yb17

I'm going to presume this image is mis-titled, and that this is a YB-17 pilot.

I thought that by 1942 they were calling them B-17's and had dropped the "Y" bit but I guess not?

These photos were taken at Langley Field, where the first dozen YB-17s were delivered (in 1937) and test flown by the 2nd Bombardment Group (of which this guy is a member, presumably). I have no reason to believe that the designation being used here isn't correct, as I haven't found any record of the YB-17s being taken out of service. Even by 1942 I can't see why they wouldn't still use the YB-17s for anti-submarine warfare, which the primary mission of the 2nd until they transferred to North Africa in October of 1942.

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called American Soldiers, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

Wow ! He looks so confident and determined.

Stunning

For aircraft fans, the images just cannot get any better than this!

Beautiful.

Looks like an early one, from before they augmented the tail assembly.

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Mal's Best of the Best, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.

Was it really still being called the YB-17 in 1942?

It would be specific to the aircraft in this pic which is a Y1B-17, identifiable by the visible lack of armament, bubble blister in the nose glazing, no dorsal or ventral turrets. It could be a 17or 17B , the only difference is turbochargers, so I suspect this is an non turbocharged aircraft

Twelve Y1B-17 were delivered between January and August 1937, equiping the USAAC's 2nd Bombardment Group at Langley Field, Virginia. The 13th test bed model was redesignated Y1B-17A and provided with GR-1820-51 engines with General Electric turbocharger (supercharger powered by a turbine driven by exhaust gas). It flew for the first time on 29 April 1938 and subsequent testing gave proof of the superiority of the supercharged engine over normally aspirated ones and such engines were to become standard. The YB-17's were designated B-17 by the 2nd Bombardment group at this point. There was great political tension between the Army and the Navy at this point after the interception of the Italian liner "Rex" which goes a long way to explaining why the USAAC had only 30 on the books when war broke out in Europe. The order for Y1B-17 was followed by a contract for 39 B-17B's (same as the turbocharged Y1B-17A) which were all delivered by March 1940. The B-17C, with uprated R-1820-65 engines and an increase from 5 to 7 guns were first ordered in 1939, and the first of 38 models flew in July 1940.

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called B-17 Flying Fortress, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.