Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Target for the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
75 to 150fpm
Full marks for descent rate up to 150 fpm; under 75 fpm the coach says the touchdown was softer than this aircraft is normally flown.
- Vref reference
- 96ktat 22,680 kg
- Tail-strike limit
- 9°the category's
- Ideal touchdown zone
- 120 to 400mpast the threshold
- G-force
- 1.10Gfull marks, the category's curve
The B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine WWII heavy bomber, large tailwheel aircraft with handling that pilots of the era described as 'docile' but that modern sim pilots find anything but. Engine management and rudder discipline dominate the landing technique.
Landing technique.
Approach at 105 kt, slowing to 95 over the threshold (heavy weights; lighter loads use less).
Three-point landing is traditional; wheel landings work if the runway is long.
Symmetric throttle reduction in the flare, asymmetric thrust on a four-engine aircraft creates immediate yaw.
Lots of rudder during rollout, the long tailwheel ground geometry magnifies any directional drift.
Brake gently, the original B-17 had modest brakes and modern sim variants reflect this.
Common mistakes.
Asymmetric thrust reduction causing yaw at touchdown.
Loss of directional control after touchdown.
Over-aggressive brakes from a tricycle-gear pilot's habit, the B-17 tail will lift if you brake hard.
How its touchdown is scored.
The score at each point of its curves. Between the points, scores fall in a straight line; the full method is in the scoring methodology.
No shared landings or board for this aircraft yet. Its figures appear once pilots with a public profile have shared 5 graded landings in it, and a board once at least 5 opted-in pilots have flown it 10 or more times each. See the boards there are.
For reference.
Aircraft data
- Manufacturer
- Boeing
- Model
- B-17
- Variant
- Flying Fortress
- FAA approach category
- B
- MTOW
- 29,257 kg (64,501 lbs)
- Vref in flight
- Adjusted to the weight you land at
- MSFS source
- Payware (MicroProse), Freeware (folcorrr)
Roundout recognizes it in a title that contains
Boeing B-17 Flying FortressB-17 Flying FortressB-17Flying FortressB-17G
Read next
- How Roundout grades a landingThe composite formula behind every score.
- What “stabilized approach” actually meansThe gates, the criteria, the technique.
- Heavy Warbird / Multi-Engine Vintage scoring thresholdsThe category curves applied to this airframe.
- Full scoring methodologyThe complete breakdown in Help.
$23.99 once.
Every landing in the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, graded against these numbers. Every update included, and tax or VAT in most countries.