As a postscript to the B-17 story (and in response to various queries),
here is some cost information on the B-17 Fortress.
According to Peter Bowers's *Boeing Aircraft Since 1916" the cost of a
B-17G when built in mass-produced quantities in 1943-44 was:
Airframe $127,069 Engines $38,483 Propellers $11,900 Electronics $9,040 Ordnance $6,342 Miscellaneous equipment $45,495 --------- Total: $238,329
Sounds like small potatoes today!
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