The B-17G was the most prolific of all the B-17 Flying Fortresses and the most produced model. A propeller-powered aircraft used in World War II, it became popular when its nose art was featured in Betty Grable’s famous pin-up poster. It was later immortalized in cinema.
The B-17G was the final version of the B-17, incorporating all changes made to its predecessor, the B-17F. A lot of
B-17Gs were
converted for other
missions such as cargo hauling, engine testing and reconnaissance. A number of B-17Gs were also converted for search-and-rescue duties.
Among the most prominent B-17s in service are
Shoo Shoo Baby which
flew 24 combat missions from England with the 91st Bomb Group from March 1944 until being forced to crash-land at Malmö Airport, Sweden and the
Nine-O-Nine which completed 140 missions without an abort or loss of a crewman, an 8th Air Force record.
After completing many missions in World War II, it flew sorties combating forest fire in the US.
More summaries about the B-17G Flying Fortress