MicroProse decided to focus a game on one of the most widely known bombers of WWII, the B17. The result, B17 Flying Fortress, was a very detailed bombing sim that will please any buff enthusiast.

B17 Flying Fortress allows you to manually control every position of the bomber. You can try out all the positions, focus on one, or leave it up to your virtual crew. There are some special actions that your virtual crew won't perform by themselves, such as rendering medical aid to wounded crew members, or unjamming guns, but they will handle all routine actions by themselves.

As you fly into enemy territory, you will come accross enemy fighters and flack. A flack barrage can be particularaly unnerving as your plane is buffeted around in the sky and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Trying to shoot down enemy fighters can be difficult as there is only a few seconds of opportunity as they attack and break off.

As you start your bombing run, you must ignore any flack and let your virtual crew fend off any fighter attack. You could let your virtual bombardier handle this, but if you want good accuracy, you must do it yourself. Then, line up your bombsight with the target, and keep tracking it until you get the signal to drop the bombs. When the light comes on, release the bombs and pray for a direct hit.

Fuel leaks, oxygen failures, damaged flight surfaces, and engine fires among other issues make the damage model top notch. If you become too damaged you might need to break off of the formation and fly alone. This is particularaly dangerous as now you are the perfect target for a fighter attack. Take too much damage and you might have to bail out leaving your plane plummet to the ground or sea. It is very exciting to nurse a crippled B17 back to England and attempt to land with damaged flight surfaces and only 1 working engine.

B17 Flying Fortress is a must have sim for anyone who wants to experience what flying one of these amazing machines was like.