A fast and high-flying bomber, the B was used primarily in the European Theater of Operations and dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during World War II. It is the third-most produced bomber of all time, behind the American four-engined Consolidated B Liberator and the German multirole, twin-engined Junkers Ju The B was also employed in transport, anti-submarine warfare, and search and rescue roles.
Still, the Air Corps ordered 13 more Bs for further evaluation, which were introduced into service in It was a relatively fast, high-flying, long-range bomber with heavy defensive armament at the expense of bomb load. It also developed a reputation for toughness based upon stories and photos of badly damaged Bs safely returning to base.
The B saw early action in the Pacific War , where it conducted air raids against Japanese shipping and airfields. As of January , four aircraft remain in flying condition. There are also several reasonably complete wrecks, such as underwater, that have been found. B survivors gained national attention in in the United States, when one was destroyed in a fatal mid-air collision with another warbird at an airshow.
The Air Corps was looking for a bomber capable of reinforcing the air forces in Hawaii, Panama, and Alaska. The prototype B, with the Boeing factory designation of Model , was designed by a team of engineers led by E. The first flight of the Model was on 28 July with Boeing chief test pilot Leslie Tower at the controls.
Boeing was quick to see the value of the name and had it trademarked for use. At the fly-off, the four-engined Boeing's performance was superior to those of the twin-engine DB-1 and Model MacArthur and Andrews both believed that the capabilities of large four-engined aircraft exceeded those of shorter-ranged, twin-engine aircraft, and that the B was better suited to new, emerging USAAC doctrine.
