Flying Fortress facts

While investigating facts about Flying Fortress Ford and Flying Fortress Crash, I found out little known, but curios details like:

During WWII American pilots found a way to manufacture ice cream on board. They would “place prepared ice-cream mixture in a large can and anchor it to the rear gunner's compartment of a Flying Fortress. It is well shaken up and nicely frozen by flying over enemy territory at high altitudes."

how many flying fortresses are still flying?

The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" went from drawing board to flight test in less than 12 months.

What was the flying fortress?

In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across answering what is the b-17 flying fortress. Here are 11 of the best facts about Flying Fortress Plane and Flying Fortress Ffbe I managed to collect.

what plane was called the flying fortress?

1. A B-17 Flying Fortress crew's tour of duty was 25 missions. Due to all the hazards associated with these missions the average crewman had a 1 in 4 chance of completing their tour.

2. In WW2 they made ice cream by placing a prepared ice-cream mixture in a large can and anchored it to the rear gunner’s compartment of a B17 Flying Fortress

3. During ww2, the germans designed a special heavily armored version of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter plane called the 'Sturmböcke' (battering ram) to combat the US B-17 'flying fortress' bomber.

4. The American cut of The Dambusters added an extra shot of a B-17 Flying Fortress, a plane not used in the raid, crashing into a hill for added drama

5. In 1947 the US Air Force flew a radio controlled B-17 Flying Fortress from Florida to Washington D.C. on a simulated bombing mission

6. At Pearl Harbour, 2 Privates detected approaching aircraft at 7:02 am. Lt. Kermit Tyler received the report. Tyler reasoned that the activity was a flight of Army B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, and advised the radar crew not to worry

7. Alan Eugene Magee, an American airman during World War II, survived a 22,000-ft (over 4 miles) free fall without a parachute from his damaged B-17 Flying Fortress. He fell crashed through a glass roof. The glass roof shattered, mitigating the force of Magee's impact.

8. The Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle, a modern strike fighter, is nearly as heavy and big as, and can fly much farther, higher and faster than the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, a WWII-era heavy bomber.

9. In 1943 a B-17 Flying Fortress bombed the town of Boise City, during flight training.