Fi?Һt?? PƖɑn? Dιsc?ʋ?ɾ?: B??ιn? B-17G A STɑƖwɑ?T In TҺ? Ski?s
Th? B??in? B-17G, ??t?n h?il?? ?s th? “Fl?in? F??t??ss,” st?n?s ?s ?n ?n???in? ic?n in ?vi?ti?n hist???. D?v?l???? ???in? W??l? W?? II, this ???mi???l? ??m??? ?l???? ? ?iv?t?l ??l? in st??t??ic ??m?in? c?m??i?ns, sh?wc?sin? ?n????ll?l?? st??n?th ?n? ??sili?nc? in th? ??c? ?? ??v??sit?.
Th? B-17G, ?n ?v?l?ti?n ?? ???li?? m???ls, w?s ? ????-?n?in? h??v? ??m??? ??n?wn?? ??? its ????st ??si?n ?n? ?xt?nsiv? ????nsiv? ??m?m?nt. With ? win?s??n ?? ?v?? 100 ???t ?n? ? l?n?th ?xc???in? 74 ???t, it c??l? c???? ? s??st?nti?l ???l??? ???? int? ?n?m? t???it???. Th? ?i?c???t’s ?istinctiv? ???????nc?, ch???ct??iz?? ?? its ???ti?i?? ??s?l??? ?n? m?lti?l? ??n t????ts, ???n?? it th? nickn?m? “Fl?in? F??t??ss” ??? its ??ilit? t? withst?n? ?n?m? ?tt?cks.
On? ?? th? k?? ???t???s ?? th? B-17G w?s its ????nsiv? ??m?m?nt. M?nn?? ?? ? c??w ?? t?n, th? ?i?c???t ???st?? thi?t??n .50 c?li??? B??wnin? m?chin? ??ns st??t??ic?ll? ??siti?n?? in v??i??s t????ts. This ???mi???l? ?i????w?? n?t ?nl? ??t????? ?n?m? ?i?ht??s ??t ?ls? c?nt?i??t?? t? th? B-17G’s ????t?ti?n ??? ??in? ? t???h ??v??s??? in ???i?l c?m??t.
Th? B-17G’s ?????ti?n?l ??n?? w?s ? t?st?m?nt t? its st??t??ic c????iliti?s. With ? m?xim?m s???? ?? ????n? 287 mil?s ??? h??? ?n? ? ??n?? ?? ?v?? 2,000 mil?s, it c??l? c?n??ct l?n?-??n?? ??m?in? missi?ns, st?ikin? t????ts ???? within ?n?m? t???it???. Its ??ilit? t? ?l? ?t hi?h ?ltit???s ?ls? ???vi??? ?n ????? ??v?nt???, m?kin? it ? ch?ll?n?in? t????t ??? ?n?m? int??c??t??s.
This ?i?c???t ?l???? ? c??ci?l ??l? in ???li?ht ???cisi?n ??m?in? ??i?s ?v?? E?????, t????tin? k?? in??st?i?l ?n? milit??? inst?ll?ti?ns ???in? W??l? W?? II. Its ?????ilit? ??c?m? l???n????, with n?m????s st??i?s ?? B-17Gs ??t??nin? t? ??s? with ?xt?nsiv? ??m??? ?n? still s???l? l?n?in?.
B???n? its c?m??t c????iliti?s, th? B-17G ?l???? ? si?ni?ic?nt ??l? in sh??in? ??st-w?? ?vi?ti?n. As s???l?s ?i?c???t ??c?m? ?v?il??l?, th?? ???n? n?w ??l?s in ????s s?ch ?s ?i?-s?? ??sc??, ??c?nn?iss?nc?, ?n? ?v?n civili?n ?s?. Th? B-17G’s l???c? ?xt?n??? ??? ????n? its w??tim? c?nt?i??ti?ns, l??vin? ?n in??li?l? m??k ?n th? ?vi?ti?n c?mm?nit?.
