During WWII, workers at the Henry Ford aircraft factory, Willow Run, built a staggering 8,685 B-24 bombers in just three years! No one had ever manufactured aircraft on such a scale before.
At its peak in 1944, the factory produced a B-24 every hour, a remarkable feat of efficiency and dedication.
The Willow Run Bomber Plant, designed by Albert Kahn and built in 1941, was a key player in World War II, producing a significant portion of the B-24 Liberator bombers. By the end of 1944, Willow Run was churning out 650 B-24s per month, eventually building a total of 8,685 B-24s before closing in 1945.
Construction began in March 1941, and the plant boasted nearly 5 million square feet of floor space. It had a mile-long assembly line and a nearby airport with six runways and three hangars. By 1944, one B-24 bomber was completed every 62 minutes.
At its peak, the plant employed over 40,000 workers, including many women and minorities, reflecting the diverse workforce needed during the war. The plant had its own Apprentice School and provided training for workers and military mechanics. Willow Run produced approximately half of the B-24s built during World War II, contributing significantly to the war effort.
There'a great website that tels a number of stories about Ford's contributions during the war here.
Unassembled model packed in an envelope with
easy to follow instructions.
Ideal for ages 14 and up.
NO GLUE OR SOLDER NEEDED – Parts can be easily
clipped from the metal sheets. Tweezers are
the recommended tool for bending and twisting
the connection tabs.
Yep. And in the next war that we'll have against China we'll be borrowing money from China to have China manufacture weapons for us. Of course, with a HUGE tariff. ....
ReplyDeleteI don't see how they could turn out one bird every hour; seems they'd spend all their time moving airplanes up to close the gap behind the bird that was just finished.
ReplyDeletePeople were also paid a living wage back in the day.
ReplyDeleteEven more remarkable, they trained crews to fly all these planes in a few months.
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