Subject: Bomber Series--Boeing B-17 (2 of 27)

From: [email-masked]
Date: 28 Jul 94 00:39:46 GMT

>From [email-masked]

The Y1B-17 was the initial service test version of the B-17, thirteen 
of which had been ordered on January 17, 1936.  It was assigned the 
company designation of Model 299B.  It had initially been designated 
YB-17, but this was changed to Y1B-17 on November 20, 1936, indicating 
procurement from "F-1" funds rather than from regular appropriations.  
This change was the source of much confusion for historians, since 
references were made to both YB-17 and Y1B-17 in the documentation of 
the day, giving the erroneous perception that there were two series of 
service-test Boeing Fortresses rather than just one.  

The Y1B-17 was basically similar to the Model 299, but had four Wright 
GR-1830-39 (G2) Cyclone radials in place of the Pratt & Whitney Hornet 
radials of the Model 299 prototype.  The Cyclone was to remain the 
standard powerplant all throughout the long production run of the 
Fortress.  The crew was reduced to six, and minor changes were made in 
armament details and in the undercarriage.  Perhaps the most 
readily-noticeable difference was in the the main landing gear, which 
now had only one leg rather than two.  A long carburetor intake on top 
of the engine nacelles distinguished the Y1B-17 from later models.  

The first Y1B-17 (36-149) flew on December 2, 1936.  Five days later, 
the brakes of this aircraft fused and seized up during a landing, and 
the aircraft nosed over.  Although the damage to the aircraft was not 
severe, the episode was very embarrassing to the Air Corps and a 
Congressional enquiry was ordered, with angry Congressmen threatening 
to have the whole program shut down.  However, nothing came of this 
threat except perhaps the fear that if another incident should occur, 
the entire Army Air Corps heavy bomber program would be cancelled.  

All Y1B-17s were delivered between January 11 and August 4, 1937.  
Twelve of the Y1B-17s were delivered to the 2nd Bombardment Group 
based at Langley Field, Virginia for evaluation.  A thirteenth Y1B-17 
was delivered to Wright Field for experimental tests.  At this time, 
the dozen Y1B-17s of the 2nd Bombardment Group comprised the entire 
heavy bombardment strength of the United States.  

The 2nd Bombardment Group spent its time working out the bugs in the 
B-17.  One of the recommendations that they came up with at an early 
stage was the use of a check list that the pilot and copilot would go 
through together before takeoff, hopefully preventing accidents such 
as the one which resulted in the loss of the Model 299.  

In early 1938, Colonel Robert C. Olds, commander of the 2nd 
Bombardment Group flew a Y1B-17 to set a new east-to-west 
transcontinental record of 12 hours 50 minutes.  He immediately turned 
around and broke the west-to-east record, averaging 245 mph in 10 
hours 46 minutes.  

Six planes of the 2nd Bombardment group took part in a good will 
flight from Langley to Buenos Aires, Argentina, taking off from 
Langley on February 15, 1938 and returning on February 27.  They 
covered a total of 12,000 miles without serious incident.  

In May of 1938, planes of the Langley-based 2nd Bombardment Group took 
part in a demonstration in which they "intercepted" the Italian liner 
*Rex* while it was still 700 miles out to sea.  This was meant not 
only as a demonstration of the Y1B-17's superior range and 
navigational capabilities, but was also meant to show how useful the 
plane could be in attacking an enemy invasion force before it came 
close enough to American shores to do any damage.  The Navy was 
furious about the Army's intrusion into what it thought to be strictly 
a Navy mission, and a War Departmnet order came down restricting the 
activities of the Army Air Corps to within 100 miles of the shoreline.  

Y1B-17 serial number 36-157 inadvertently demonstrated just how strong 
the basic aircraft structure really was.  In the summer of 1938, it 
accidentally flew into a thunderhead during a storm.  The violent 
winds inside the thunderhead flipped the plane over on its back, and 
by the time the plane had been brought under control, it had spun down 
through the overcast.  Upon landing, the aircraft was found to have 
bent its wings and had popped some of its rivets, but had remained 
essentially intact.  

The Y1B-17s flew for three years without a serious accident, and were 
transferred to the 19th Bomb Group at March Field in October 1940.  

Boeing Y1B-17 Fortress 36-149/161.  

Specification of Y1B-17: 

Four Wright R-1820-39 Cyclone radials rated at 930 hp for takeoff, 850 
hp at 5000 feet, 775 hp at 14,000 feet.  Maximum speed 256 mph at 
14,000 feet.  Landing speed 70 mph.  Cruising speed 217 mph at 70 
percent power.  Service ceiling 30,600 feet.  An altitude of 10,000 
feet could be attained in 6.5 minutes.  Normal range 1377 miles.  
Range with 4000 pounds of bombs was 2400 miles and 3320 miles with no 
bombs.  Dimensions: Wingspan 103 feet 9 3/8 inches, length 68 feet 4 
inches, height 18 feet 4 inches, wing area 1420 square feet.  Weights: 
24,465 pounds empty, 34,880 pounds normal loaded, 42,600 pounds 
maximum.  Armed with five 0.30-inch machine guns with 1000 rpg.  One 
gun was mounted in each of nose, dorsal, ventral, and two waist 
positions.  A maximum bombload of 8000 pounds could be carried in an 
internal bomb bay.  

Sources:

  Flying Fortress, Edward Jablonski, Doubleday, 1965.

  Famous Bombers of the Second World War, Volume One, William
  Green, Doubleday, 1959.

  Boeing Aircraft Since 1916, Peter M. Bowers, Naval Institute
  Press, 1989.

  United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough
  and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.

  Boeing B-17E and F Flying Fortress, Charles D. Thompson,
  Profile Publications, 1966.

  American Combat Planes, Ray Wagner, Third Edition, Doubleday, 1982.

  Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Military Press, 1989.

Joe Baugher				AT&T Bell Laboratories
1000 E. Warrenville Road		Naperville, Illinois 60566-7013