Th? B??in? B-17 Fl?in? F??t??ss is th? thi??-m?st ?????c?? ??m??? in hist???: 12,731 ?i?c???t ?? this t??? w?nt ??? th? ?????cti?n lin? ??tw??n 1936 ?n? 1945. It c?m? in s?v???l m?j?? v??i?nts, th? m?st n?m????s ?? which w?s th? ?in?l ?????cti?n v??si?n, th? B-17G: ?s m?n? ?s 8,680 w??? ??ilt. A?????in? in 1943, th? B-17G w?s th? ??s?lt ?? s?m? ?i?ht ????s ?? th? t???’s ?v?l?ti?n. Th? B-17G ??m??? ?ls? ??c?m? th? ??sis ??? m?n? s?? v??i?nts th?t w??? ?s?? ??? ? v??i?t? ?? ?????s?s, ??n?in? ???m ??c?nn?iss?nc? t? c????in? VIPs.
Th? ???initiv? v??i?ntTh? ?i?st B-17 ???t?t??? ?l?w in 1935, ?n? its B-17E ?n? B-17F v??i?nts h?? ???n ?????c?? in h?n????s ?? th? tіm? th? B-17G w?s int????c?? ?nt? th? ?????cti?n lin? in J?l? 1943. B? th?n, m?st ?? th? t???’s t??thin? ????l?ms h?? l?n? ???n ???lt with. Th? B-17E ?n? B-17F ?ls? h?? ??tt?? ???t?cti?n ?n? ??m?m?nt th?n ???li?? v??i?nts, n?t t? m?nti?n th? ?i?st ???t?t???s. H?w?v??, th??? still w?s s?m? ???m ??? im???v?m?nt ?n? th? B-17G ?ill?? it.
Am?n? th? k?? n?w ???t???s int????c?? in th? B-17G v??i?nt w?s th? ??w??-?????t?? B?n?ix t????t m??nt?? in ? chin-t??? inst?ll?ti?n ?n??? th? ?i?c???t’s ???? ??s?l???. T? ?? ??i?, th? B?n?ix t????t h?? ???n ?s?? ?n s?m? ?? th? l?t?? B-17Fs ?s w?ll, ??t ???ll? ??c?m? ? h?llm??k ?? th? B-17G. With th?t ???iti?n?l ??i? ?? 0.50-inch m?chin? ??ns th? ??m??? w?s n?w ??m?? with ?s m?ch ?s thi?t??n ??ns t? st?n? ?? ??? its?l?. Th? ?????cti?n ??n c?ntin??? ?ntil 1945 with th? ?????n s?lit ??tw??n s?v???l m?n???ct????s: B??in?, which ??ilt 4,035 B-17Gs, D???l?s, which ??ilt 2,395, ?n? L?ckh???-V???, which c?nt?i??t?? ?? m?kin? 2,250 ?? th?s? ?i?c???t.D????in? ??m?sTh? ?i?st B-17G ?l?w in A???st 1943, ?n? ?? th? ?n? ?? th?t ???? B-17G ??m???s ?nt???? s??vic? with th? Ei?hth ?n? Fi?t??nth Ai? F??c?s ?????tin? in E?????. Th? n?w ?i?c???t, ?l?n? with ?th?? ????-?n?in? h??v? ??m???s ?m?l???? ?? th? Alli?s m??? ? m?j?? c?nt?i??ti?n t? th? vict??? in E?????, ?????in? th??s?n?s ?? ??m?s ?n t????ts in G??m?n?. Ov?? 80 B-17Gs ?????t?? ?? th? R???l Ai? F??c?, which c?ll?? th?m F??t??ss III, ?ls? t??k ???t in th? ??m?in? ??i?s ???inst G??m?n?, in ???tic?l?? ?s ?l?ct??nic c??nt??m??s???s ?i?c???t.
Th? CB-17G v??i?nt w?s ?s?? ?s ? t??ns???t. It c??l? ?cc?mm???t? ?? t? 64 t????s. An?th?? t??ns???t v??si?n, ???ic?t?? s??ci?ic?ll? t? c????in? VIPs, w?s th? VB-17G. Th?s? w??? still c????in? US ??n???ls ???in? th? K????n W??. S?m? B-17Gs w??? ?ls? ?s?? ??? h??lin? c????.
S??in? ?n ??v??s??i?sAlth???h th? Fl?in? F??t??ss w?s c?nc?iv?? ??im??il? ?s ? h??v? ??m???, its ??n?? c????iliti?s c??t?inl? m??? it ? vi??l? ??c?nn?iss?nc? ?l?t???m. S?, in????, ? ??c?n v??i?nt ??si?n?t?? RB-17G w?s ??v?l????, ?s w?ll. M????v??, th? US N?v? m??? ?s? ?? 31 B-17Gs ?? m??i??in? th?m int? ?n? ?? th? ?i?st ?v?? ?i????n? ???l? w??nin? ?i?c???t (AWACS) ?? ?ittin? th?m with S-??n? AN/APS-20 s???ch ?????s in ? l???? ?n?????s?l??? ????m? ?n? ???iti?n?l ???l t?nks ??? ?xt?n??? ??n??. Th?s? AWACS ?l?n?s w??? iss??? th? PB-1W ??si?n?ti?n ?n? ?l?w with th? US N?v? ?ntil th? mi?-1950s. Th? N?v? ?ls? ?s?? ?n? B-17Gs ??si?n?t?? ?s PB-1 ??? v??i??s t?st ???j?cts.
An?th?? US s??vic? th?t ?m?l???? th? B-17G in its int?lli??nc? ?????ti?ns w?s th? C?nt??l Int?lli??nc? A??nc? (CIA). Its ???nt c?m??ni?s Ai? Am??ic?, Civil Ai? T??ns???t, ?n? Int??m??nt?in Avi?ti?n ?s?? ?i?c???t ?? this t??? in s?ch s??ci?l missi?ns ?s ?????in? ???nts in Chin?. Th?s? F??t??ss?s t??k ??? ???m T?iw?n with T?iw?n?s? c??ws. S?v???l w??? ??wn?? ?? Chin?s? MiGs.
T??inin? ?il?ts, t?kin? ??i?n?l? ?i??N?t???ll?, s?m? ?i????m?s w??? n????? ??? t??inin? n?w ?i?c??ws. L?t?? ?n, s?m? w??? ?ls? ?s?? ?s t????t ???n?s (s?ch ?s th? DB-17L ?n? QB-17N v??i?nts) ?n? ???n? ?i??ct??s (DB-17P v??i?nt). In this c???cit? B-17Gs w?nt ?n ?l?in? w?ll int? th? l?t? 1950s.Th? l?st tіm? USAF Fl?in? F??t??ss?s w??? ?s?? in ?n ?????ti?n?l missi?n w?s ?n A???st 6, 1959. On th?t ??? ? DB-17P ?i??ct?? ? QB-17G, ??t ?? H?ll?m?n Ai? F??c? B?s?, N?w M?xic?. Th? ???n? s??v?? ?s ? t????t ??? ? McD?nn?ll F-101 V?????, which ??st????? th? F??t??ss with ?n ?i?-t?-?i? missil?.
