The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). After a design competition in 1935, the USAAC ordered 13 copies for assignment to the 2nd Bombardment Group at Langley Field in Virginia for operational development and flight tests.

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Yankee Lady by Paul Sager, on Flickr



As a strategic weapon, the B-17 was a relatively fast, high-flying, long-range bomber with heavy defensive armament at the expense of bombload.

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From its introduction, the B-17 evolved through numerous design advances, becoming the third-most produced bomber of all time, behind the American B-24 and the German Ju 88. Models A - D were designed defensively and proved to be unsuitable for combat use over Europe. The B-17E was the first model used successfully by the USAAF (US Army Air Force).

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Aluminum Overcast is a B-17G and is one of only ten airworthy Flying Fortresses of the 48 complete surviving air frames. The plane never saw combat and escaped the fate of many aircraft that were scrapped after World War II.

Aluminum Overcast



As the "flagship" of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), Aluminum Overcast has an extensive touring schedule with over one million flight miles accumulated. The overhaul and restoration of the airframe took more than 10 years and thousands of hours by staff and volunteers at EAA headquarters in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Aluminum Overcast carries the colors of the 398th Bomb Group of World War II, which flew hundreds of missions over Nazi-held territory during the war. Aluminum Overcast commemorates B-17G AAF Serial No. 42-102516, shot down over France in 1944.

Aluminum Overcast



While the aircraft is about 95 percent authentic, recreating the configuration in 1945 when it rolled off the assembly line, concessions to technological improvements such as a modern radio and avionics suite are incorporated to meet the current airworthiness requirements.

Aluminum Overcast



Owned by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), the B-17G Aluminum Overcast is still touring the United States and Canada offering flight experiences. These flight images were captured during a flight over Appleton and Oshkosh, WI in July 2018 during the week-long EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

Aluminum Overcast



As of May 2015, only ten aircraft remain airworthy, though none were ever flown in combat. Dozens more are in storage or on static display. The oldest of these is a D-series flown in combat in the Pacific and the Caribbean.

Aluminum Overcast



The B-17G was the final version of the Flying Fortress, incorporating changes of preceeding models. In total across all model types, 12,731 B-17s were built (8,680 copies of Model G). The last B-17G was completed on 28 July 1945. Approximately 4,735 were lost during WWII.

Aluminum Overcast



Specifications (B-17G)

General characteristics

Crew: 10: Pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier/nose gunner, flight engineer/top turret gunner, radio operator, waist gunners (2), ball turret gunner, tail gunner
Empty weight: 36,135 lb
Loaded weight: 54,000 lb
Max. takeoff weight: 65,500 lb
Powerplant: 4 × Wright R-1820-97 "Cyclone" turbosupercharged radial engines, 1,200 hp each

Aluminum Overcast



Specifications (B-17G)

Armament

Guns:

13 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in 8 positions

Bombs:

Short range missions (<400 mi): 8,000 lb
Long range missions (up to 800 mi): 4,500 lb

Aluminum Overcast



Before the advent of long-range fighter escorts, B-17s had only their .50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns as defense. As the war intensified, Boeing used feedback from aircrews to improve each new variant with increased armament and armor. Defensive armament increased from five machine guns in the B-17C, to thirteen machine guns in the B-17G. But because the bombers could not maneuver when attacked, and needed to be flown straight and level during their final bomb run, individual aircraft struggled to fend off attacking fighters.

Aluminum Overcast



The Aluminum Overcast paint scheme was redone in 1988 and now features a flat aluminum metallic flake paint.

Aluminum Overcast



Each summer EAA presents the largest annual general aviation event in the world, 'EAA AirVenture Oshkosh', also commonly known as the "Oshkosh Airshow". During the event, the city's airport, Wittman Regional Airport, is the busiest airport in the world (in terms of traffic movements). The week-long event annually attracts around 10,000-12,000 planes and a total attendance of more than 500,000. The event also attracts more than 800 exhibitors, hosts nearly 1,000 forums, seminars and workshops, and welcomes more than 700 journalists each year.

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The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Since its inception it has grown internationally with over 200,000 members and nearly 1,000 chapters worldwide.

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