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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 0733.PDF
APRIL 2ND, 1942 Thirty-second of the Second Series FLIGHT 323 FRIEND or FOE? Sisters Under the Stressed Skin : Flying Fortresses I and II PART from the vastly improved armament, the Boeing B-17E (Fortress II) differs from the original B-17 (Fortress I) in its gen eral outline nowhere more obviously than in its tail design, as a glance at FORTRESS I: Straight steep slope to leading-edge of fin, curved apex and trail- ing-edge to rudder. Sharply backswept leading-edge to tailplane; no rear turret. the " accompanying illustrations, will show. The fuselage of the Fortress I ter minated in a point, and the vertical surfaces, which had a straight, steeply sloping leading-edge, were composed of about one-third fin and two-thirds rudder, the latter having a rounded apex which curved into an almost ver tical trailing-edge ending flush with the fuselage extremity. No "stinger" turret was fitted, but there were gun blisters just for'ard of the tailplane. The Fortress II, however, has a completely redesigned tail group, and although the most important difference is the inclusion of a gun-turret in the tail, the most obvious change lies in the vastly increased fin area, which now begins almost amidships and, after rising on a gradual slope to a pctijt about level with the leading-edge ol**.ii~fe tailplane, then curves steeply Up to a uniformly rounded apex. The rudder, which now forms appreciably less than half the total vertical area, has a slightly curved trailing-edge and ends immediately above the '' stinger '' turret. Tailplane dimensions are also con siderably modified; on the Fortress I it was of moderate aspect-ratio and had a sharply backswept leading- edge, a slightly curved trailing-edge and rounded tips. The latest design, however, is of high aspect-ratio, having a chord some eight per cent, less at the roots, and an in crease of nearly 25 per cent, in its 4Left) FORTRESS I (Right) FORTRESS II span ; there is a straight taper to both edges and small round tips. Yet another small difference is that the tail wheel on the Fortress I only partially retracts, but that of the Fort ress II disappears behind closed doors. Next week: — Curtiss Tomahawk and North American Mustang'. •€ FORTRESS II : Forward ex tension of. large fin and rudder, uniformly rounded apex. High aspect - ratio tailplane with straight taper to round tips. Rear turret.
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