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This model made its first flight on July 28, 1935. During World War II, 12,677 units of the B-17 were manufactured, of which 4,750 were lost<\/strong>, many of them shot down during their dangerous missions. bombing. Although its largest user was the US Army Air Forces (USAAF), which had 4,574 active units, the British Royal Air Force (RAF) was its first user during that war<\/strong>, after having purchased 20 B-17C to the US in 1940, which saw action for the first time on July 8, 1941, months before the US entered the war.<\/p>\n Today only 46 units of the B-17 remain<\/strong>, of which only 6 are in flying condition. The most famous B-17 is the B-17F 41-24485, nicknamed \"Memphis Belle\", an aircraft built in 1942 and which survived 25 combat missions<\/strong>, something exceptional. Upon his return to the United States, he participated in a famous tour to promote the sale of war bonds. This plane is preserved in the Palm Springs Air Museum, California<\/strong>, and is the subject of an excellent documentary published today by Blue Paw Print<\/a>, which shows the inside of the B-17F, how it worked and the mission of each of its crew members<\/strong>, with every little detail. The video has an audio track in English (you can activate it in the bottom bar of the player):<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53728276224_0bbdf9eb56_b.jpg\")
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