The Boeing B-17 and Lockheed Martin F-35 are two American bombers separated by around 70 years of history. They belong to the same weight class and bear interesting comparison.
First flight:
B-17 1935
X-35 2000 / F-35 2006
Time from requirement to service entry:
B-17 4 years (1934-1938)
F-35 23 years (1992-2015 est. for B)
Performance
Maximum speed compared to average contemporary fighter:
B-17
287 mph/400 mph (71.75 %)
F-35
1200 mph/1450 mph (82.7 %)
Range:
B-17G:Â 1,738 nmi, 3219 km with 2700 kg (6,000 lb) bomb-load
F-35: 584 nm (1080 km) on internal fuel (combat radius)
Take-off speed:
B-17: 115 mph
F-35: 0 mph (B variant)
Maximum conceivable amount of enemy aircraft that can be destroyed by standard defensive weapons on one mission
F-35: 2
B-17G: 25+
Loads
Max loaded weight:
B-17G: 65K Ib
F-35: 70K Ib
Max internal bomb-load:
F-35: 4670 lbs
B-17: 8000 lbs (4500 lbs for long range missions)
Max bomb-load (including external munitions):
B-17: 17, 600 lbs
F-35: 18,000 Ibs
Max internal fuel:
F-35: 19,200 lb (C model)
B-17: 10, 200 lbs
Wing loading
F-35: 107.7 lb/ft² (526 kg/m²; 745 kg/m² max loaded)
B-17G: 38.0 lb/ft² (185.7 kg/m2)
Cost
B-17: $238,329
F-35: $170 million (flyaway average A/B/C 2013)
How many bottles of coke* could you buy with the cost of each aircraft (contemporary prices)?
F-35 is worth 113,333,333 cokes an aircraft.
B-17 was worth 4,766,580 cokes an aircraft in 1943.
The $238,329 it cost to build a B-17 would be worth $3,209,272.19 today.
*based on bottle of Coca-Cola (1943): 5 cents, (2014): $1.50
