B17 Bomber

Learn how to pilot the mighty B17 Bomber in Battlefield 1942. Discover its strengths, weaknesses, and how to effectively use its devastating carpet bombing capabilities.

Alright, let's talk about the B17 Bomber in Battlefield 1942. This thing is a beast and can absolutely wreck enemy positions if you know how to handle it. You'll know one is coming by its distinct engine noise – it's pretty intimidating!

The main job of the B17 is pure destruction. It's fantastic for taking out groups of tanks or infantry because it carpet bombs, dropping eight powerful bombs one after another. While I'm not totally sure of the exact limit, it can carry a lot, around 56 bombs. The key here is not to just drop them randomly; aim for where you see enemy infantry or tanks to maximize your impact.

When you take off in a B17, you absolutely need to bring gunners with you. Their job is to shoot down enemy planes that try to attack you. A B17 flying solo is basically a free kill for even a Dive Bomber. Even with gunners, though, be aware that enemy planes can still do a lot of damage before your gunners can take them down, as they don't do a ton of damage to planes unless they're really good shots.

Honestly, gunners are often just used for transport because their gunner positions aren't that great. Most players who hop in the gunner seat don't really care about the pilot, and since they rarely get kills, they'll often just bail out. So, while you need them, don't expect them to be super effective against enemy aircraft.

Keep in mind that only the Allied forces get to start with this plane. However, if the Axis team gets lucky, they can sometimes control one if they find it on the map, especially on maps like Gazala.

A lot of teams will prioritize getting the B17 because it's so powerful and, let's be honest, it looks pretty cool even when it's smoking and about to blow up. If you're a good B17 pilot, you can seriously swing the outcome of a match. Just remember, when B17s are destroyed, they take several minutes to respawn, unlike other planes, so losing one is a pretty big deal.

B17 Strengths:

• Extremely powerful bombs.
• Can carpet bomb and ultimately destroy any tank in its way, with little effort.
• Has a TON of life (health).
• Intimidating presence on the battlefield.

B17 Weaknesses:

• Gunner positions are very vulnerable.
• Slow speed and even slower acceleration.
• Easy targets for enemy planes and anti-aircraft guns.