F-9 Flying Fortress

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During World War II, several B-17 Flying Fortresses were converted to long-range photographic reconnaissance aircraft, designated F-9 Flying Fortress. (The F- here stands for 'fotorecon' and must not be confused with F- for 'fighter', which was not introduced until after the war.)

The USAF Strategic Air Command absorbed most of these aircraft after the war.

The first F-9 aircraft were sixteen B-17Fs, with bombing equipment replaced by photographic equipment. Some of the defensive armament was kept. An uncertain number more were converted to a similar configuration to the F-9, but differed in minor details of their cameras, and received the designation F-9A. Some of these, along with more B-17Fs, received further camera alterations and became the F-9B. The last variants was the F-9C, which was given to ten B-17G, converted in a similar fashion to the previous aircraft. Those surviving in 1948 were re-designated RB-17G (R indicating 'reconnaissance').