Designed for a Competition
As a result, the prototype of the B-17 was designed by Boeing for a competition in 1935. Over the years, the aircraft’s design evolved to incorporate technical improvements.
Eventually, in September 1941, the first B-17Es became operational. And by the end of the war, a total of approximately 12,731 B-17 aircraft had served, with 8,600 of them being the final B-17G model.
