The Flying Fortress

[JW Scud]

On October 30, 1935, at Wright Air Field in Dayton, Ohio, the U.S. Army Air Corps held a flight competition for airplane manufacturers vying to build its next-generation long-range bomber. It wasn’t supposed to be much of a competition. In early evaluations, the Boeing Corporation’s gleaming aluminum-alloy Model 299 had trounced the designs of Martin and Douglas. Boeing’s plane could carry five times as many bombs as the Army had requested; it could fly faster than previous bombers, and almost twice as far. A Seattle newspaperman who had glimpsed the plane called it the “flying fortress,” and the name stuck.

Just in case you were wondering.

[Slick Goodlin]

I always thought the name Flying Fortress was in reference to its original purpose of bombing attacking ships while they were still well out at sea. There Was some friction from the US Navy over that plan.

A couple other interesting tidbits: the USAAC specification only called out for a “multi-engine” bomber which Boeing decided that four was the right number of engines. Also the B-17 is said to have been the first airplane to have a standardized checklist after the prototype was lost on takeoff largely due to its complexity.

[JW Scud]

Also the B-17 is said to have been the first airplane to have a standardized checklist after the prototype was lost on takeoff largely due to its complexity.

It just so happens that I am reading an article about checklists. I tend to use them on various aircraft because I am flying s lot of them. For Landing I frequently just use the GUMP thing. On floats, I normally do not use checklists for the simple aircraft I fly but have decided that if I ever fly an amphib, will strictly use checklists as a screwup on the gear is a huge deal.

I know some don't use checklists and I moght do the same if I knew my aircraft very well and was smarter.

Anyways, this article on checklists talks about the B-17 and then moves over to the medical field. It is very interesting.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007 ... -checklist