A Vision Of Modernization
The B-17 bomber was part of President Roosevelt’s vision to modernize the US military. The B-17 was a new generation of bombers that could carry a much more sizable payload and serve remote bases around the world. But Boeing didn’t just stop at the B-17; they continued to improve the engineering of the aircraft.
After the end of the war, the B-17 bomber was quickly phased out of use by the US Air Force. Most of the bombers were returned to the United States where they were sold for scrap and melted down. Only a few bombers remained in use, mainly for secondary roles such as transport, air-sea rescue, and photo-reconnaissance.