: After 1945, the aircraft found new life in search-and-rescue (as the "Dumbo" life-raft droppers), photographic reconnaissance, and even as "drone" aircraft for atmospheric sampling during atomic tests.
: Early in the war, B-17s were used in the Battle of Midway and against Japanese shipping, though they were eventually replaced by the longer-range B-24 Liberator and B-29 Superfortress in that theater. Castles in the Air - the Story of the B-17 Flyi...
The B-17’s journey began with a near-catastrophic failure. The prototype, known as , first took flight in July 1935. Despite outperforming its competitors in speed and range, the prototype crashed during a demonstration, nearly ending the program before it began. However, the U.S. Army Air Corps saw enough potential in the "15-ton flying fortress"—a name coined by a Seattle Times reporter—to order 13 more for testing. The Hammer of the Eighth Air Force : After 1945, the aircraft found new life
