B17F Specifications

Four Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone radials rated at 1200 hp for takeoff and 1000 hp at 25,000 feet. For brief intervals, a war emergency power of 1380 hp could be delivered. Performance: Maximum speed 299 mph at 25,000 feet, 325 mph at 25,000 feet (war emergency). cruising speed 200 mph. Landing speed 90 mph An altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 25.7 minutes. Service ceiling 37,500 feet. Range 1300 miles with 6000 pounds of bombs, maximum range 2880 miles. A range of 4420 miles at 5000 feet could be attained with 3612 gallons of fuel. Dimensions: Wingspan 103 feet 9 3/8 inches, length 74 feet 9 inches, height 19 feet 1 inches, wing area 1420 square feet. Weights: 34,000 pounds empty, 40,437 pounds loaded, 56,500 pounds maximum. Fuel: Normal fuel load was 2520 US gallons, but extra fuel tanks could be installed which raised total fuel capacity to 3612 US gallons. Armament: Specified defensive armament was as follows: six ball-and-socket mounts in the nose and front windows. One 0.30-inch M2 machine gun with boxes for 5100 rounds of ammunition. One Sperry No. 645473E power turret in dorsal position with two 0.50 Browning M2 machine guns with 500 rounds per gun. One Sperry No. 654849-J power turret in ventral position with two 0.50-inch Browning machine guns with 500 rounds per gun. One 0.50-inch Browning M2 machine gun is each of the two waist windows, 400 rounds per gun. One ball and socket mount was fitted to the roof of the radio operator's compartment for a 0.50-inch Browning M2 machine gun. Two 0.50-inch M2 Browinging machine guns were installed in the tail position, with 500 rounds per gun. Later production batches (B-17F-70 to 130-BO, B-17F-35 to 65-DL, and B-17F-35 to 50-VE) had a single 0.50-inch machine gun installed in a cheek mount on each side of the nose. Additional flexible machine guns installations were often mounted in the nose in the field, firing from sockets cut into the side or from windows cut into the side of the nose. Courtesy of Joe Baugher's great site