B17G: “Flying Fortress”

Initially, when I first saw the image of this airplane on Key Publishing’s Combat Machines Magazine, I felt that I wanted to draw it.

My friend was surprised when I started drawing aircraft. “I thought you were more of a naturalist.”

That’s what I thought too lol!

I don’t see myself as a technical artist, so everything is still drawn freehand and I enjoy that. I like noticing those little details on the airplane, and drawing them. The downside to this is that the measurements and angles might not be accurate. I’m not too worried about it though, because I’m drawing just purely out of fun.

When I first made this blog, I posted mainly my illustrations of birds. The funny thing is, those early days of me drawing birds actually helps me when I’m drawing airplanes. Their basic structure is the same, especially the way the body tapers all the way to the tail. After all, weren’t we humans inspired by birds to take flight?

I’d also like to share some info that I read from Key Publishing’s Combat Machines No.01, the magazine where I was inspired to do this illustration.

According to the cover, it’s called a B-17G, famously known as the “Flying Fortress”, a bomber warplane that played a major role in the campaign against Nazi Germany during World War Two. I’m also interested in history, so naturally I started reading and watching Youtube videos about it and became even more fascinated, and, somehow felt a deeper sense of respect towards everything and everyone who contributed their lives and efforts.

Here’s some more info:

“The elegant and famous Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was undoubtedly one of the best-known and most iconic warplanes of World War Two. It was conceived by the Boeing Aircraft Company during the 1930s, principally as a defensive weapon comparable to a flying coastal artillery fortress.

It duly became a symbol of the Allied war effort due to the high level of publicity afforded to it during its operational service. Indeed, the B-17 became one of the most important US warplanes of the war, and it played a major part in the Allied bombing campaign against Nazi Germany, which was a decisive factor in the ultimate downfall of the Reich in 1945.”

“Built in larger numbers than any other Flying Fortress model, the B-17G was the ultimate production version of Boeing’s famous bomber. […] The B-17G drew on the growing database of knowledge of how the Flying Fortress performed in combat, and was subject to a number of improvements based on its experience with the enemy, and the requirements of the daylight air war being pursued by the USAAF . […] Successive developments with the B-17F, most visibly involving the addition of more defensive firepower, turned the Flying Fortress into just that – a true fortress of the air.”

For a limited time, I’m offering a free download of the hi-res version here: B17G Flying Fortress

Thanks for reading!