: After 1945, the aircraft found new life in search-and-rescue (as the "Dumbo" life-raft droppers), photographic reconnaissance, and even as "drone" aircraft for atmospheric sampling during atomic tests.
Today, of the 12,731 B-17s built, only about 40 remain in museums, and fewer than a dozen are still airworthy. They stand as silent tributes to a generation of airmen who flew these "castles in the air" to help turn the tide of World War II. Castles in the Air - the Story of the B-17 Flyi...
While synonymous with the European theater, the B-17 served globally: : After 1945, the aircraft found new life
: To maximize their defense, crews flew in staggered "combat box" formations, creating a "flying porcupine" of interlocking machine-gun fire that made individual attacks extremely dangerous for enemy pilots. : After 1945