Would earlier B-17 arrivals find Kido Butai?

Would B-17s arriving one or two weeks earlier have found the Japanese carrier force?

Probably not; too few aircraft and westward-focused patrol patterns left the northern approach poorly covered.

Long-range aircraft only help if enough are available to cover the relevant ocean sectors. The Japanese deliberately used the northern route because American attention tended westward. Moving a limited number of B-17s forward by a week or two would therefore add aircraft without correcting the patrol geometry or providing enough sorties for broad ocean coverage. The answer is a reminder that reconnaissance depends on search plans and density, not simply an aircraft's maximum range.