B-17 USA 99th Bomb Group 2

The early versions of the Fortress were not effective, but rapid development of the 'E' 'F' and 'G' models made a huge difference to the durability of the aircraft and it became renowned for it's ability to take heavy battle damage.

The Fortress was armed with up 13 x 12.7mm machine guns (B-17G) and carried a 8,000 lb bomb load as standard for short range missions.

This example is a B-17G of the 99th Bomb Group USAAF 1944.