| The B-17E, the first mass-produced model Flying Fortress, carried nine machine guns and a 4,000-pound bomb load. It was the first Boeing airplane with the distinctive — and enormous — tail for improved control and stability during high-altitude bombing. Boeing plants built a total of 6,981 B-17s in various models, and another 5,745 were built under a nationwide collaborative effort by Douglas and Lockheed. |
|
|