Today, 46 planes survive in complete form, 10 of which are airworthy, and 39 of which reside in the United States.
Surviving aircraft by manufacturer.
Plant | Number produced | Number surviving |
---|---|---|
Douglas Long Beach (DL) | 3,000 | 23 |
Vega Burbank (VE) | 2,750 | 14 |
12,731 | 46 |
How many Boeing B-17s are left?
The number varies from time to time as airframes enter restoration, or complete restoration or move to flight status. The current total of surviving B-17 bombers located in the United States stands at 40: Nine (9) B-17 planes are airworthy, such as “Texas Raiders”, “Sentimental Journey” and “Aluminum Overcast”.
How many flying B 29s are left?
For 42 years, Fifi was the only airworthy Superfortress. Now it has company. On July 17, Doc, a restored Boeing B-29, took off from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, the culmination of years of effort from hundreds of supporters.
What was the life expectancy of a B-17 crew?
The average age of the crew of a B-17 was less than 25, with four officers and six enlisted Airmen manning the aircraft. Their chance of survival was less than 50 percent.
How many B-17s were lost over Europe?
Of the 291 attacking Fortresses, 60 were shot down over Germany, five crashed on approach to Britain, and 12 more were scrapped due to damage – a loss of 77 B-17s.
Can the Memphis Belle still fly?
It was one of the first United States Army Air Forces B-17 heavy bombers to complete 25 combat missions, after which the aircrew returned with the bomber to the United States to sell war bonds.
Memphis Belle (aircraft)
Memphis Belle | |
---|---|
Status | On display |
Preserved at | National Museum of the United States Air Force |
How much is a B-17 worth?
The four-engine (1200 hp each) Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber, which cost over $200,000 each in 1940 (the equivalent of about $3,000,000 in today’s market), was a key component of the United States Army Air Forces’ (USAAF) World War II strategy in Western Europe.
Are there any B 32 bombers left?
The B-32 only reached units in the Pacific in mid-May 1945, and subsequently saw only limited combat operations against Japanese targets before the formal end of the war on 2 September 1945.
Consolidated B-32 Dominator.
B-32 Dominator | |
---|---|
Retired | 30 August 1945 |
Status | Retired |
Primary user | United States Army Air Forces |
Produced | 1944–1945 |
How many B-29 Superfortresses shot down?
B-29 gunners were credited with shooting down 27 enemy aircraft. In turn 78 B-29s were lost; 57 B-29 and reconnaissance variants were lost in action and 21 were non-combat losses. Soviet records show that one MiG-15 jet fighter was shot down by a B-29 during the war.
How many B-29 bombers were shot down over Japan?
How many B-29s were lost over Japan? ‘Four hundred and fourteen (414) B-29s were lost bombing Japan—147 of them to flak and Japanese fighters, 267 to engine fires, mechanical failures, takeoff crashes and other “operational losses,”’ Pete Feigal, Former Pro Military Artist, explains on Quora.
Did the B-17 have a toilet?
During World War 2, large bomber aircraft, such as the American Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and the British Avro Lancaster, carried chemical toilets (basically a bucket with seat and cover, see bucket toilet); in British use, they were called “Elsans” after the company that manufactured them.
How cold did it get in a B-17?
The planes were unheated and open to the outside air. The crew wore electrically heated suits and heavy gloves that provided some protection against temperatures that could dip to 60 degrees below zero.
What is the oldest US fighter jet still in service?
Top 9 Oldest Fighter Planes Still in Service in 2022
- General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon.
- McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle.
- Grumman F-14 Tomcat.
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25.
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23.
- Chengdu J-7.
- Northrop F-5.
- McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom.
Which US plane shot down the most planes in WW2?
It is accurate to state that the P-38 did shoot down more Japanese aircraft than any other USAAF plane with 1,857, with the P-40 running a close second at 1,633.5.
How many German fighters did B-17 shoot down?
After the Second Raid on Schweinfurt, USAAF gunners aboard the B-17 bombers claimed to have shot down 138 German fighters. German records show that 38 were lost and 20 were damaged. German fighter pilots claimed they shot down 121 bombers and 1 fighter.
Which country lost the most planes in WW2?
Soviet Union
Soviet Union: Total losses were 17,900 bombers, 23,600 ground attacker, 46,800 fighter aircraft, and 18,100 training, transport and other aircraft; an overall loss of over 106,400 aircraft; 46,100 in combat and 60,300 non-combat. Of which, 18,300 Lend-Lease aircraft were lost. Grigori F.
Which B-17 flew the most missions?
Nine-O-Nine was a Boeing B-17G-30-BO Flying Fortress heavy bomber, of the 323rd Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, that completed 140 combat missions during World War II, believed to be the Eighth Air Force record for most missions, without loss to the crews that flew her.
What plane replaced the B-17?
Consolidated’s B-24 was designed to replace the B-17 and was in many ways a much better airplane, with vastly improved performance due to an aerodynamically shaped wing that afforded higher speeds and greater payloads using engines with the same rated horsepower.
How did B-17 get to England?
The North Atlantic air ferry route was a series of Air Routes over the North Atlantic Ocean on which aircraft were ferried from the United States and Canada to Great Britain during World War II to support combat operations in the European Theater of Operations (ETO).
Is the B-17 hard to fly?
The rugged B-17s would often return with many of their working parts shot up, but the Flying Fortress earned its reputation as one of the toughest planes to fly in World War II.
Will Nine O Nine be restored?
A thorough restoration has been underway to restore the aircraft back to its original WWII B-17G model configuration. The new B-17G will replace “Nine O Nine” that was lost in an accident.