COLAB!

Many thanks to @Christiant2, for the structure and details.

WIKI:

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engine heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast, high-flying bomber of its time, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater of Operations and dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during World War II. It is the third most produced bomber of all time, behind the four-engine American Consolidated B-24 Liberator and the twin-engine multirole German Junkers Ju 88. It was also used as a transport aircraft, anti-submarine aircraft, drone controller, and search and rescue aircraft. In a USAAC competition, Boeing's prototype, the Model 299/XB-17, bested two other entrants, but crashed and lost the initial contract for 200 bombers to the Douglas B-18 Bolo. Still, the Air Corps ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation, which were introduced into service in 1938. The B-17 evolved through numerous design advancements [4] [5] but from its inception, the USAAC (beginning in 1941 the United States Army Air Forces, USAAF) promoted the aircraft as a strategic weapon. It was a relatively fast, high-flying, long-range bomber with heavy defensive armament at the expense of bomb load. He also developed a reputation for toughness based on stories and photos of severely damaged B-17s returning safely to base. The B-17 participated in early operations of the Pacific War, where it carried out air attacks against Japanese ships and airfields. [6] But it was primarily employed by the USAAF in the day component of the Allies' strategic bombing campaign over Europe, complementing the RAF Bomber Command's night bombers in attacking German industrial, military and civilian targets. [7] Of the approximately 1.5 million tons of bombs dropped on Nazi Germany and its occupied territories by Allied aircraft, more than 640,000 tons (42.6%) were dropped from B-17s. [8]