Flying Fortress

This ginormous aircraft was called the Flying Fortress. According to rumours, Boeing gave it the name of Flying Fortress after one journalist from the Seattle Times journal said, “Why, it’s a flying fortress.” during one of its test runs.

The Flying Fortress was developed in the 1930s and employed by the US Air Force for strategic bombing against the Germans during World War II. Apparently, it has dropped more bombs than any other US aircraft during World War II.

Excavating The Swamp Ghost

Even though The Swamp Ghost spent all that time being exposed to open air and other weather conditions, the soldiers were surprised to see it remain oddly well-preserved. The machine was still in place and was even fully loaded.

Salvage operations weren’t completed until 2006. When Tallichet and Hagen finally managed to excavate the whole aircraft, it became a proud moment for them. They were standing in front of something that was part of aviation history.

Pacific Aviation Museum

On April 10, 2013, the Swamp Ghost was transferred to the Pacific Aviation Museum in Pearl Harbor for display. Previously, it was on indefinite loan to the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino Airport.

The Pacific Aviation Museum describes it as “arguably the world’s only intact and unretired World War II-era B-17E bomber, a one-of-a-kind example of an aircraft that played an indispensable role in winning WWII. And it is the only B-17 in the world that still bears its battle scars.”

Boeing B-17E

The Boeing B-17E was initially developed for the United States Army Air Corps. Although the Air Corps made a contract with Douglas Aircraft Company, they still ordered 13 more of these prototypes from Boeing.

After its introduction in 1938, the B-17’s design evolved to add more engineering developments and address many issues. For example, it was given larger rudders and flaps so it would have optimal performance even at slower speeds.

The B-17E’s Development

Finally, the first batch of Flying Fortresses became operational in 1941. When World War II finally came to an end, an estimated total of 12,730 B-17 aircraft was in operation, including the 8,600 B-17G models.

Since it was introduced in 1938, it became the third-most produced bomber of all time. Currently, only 9 of these aircraft are still airworthy. However, none of them was ever flown in combat. The rest of the aircraft are either in storage or on display.

The Fate Of Swamp Ghost

The Swamp Ghost was en route to the United States Army Air Forces on December 6, 1941, just a day before the attack on Pearl Harbor. As fate decided, it would not fly with the Kangaroo Squadron on that fateful day.

Instead, it later left California and headed to Hickam Field in Pearl Harbor. From December 1941 until 1942, the crew flew patrol missions for the US Navy. Then, in February 1942, the Japanese invaded Rabaul on New Britain.