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-20-VE Fortress 42-97636/97735 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-25-VE Fortress 42-97736/97835 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-30-VE Fortress 42-97836/97935 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-35-VE Fortress 42-97936/98035 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-40-VE Fortress 42-102379/102543 Boeing B-17G-50-BO Fortress 42-102544/102743 Boeing B-17G-55-BO Fortress 42-102744/102978 Boeing B-17G-60-BO Fortress 42-106984/107233 Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-35-DL Fortress 43-37509/37673 Boeing B-17G-65-BO Fortress 43-37674/37873 Boeing B-17G-70-BO Fortress 43-37874/38073 Boeing B-17G-75-BO Fortress 43-38074/38273 Boeing B-17G-80-BO Fortress 43-38274/38473 Boeing B-17G-85-BO Fortress 43-38474/38673 Boeing B-17G-90-BO Fortress 43-38674/38873 Boeing B-17G-95-BO Fortress 43-38874/39073 Boeing B-17G-100-BO Fortress 43-39074/39273 Boeing B-17G-105-BO Fortress 43-39274/39508 Boeing B-17G-110-BO Fortress 44-6001/6125 Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-40-DL Fortress 44-6126/6250 Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-45-DL Fortress 44-6251/6500 Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-50-DL Fortress 44-6501/6625 Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-55-DL Fortress 44-6626/6750 Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-60-DL Fortress 44-6751/6875 Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-65-DL Fortress 44-6875/7000 Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-70-DL Fortress 44-8001/8100 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-45-VE Fortress 44-8101/8200 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-50-VE Fortress 44-8201/8300 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-55-VE Fortress 44-8301/8400 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-60-VE Fortress 44-8401/8500 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-65-VE Fortress 44-8501/8600 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-70-VE Fortress 44-8601/8700 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-75-VE Fortress 44-8701/8800 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-80-VE Fortress 44-8801/8900 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-85-VE Fortress 44-8901/9000 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-90-VE Fortress 44-83236/83360 Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-75-DL Fortress 44-83361/83485 Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-80-DL Fortress 44-83486/83585 Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-85-DL Fortress 44-83586/83685 Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-90-DL Fortress 44-83686/83863 Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-95-DL Fortress 44-83864/83885 Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-95-DL Fortress 44-85492/85591 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-95-VE Fortress 44-85592/85691 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-100-VE Fortress 44-85692/85791 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-105-VE Fortress 44-85792/85841 Lockheed/Vega B-17G-110-VE Fortress Specification of B-17G: Four Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone radials with general Electric B-22 turbosuperchargers, each rated at 1200 hp for takeoff and 1000 hp at 25,000 feet, with a war emergency power of 1380 hp at 26,700 feet. Maximum speed 263 mph at 25,000 feet, 300 mph at 30,000 feet (war emergency). Cruising speed 150 mph at 25,000 feet. Landing speed 90 mph Initial climb rate 900 feet per minute. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 37 minutes. Service ceiling 35,000 feet. Range 1850 miles with 4000 pounds of bombs at 25,000 feet with 2810 gallons of fuel. Dimensions: Wingspan 103 feet 9 3/8 inches, length 74 feet 9 inches, height 19 feet 1 inches, wing area 1420 square feet. Weights: 32,720 pounds empty, 55,000 pounds normal loaded, 72,000 pounds maximum. Normal fuel load was 2520 US gallons, but extra fuel tanks could be installed which raised total fuel capacity to 3612 US gallons. Specified defensive armament was as follows: Thirteen 0.5-inch Browning machine guns in chin, nose, dorsal, center- fuselage, ventral, waist, and tail positions. Maximum short-range bombload was 17,600 pounds. Go on to Boeing B-17 Fortress (17 of 27) |