Boeing B-17 Ideas and Inspiration

[finsrin]

Simple as far as model bashing (yes/no).
Attach B-29 wings to B-17 fuselage.  Change landing gear so it pivots rearward and up (to be a tail dragger).
Now you have a high altitude recon B-17-29.   

[dy031101]

A anti-ship/anti-sub version with a bit of a sting?

Couldn't stop thinking what if the whole thing was enlarged to Tu-85 scale and given bigger main gun and swept wings......?

[GTX_Admin]

No comment needed:

[elmayerle]

There's always the high-winged tricycle-gear version that's in the Putnam book on Boeing.  Might look right interesting with the XB-38's engine fit.

[finsrin]

Alternate configuration tricycle landing gear B-17 was limited to a short production run after many unfortunate incidents of waist gunners, now moved forward, hitting their own wings, engines, and propellers.  Compounding this issue was that the total field of effective fire was reduced.  They were deemed unfit for frontline combat and relegated to secondary rolls and found be less flexible than aircraft already performing those functions.
 
These were built after some politicians insisted it was "wrench ready work" since major assemblies were already designed and in production.  It took a while to vote out politicians who championed this wasteful effort at a critical time when monies and manufacturing resources could have been put to far better use.  Alas; it made political sense although lacked common sense.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

RAF Fortress IV powered by RR Merlins.  No idea what the cowling would look like for such an aircraft but I suspect that it would be similar in appearance to the Allison V-1710 powered Boeing XB-38

[GTX_Admin]

RAF Fortress IV powered by RR Merlins.  No idea what the cowling would look like for such an aircraft but I suspect that it would be similar in appearance to the Allison V-1710 powered Boeing XB-38

Maybe simply swap some endings from a Avro Lancaster?

[kitnut617]

There's always the high-winged tricycle-gear version that's in the Putnam book on Boeing. 

Do you have a pic of that Evan ?

[kitnut617]

RAF Fortress IV powered by RR Merlins.  No idea what the cowling would look like for such an aircraft but I suspect that it would be similar in appearance to the Allison V-1710 powered Boeing XB-38

I've always liked the look of that XB-38, it just made the B-17 look so much sleeker ----

[jcf]

There's always the high-winged tricycle-gear version that's in the Putnam book on Boeing. 

Do you have a pic of that Evan ?

Hi Robert,
the 299J drawing is on page two of this thread.

Jon

[Geoff]

I did read that the Russians wanted to buy B-17's pre WW2. I don't think they would have got the superchargers on the engines but a Long Range Aviation B-17D would look good in the same scheme as the Pe-8

[kitnut617]

There's always the high-winged tricycle-gear version that's in the Putnam book on Boeing. 

Do you have a pic of that Evan ?

Hi Robert,
the 299J drawing is on page two of this thread.

Jon

Thanks Jon   :)

[GTX_Admin]

I did read that the Russians wanted to buy B-17's pre WW2. I don't think they would have got the superchargers on the engines but a Long Range Aviation B-17D would look good in the same scheme as the Pe-8

Good idea.  Or maybe some non supercharged or even standard for that matter B-17s provided under lend lease?

[A1_Phoenix]

for a VVS fortress i think i have somthing in my Il2 skins folders, i must check @home.. didn't remember if D or E version

S!
A1

[tc2324]

This was my take on what would happen to the older B-17`s back in 2010   

[GTX_Admin]

 :)

[Daryl J.]

What's wrong with Mosquito or Spitifre Merlin nacelles?   

[arc3371]

Soviet B-17´s
http://www.soviethammer.info/blog/663758-soviet-b-17s-and-b-24s/

[GTX_Admin]

Soviet B-17´s
http://www.soviethammer.info/blog/663758-soviet-b-17s-and-b-24s/

Interesting.  I have never heard any accounts of Soviet B-17s.  I wonder if they were actually used in operations?

[raafif]

one of those B-17s was a mechanical casualty that put down in Yugoslavia -- USAAF wasn't happy when the Russians stole it.

Russia also "collected" 3 Lancasters - mechanical casualties from the Tirpitz raid - two flew again with red stars.

[tigercat]

http://www.unrealaircraft.com/hybrid/pages/b17_24_2.php

B17 nose on B24 body .

Inspired by this cut n shut aircraft I always wonder about the feasibility of  a Lanc with a B17 nose

[Alvis 3.1]

RAF Fortress IV powered by RR Merlins.  No idea what the cowling would look like for such an aircraft but I suspect that it would be similar in appearance to the Allison V-1710 powered Boeing XB-38

Why yes, it might...





During the early stages of WW II, Victory Aircraft of Canada looked a several large bombers to build for the war effort. The B-24 and Avro Lancaster were considered, as was re-engining the B-17 with Merlin engines.  Eventually, the Lancaster was chosen as the plane to build, but one B-17M was built as a proof-of-concept vehicle. This odd one off was eventually given to 469 Squadron as an executive transport.

Post-war, the plane was eventually converted to meteorlogical observation capability, and operated by Maritime Air Command into the mid 1950s. Being a cross between the Flying Fortress and the Lancaster, some witty boffin landed the name Fort-Caster upon it, with it subsequently being called the Weather Fort-Caster in it's Met flight role. Sold off in the early 1960s to Bolivian sheep farmers, it was destroyed in 1969 outside of Lubbock Texas in an unexplained forced landing.

Unfortunately, it wound up on this website:
http://www.aerovintage.com/b17news2.htm and on the April listings, this was said...

I've been researching information about B-17s for the last thirty years but this was a new one on me. According to a now unavailable website, there was a B-17 modification that combined B-17 and Lancaster airframes and it was known as the Fort-caster.
Comment: based on the available records, this whole account seems to be a fictional account to go along with an interesting airplane model. However, it is posted here because maybe it is just bizarre enough to be true. Has anyone else heard of this story before, is there any basis in reality for the Fort-caster, or do aircraft modelers just have a twisted sense of reality? All good questions that deserve answers.

 
Periodically, I get an email inquiring aboot this plane, and where I could have found the info. Oops.
BTW, I used the old Revell kits, the B-17F and the Lancaster to make the Weather FortCaster. Having now aquired a couple of the Tamiya 1/48 kits of the Lanc, I'm planning on making it in 1/48th as well. However, i may be changing the tail configuration, as the one I did always looked too fragile for my likings.
Alvis 3.1

[GTX_Admin]

 

[Cliffy B]

That just looks so right 

[arc3371]

Not a Whiff but it might inspire someone