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Final Approach - B17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty Eighth
by Len "Viking1" Hjalmarson
Title: B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty Eighth
Version: Beta
Publisher: Hasbro
Developer: Wayward
Release Date UK: Q4 2000
Release Date North America: Q1 2001
Publisher's System Specs:
Required: Intel Pentium II 300MHz or faster (or compatible) * 128Mb RAM * Hard Drive (700 Mb free) * Video: D3d compatible 8MB
Recommended: Intel Pentium II 600MHz or faster (or 100% compatible) * 256MB RAM * Video: D3d compatible with 16Mb
In July, 1935, Boeing Aircraft Company paraded its entry for the US Army's competition to supply the Air Corps with a new medium bomber. Times were tough, and Boeing desperately needed to win the competition. The Army Air Corps would evaluate the contenders on the basis of a circular proposal.
The design impressed the journalists. Richard L. Williams of the Seattle Daily Times captioned his photograph of the shining new airplane as the "15 ton Flying Fortress." Boeing quickly embraced the new name, hoping to galvanize the public's interest.
The design won the competition, and 14 aircraft were ordered. The rest is history
WWII Photograph
Europe, 1943.
While forces were being gathered for an invasion of the Continent, the USAAF joined the RAF in an air offensive against the enemy. The US element participating in the conflict initially was the 8th Air Force, based in England. The 8th carried out daring daylight missions on targets deep within Germany, without fighter support. The chief vehicle of those raids was the B17.
B17: The Simulation
B17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty Eighth is not merely a simulation of a historic aircraft. It is a faithful simulation of the aircraft, its crew and the combat environment. The simulation reflects the reality that the machine was worthless without the courage and determination of the men that populated the Forts. A first for game design, Wayward's simulation is truly a genre-bender, combining elements of 1st Person Shooter, role-playing, and military flight simulation.
B17 Logo
Microprose' first B17 simulation was published in 1992. Some of the principles of that earlier effort are still around, and in fact Andrew Walrond and Dominic Robinson of Wayward Design both contributed to the original simulation.
Many simulation fans still remember the title. In those days games were greatly limited by the ability of the hardware, and were often developed by teams totaling only two or three artists, designers and programmers. It's almost a shock to read the box, which lists 286-16 and 386 among its requirements, with a minimum of 640kb of RAM!
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