B-17E (Japan)

This page is about the premium Japanese bomber B-17E (Japan). For other versions, see B-17 (Family).

▅B-17E

▅B-17E

Japan

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.7	4.7	5.7

Class:

PREMIUM

Bomber

Long Range bomber

Purchase:4 900

Description

The ▅B-17E Flying Fortress is a premium rank IV Japanese bomber with a battle rating of 4.7 (AB/RB) and 5.7 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.43.

The B-17E Flying Fortress, as the name suggests, is intended to be used as a high-altitude level bomber, designed to target enemy airfields, military bases, factories, and other infrastructure crucial to winning the war. Despite its large bomb-load, it is not recommended to target moving ground targets, such as tank formations, unless they are the only targets. This is because of the inaccuracy of the bombs at such high altitude, and since columns will simply disperse when they sight bombs falling. When using the B-17E, it is always best to group up with others in a wedge-like formation for optimal defense against air targets and climb to an altitude of, at least, 4,000 m. A few fighter escorts, would ensure the survival of friendly bombers, only if they adopt fighter-sweep tactics to hunt down enemy fighters converging on the formation.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 7 680 m510 km/h

Turn time36 s

Max altitude11 156 m

Engine4 х Wright R-1820-65

Type

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight31 t

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 7,680 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	497	483	11156	36.9	37.9	5.8	5.6	600
Upgraded	523	510		35.1	36.0	8.7	7.2

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
0	290	383	361	249	~3	~2

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 330	< 310	< 270	> 300

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
6,180	4,000 hp	4,708 hp

Survivability and armour

Crew9 people

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear290 km/h

• 6.35 mm Steel plate behind nose gunner
• 6.35 mm Steel plates behind pilots
• 6.35 mm Steel plates behind dorsal gunners
• 6.35 mm Steel plates in front of beam gunners
• 6.35 mm Steel plates in front of tail gunner
• 38 mm Bulletproof glass in front of tail gunner

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB1 800

RB4 277

SB8 291

Crew training10 000

Experts290 000

Aces940

Research Aces960 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 110 / 270 / 500 %

2 × 166 / 166 / 166 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Radiator Airframe Compressor Wings repair Engine Cover	EFS	bmg30_turret_belt_pack bmg30_turret_new_gun SBC-17 bmg50_turret_belt_pack bmg50_turret_new_gun MBC-17

Armaments

Suspended armament

List of setups (3)

Setup 18 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb

Setup 212 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb

Setup 36 x 1000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb

The B-17E (Japan) can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• 8 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (4,000 lb total)
• 12 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (6,000 lb total)
• 6 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (6,000 lb total)

Defensive armament

3 х Turret2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun

Ammunition1000 rounds

Fire rate750 shots/min

Turret12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun

Ammunition500 rounds

Fire rate750 shots/min

2 х Turret12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun

Ammunition400 rounds

Fire rate750 shots/min

Turret7.62 mm Browning machine gun

Ammunition500 rounds

Fire rate1000 shots/min

The B-17E (Japan) is defended by:

• 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, front dorsal turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
• 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, ventral turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
• 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, tail turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
• 1 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun, rear dorsal turret (500 rpg)
• 1 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun, 2 x beam turrets (400 rpg)
• 1 x 7.62 mm Browning machine gun, nose turret (500 rpg)

Usage in battles

Generally, the plane's role should not diverge from this norm, as it is ineffective and costly as a low altitude bomber. Survival is an utmost importance to be remembered when using this plane. While one target may be missed, there will always be another opportunity to make another pass once reloaded and repaired. The few M2 machine guns in the nose cannot protect the most vulnerable part of any B-17 - the nose. Protected only by a layer of Plexiglas and almost no armour (excluding the frontal bulkhead, which only covers the pilot/co-pilot's torso), most of the crew critical in the success of the mission, including the pilot, co-pilot, bombardier and navigator would be knocked-out instantly. If targeted by German cannons, most notably, the Mk 108. Just a burst of 30 mm MK 108 placed anywhere on the aircraft , would compromise the crew's survival and even the aircraft's structural integrity.

When facing German fighters and interceptors in realistic battles', it is best to use Omni-purpose or Armour-piercing/Ground Targets ammunition belts for the Browning M2 .50 cal turret machine guns, which is likely to punch through their noses when tailing the B-17E. These ammunition belts are effective at tearing through the engine block of a Focke-Wulf Fw 190D or Messerschmitt Bf 109G, hopefully resulting in an internal engine fire, a pilot snipe, or an inoperable engine for the opponent.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Auto control available	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Auto control available	Combined	Controllable 1 gear	Auto controlled

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Large payload
• Powerful air defense capabilities
• Multiple engines, can fly on one if necessary (But with a great loss in altitude and speed)
• Rugged design allows for soaking up damage
• Mostly unaffected by light machine gun fire, and to an extent, heavy machine guns
• Good speed for a bomber of its peers
• Multiple turrets covering almost all angles
• Can quite often return to base with extensive damage
• Pilot and co-pilot, if one of them is knocked out, the B-17E can keep flying

Cons:

• Big target
• Fairly Slow
• Nose is extremely vulnerable, the only armour on the front is the front bulkhead, covering only the pilot and copilot's torso
• Vulnerable to German "Minengeschoß" and > 20 mm gunfire
• Engine fires are common
• Wings are big and thus commonly torn off by gunfire
• Nose protection is extremely limited, try to avoid frontal attacks as much as possible

History

In WW2 the Japanese army captured crashed B-17s in the Philippines and Netherlands East Indies. They were tested by the IJAAF Koku Gijutsu Kenkyujo (Air Technical Research Laboratory) at Tachikawa. Little is known about these B-17s, but their historical photographs are valuable to telling the story of the bombers.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.

Japan bombers
Navy
Carrier-based attack bomber
B5N	B5N2
B6N	B6N1 · B6N2 · B6N2a
B7A	B7A2 · B7A2 (Homare 23)
Carrier-based dive bomber
D3A	D3A1
D4Y	D4Y1 · D4Y2 · D4Y3 Ko
Shipboard Observation seaplane
F1M	F1M2
Land-based Attack bomber
G4M	G4M1
G5N	G5N1
G8N	G8N1
Flying boat
H6K	H6K4
H8K	H8K2 · H8K3
Land-based Bomber
P1Y	P1Y1
Army
Light	Ki-32
	Ki-48-II otsu
Heavy	Ki-21-Ia · Ki-21-I hei
	Ki-49-I · Ki-49-IIa · Ki-49-IIb · Ki-49-IIb/L
	Ki-67-I Ko · Ki-67-I otsu
Other countries	▅B-17E