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Main | The Decision to Use the Bomb, 17 July-6 August, 1945 »

Anatomy of the B-17: Construction Images from Seattle, 1941/2.

JF Ptak Science Books   Quick Post

Tessie with planeI've long been an admirer of the Boeing B-17 aircraft and have posted about it on this blog a number of times.  Today I just wanted to share some images of the aircraft's production and assembly at the Boeing Seattle works in 1942.  All photographs are from the Farm Security Administration series (Office of War Information) and can be found (with a hundred others) at the Library of Congress site, here.

(Our younger daughter, Tess, with here antique wooden model of the B-17, with the real thing (B-17G)  in the background.)

Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives:  B-17 Construction, 1942-1944

Production. B-17F heavy bombers. A women worker, over 60 years old, does an expert riveting job on a B-17F bomber in the Long Beach, California, plant of Douglas Aircraft Company. Better known as the "Flying Fortress," the B-17F is a later model of the B-17, which distinguished itself in action in the South Pacific, over Germany and elsewhere. It is a long range, high altitude, heavy bomber with a crew of seven to nine men and with armament sufficient to defend itself on daylight missions

"Production. B-17F heavy bombers. A women worker, over 60 years old, does an expert riveting job on a B-17F bomber in the Long Beach, California, plant of Douglas Aircraft Company. Better known as the "Flying Fortress," the B-17F is a later model of the B-17, which distinguished itself in action in the South Pacific, over Germany and elsewhere. It is a long range, high altitude, heavy bomber with a crew of seven to nine men and with armament sufficient to defend itself on daylight missions."


 Production. B-17F heavy bombers. Women install nacelles and wing members to the wing section of a B-17F heavy bomber in the Long Beach, California, plant of Douglas Aircraft Company. Better known as the "Flying Fortress," the B-17F is a later model of the B-17, which distinguished itself in action in the South Pacific, over Germany and elsewhere. It is a long range, high altitude, heavy bomber with a crew of seven to nine men and with armament sufficient to defend itself on daylight missions

"Production. B-17F heavy bombers. Women install nacelles and wing members to the wing section of a B-17F heavy bomber in the Long Beach, California, plant of Douglas Aircraft Company."

Production. B-17F heavy bombers. A line of fuselage nose sections for B-17F heavy bombers moving in an overhead conveyor trolley toward the final assembly line at the Long Beach, California, plant of Douglas Aircraft Company. Better known as the "Flying Fortress," the B-17F is a later model B-17, which distinguished itself in action in the South Pacific, over Germany and elsewhere. It is a long range, high altitude, heavy bomber with a crew of seven to nine men and with armament sufficient to defend itself on daylight missions

"Production. B-17F heavy bombers. A line of fuselage nose sections for B-17F heavy bombers moving in anoverhead conveyor trolley toward the final assembly line at the Long Beach, California, plant of Douglas Aircraft Company."

Production. B-17F heavy bombers. Negro girls are proving willing and capable aircraft workers. This girl works on wing jigs in the assembly of B-17F heavy bombers at the Long Beach, California, plant of Douglas Aircraft Company. Better known as the "Flying Fortress," the B-17F is a later model B-17, which distinguished itself in action in the South Pacific, over Germany and elsewhere. It is a long range, high altitude, heavy bomber with a crew of seven to nine men and with armament sufficient to defend itself on daylight missions

"Production. B-17F heavy bombers. Negro girls are proving willing and capable aircraft workers. This girl works on wing jigs in the assembly of B-17F heavy bombers at the Long Beach, California, plant of Douglas Aircraft Company."

Production. B-17F heavy bombers. A woman plane construction technician fits the bombsight mount of a B-17F heavy bomber nearing completion at the Long Beach, California, plant of the Douglas Aircraft Company. The mount will carry the world's deadliest bombsight. Better known as the "Flying Fortress," the B-17F is a later model B-17, which distinguished itself in action in the South Pacific, over Germany and elsewhere. It is a long range, high altitude, heavy bomber with a crew of seven to nine men with armament sufficient to defend itself on daylight missions

"Production. B-17F heavy bombers. A woman plane construction technician fits the bombsight mount of a B-17F heavy bomber nearing completion at the Long Beach, California, plant of the Douglas Aircraft Company. The mount will carry the world's deadliest bombsight."

Production. B-17 heavy bomber. Tail sections of B-17F (Flying Fortress) bombers ready for assembly into the big warships of the air at the Boeing plant in Seattle. The Flying Fortress has performed with great credit in the South Pacific, over Germany and elsewhere. It is a four-engine heavy bomber capable of flying at high altitudes

"Production. B-17 heavy bomber. Tail sections of B-17F (Flying Fortress) bombers ready for assembly into the big warships of the air at the Boeing plant in Seattle."

Production. B-17 heavy bomber. A skilled team of men and women workers at the Boeing plant in Seattle complete assembly and fitting operations on the interior of a fuselage section for a new B-17F (Flying Fortress) bomber. About half of the workers at the Boeing plant are women. The Flying Fortress has performed with great credit in the South Pacific, over Germany and elsewhere. It is a four-engine heavy bomber capable of flying high altitudes

"Production. B-17 heavy bomber. A skilled team of men and women workers at the Boeing plant in Seattle complete assembly and fitting operations on the interior of a fuselage section for a new B-17F (Flying Fortress) bomber. About half of the workers at the Boeing plant are women."

Production. B-17 heavy bomber. Women riveters at the Boeing plant in Seattle work at assembly and fitting operations in the fuselage of a new B-17F (Flying Fortress) bomber. The Flying Fortress has performed with great credit in the South Pacific, over Germany and elsewhere. It is a four-engine heavy bomber capable of flying high altitudes

"Production. B-17 heavy bomber. Women riveters at the Boeing plant in Seattle work at assembly and fitting operations in the fuselage of a new B-17F (Flying Fortress) bomber."

Boeing aircraft plant, Seattle, Washington. Production of B-17 F (Flying Fortress) bombing planes. Fuselage sections

"Boeing aircraft plant, Seattle, Washington. Production of B-17 F (Flying Fortress) bombing planes. Fuselage sections."

Production. B-17 heavy bomber. 1200-horsepower Wright engines for B-17F (Flying Fortress) bombers ready for installation on the mighty warships of air at the Boeing plant in Seattle. The Flying Fortress has performed with great credit in the South Pacific, over Germany and elsewhere. It is a four-engine heavy bomber capable of flying at high altitudes

"Production. B-17 heavy bomber. 1200-horsepower Wright engines for B-17F (Flying Fortress) bombers ready for installation on the mighty warships of air at the Boeing plant in Seattle."

Production. B-17F heavy bombers. This girl in a glass house is putting finishing touches on the bombardier nose section of a B-17F heavy bomber. She's one of many capable women workers in the Long Beach, California, plant of the Douglas Aircraft Company. Better known as the "Flying Fortress," the B-17F is a later model B-17, which distinguished itself in action in the South Pacific, over Germany and elsewhere. It is a long range, high altitude, heavy bomber with a crew of seven to nine men with armament sufficient to defend itself on daylight missions

"Production. B-17F heavy bombers. This girl in a glass house is putting finishing touches on the bombardier nose section of a B-17F heavy bomber. She's one of many capable women workers in the Long Beach, California, plant of the Douglas Aircraft Company."

Production. B-17 heavy bomber. Sections of framework for a B-17F (Flying Fortress) bomber fuselages at the Boeing plant in Seattle. The Flying Fortress, has performed with great credit in the South Pacific, over Germany and elsewhere. It is a four-engine heavy bomber capable of flying at high altitudes

"Production. B-17 heavy bomber. Sections of framework for a B-17F (Flying Fortress) bomber fuselages at the Boeing plant in Seattle."

Langley Field, Virginia. YB-17 bombardment squadron. A giant of the airways poises for flight. The four powerful engines of a YB-17 bomber are warmed up before takeoff at Langley Field, Virginia

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