# Number of Days to build a B-17



## Micdrow (Aug 16, 2008)

Pop quiz, how many days to build a B-17 during WWII. You may be surprised, I know I was. Answer at bottom of picture.


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 16, 2008)

Interesting Paul - I know several years ago Sys and I had a running debut about ease of production and how many B-24s could be built in a day. This is obviously from the Boeing Plant, throw Vega (Lockheed) and Douglas in there and I'm certain that number increases drastically.

Not they talk about the B-17B - by the time the G was bering built?????


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## syscom3 (Aug 17, 2008)

Several years ago? Try two!

That production number in the ad was for the prewar aircraft "B" models. Hardly representative of the late 1944 production runs for the "G" models.

In the pic, note the rudder tail colors. And what are those two beastly looking fuselages in the upper left?


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 17, 2008)

syscom3 said:


> Several years ago? Try two!
> 
> That production number in the ad was for the prewar aircraft "B" models. Hardly representative of the late 1944 production runs for the "G" models.
> 
> In the pic, note the rudder tail colors. And what are those two beastly looking fuselages in the upper left?


Stratocruisers


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## kool kitty89 (Aug 17, 2008)

You mean Stratoliners: Boeing 307 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The B-29 and the Stratocruiser wouldn't come to be for several more years.


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## Lucky13 (Aug 17, 2008)

Mmmmmmm......Stratocruiser.....drrroool..!


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## Micdrow (Aug 17, 2008)

Still its amazing, now of days with all the modern technology it takes years to restore a B-17. Back then it took just days before one was in the air.


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## Lucky13 (Aug 17, 2008)

Makes you think, right?


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## Micdrow (Aug 17, 2008)

Lucky13 said:


> Makes you think, right?



Yes it does, amazing how things work.


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## Soundbreaker Welch? (Aug 18, 2008)

If everybody just pitched in, we could still do it!


(If we had the money.) **cough, cough!**


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## seesul (Aug 18, 2008)

Amazing!
Would like to know how many people worked on 1 B-17?


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 18, 2008)

seesul said:


> Amazing!
> Would like to know how many people worked on 1 B-17?



It depended....

By the time aircraft like the B-17 were being built, production techniques were adopted that are still being used today. Aircraft are built in "segments" subassemblies that come together on a final assembly line. Within the sub assembly construction you may have 4 or 5 people building up a wing or fuselage section which is built up in an assembly jig. Many times a segment of the aircraft may be built at a subcontractor as well. Anyway as it all comes together you'll have people installing electrical wiring, hydraulics and other systems, again 4 or 5 at a time. When the aircraft gets to final assembly you may have 10 or more people installing interior furnishing like seats, radios, lights and then doing functional tests of the electrical and hydraulic systems so when the engines are fired up for the first time its assured there will be no problems. Then you have folks out on the flight line doing final checks prior to the first flight.

At any given time there could be as many as 10 people on the plane but in essence it would not surprise me if there are at least 100 people physically assembling the aircraft during the entire process.


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## twoeagles (Aug 18, 2008)

Another way to look at the production: deliveries started (slowly) in April, 1938. I don't know when production ceased, but just taking VJ day on 14 August, 1945, that's 2,687 days. A total of 12,731 (give or
take) B-17's were built. That means 4.7 aircraft per day, 7 days a week.
And the B-24 even surpassed this! (and multiply that by 4 to get the engines that had to match airframes!)


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## syscom3 (Aug 18, 2008)

At the peak of production, I wouldnt be too far off the mark in saying a B17 was built every 3 hours at any given production plant.

But the sum total "man hours" to build it was still in the 10's of thousands.


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## Micdrow (Aug 18, 2008)

Here is an old thread that talked about man hours to build different types of aircraft and there years.

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/technical/man-hours-build-aircraft-10190.html


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## seesul (Aug 19, 2008)

FLYBOYJ said:


> It depended....
> 
> By the time aircraft like the B-17 were being built, production techniques were adopted that are still being used today. Aircraft are built in "segments" subassemblies that come together on a final assembly line. Within the sub assembly construction you may have 4 or 5 people building up a wing or fuselage section which is built up in an assembly jig. Many times a segment of the aircraft may be built at a subcontractor as well. Anyway as it all comes together you'll have people installing electrical wiring, hydraulics and other systems, again 4 or 5 at a time. When the aircraft gets to final assembly you may have 10 or more people installing interior furnishing like seats, radios, lights and then doing functional tests of the electrical and hydraulic systems so when the engines are fired up for the first time its assured there will be no problems. Then you have folks out on the flight line doing final checks prior to the first flight.
> 
> ...




O.K., thank you for the quick answer Joe!


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