Page 26 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt 4-1-16

26 April 2 & 3, 2016 STATIC DISPLAYS 75 Years
of Airpower

EF-18 B-17

Mission &RXUWHV\SKRWR On July 28, 1935, &RXUWHV\SKRWR
a four-engine plane
Multi-role attack and fighter aircraft Wing Area: 44 feet 9 inches took off from Boe- when the British Royal Air Force took
Description Weight (empty): Maximum Take-off ing Field in south delivery of several B-17s for high-
Built on the nation’s first strike fighter, gross weight is 66,000 pounds Seattle on its first altitude missions. As World War II
the F-18 Hornet, today’s Internal fuel: 18,840 pounds flight. Rolling out intensified, the bombers needed ad-
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is an attack air- Speed: Mach 1.7+ of the Boeing han- ditional armament and armor.
craft as well as a fighter through selected Ceiling: 50,000 feet+ gar, it was simply
use of external equipment and advanced Range: Combat: 1,275 nautical miles plus known as the Model The B-17E, the first mass-produced
networking capabilities to accomplish two AIM-9s 299. Seattle Times model Flying Fortress, carried nine
specific missions. This “force multiplier” Ferry: 1,660 nautical miles, two AIM-9s, reporter Richard machine guns and a 4,000-pound bomb
capability gives the operational com- three 480 gallon tanks retained Smith dubbed the load. It was several tons heavier than
mander more flexibility in employing tac- Crew: E models, one; F models, two new plane, with its the prototypes and bristled with arma-
tical aircraft in a rapidly changing battle Armament: One M61A1/A2 Vulcan many machine-gun mounts, the “Flying ment. It was the first Boeing airplane
scenario. In its fighter mode, it serves as 20mm cannon; AIM 9 Sidewinder, AIM-9X Fortress,” a name that Boeing quickly with the distinctive — and enormous
escort and fleet air defense. In its attack (projected), AIM 7 Sparrow, AIM- 120 AM- adopted and trademarked. The U.S. — tail for improved control and stabil-
mode, it provides force projection, inter- RAAM, Harpoon, Harm, SLAM, SLAM- Army Air Corps designated the plane ity during high-altitude bombing. Each
diction, and close and deep air support. ER (projected), Maverick missiles; Joint as the B-17. version was more heavily armed.
Stand-Off Weapon, Joint Direct Attack
Specifications Munition; Data Link Pod; Paveway Laser In response to the Army’s request In the Pacific, the planes earned a
Guided Bomb; various general purpose for a large, multiengine bomber, the deadly reputation with the Japanese,
Overall Length: 60 feet 3 inches bombs, mines and rockets. prototype, financed entirely by Boeing, who dubbed them “four-engine fight-
went from design board to flight test ers.” The Fortresses were also legend-
in less than 12 months. ary for their ability to stay in the air
after taking brutal poundings.
The B-17 was a low-wing monoplane
that combined aerodynamic features
of the XB-15 giant bomber, still in
the design stage, and the Model 247
transport. The B-17 was the first Boe-
ing military aircraft with a flight deck
instead of an open cockpit and was
armed with bombs and five .30-cali-
ber machine guns mounted in clear
“blisters.”

The first B-17s saw combat in 1941,

56th Fighter Wing lifetime aces

Lt. Col. Francis Gabreski 1st Lt. Robert Keen
2nd Lt. Frank Klibbe
Capt. Robert Johnson Capt. Robert Lamb
Maj. Leslie Smith
Col. David Schilling 1st Lt. John Truluck Jr.
Capt. Mark Moseley
Capt. Fred Christensen Jr. Capt. James Carter
Capt. Walter Cook
Maj. Walker Mahurin 1st Lt. George Hall
Capt. Cameron Hart
Maj. Gerald Johnson Capt. Joseph Bennett
1st Lt. Frank McCauley
Col. Hubert Zemke 1st Lt. Donovan Smith
Capt. John Vogt Jr.
Capt. Joe Powers Maj. Harold Comstock
1st Lt. Joseph Egan Jr.
Capt. Felix Williamson 2nd Lt. Steven Gerick
2nd Lt. Joe Icard
Maj. Leroy Schreiber Flt. Ofc. Evan McMinn
Capt. Eugene O’Neill Jr.
56th Fighter Wing Blazon Maj. James Stewart
Maj. Paul Conger

The orange background was the color of Capt. Michael Quirk
the Army Air Corps and represents the Sq. Ldr. Michael Gladych
56th Fighter Group’s World War II service. 1st Lt. Robert Rankin
The chevron, representing support, is blue 1st Lt. Stanley Morrill

to signify the wing’s flights in support of Maj. George Bostwick
the nation’s quest for peace. The lightning Maj. Michael Jackson
bolts are symbolic of speed, aggressiveness 1st Lt. Glen Schiltz Jr.
and the capability to strike immediately 2nd Lt. Billy Edens
in any direction.

Motto: “Cave Tonitrum,” Beware the Thunderbolt!