The prototype B-17, with the Boeing factory designation of Model 299, was designed by a team of engineers led by E. Gifford Emery and Edward Curtis Wells, and was built at Boeing's own expense.
Prototypen af B-17, som havde Boeings interne typenummer 'Model 299', var blevet designet af et hold ingeniører ført af E. Gifford Emery og Edward Curtis Wells, og var bygget på Boeings egen regning.