** war and social upheaval: World War II aviation industries United States American








World War II Aviation Industries: America



Figure 1.--There was huge interest about aviation in America after World War I. A number of small companies began building planes and improving speed, alditude, and range. Here we see a plane with a metal air frame and a much more powerful engine than on any World War I plane. The photograph is not dated, but was probably taken about 1930. We do not know who produced this plane or what model it was. A reader tells us that is the Avro 621 Tutor--a British training plane.

The aviation industry in the United States was a relatively small part of American industrial production before World War II. One source ranks it at only 41st in a list of major industies. The leading industry being the automobile industry. Even so, the American aviation industry was the largest in the world, in part because of demand from the growing demand for passanger aircraft. Europeans had little need for domestic aviation. America with substantial distances between cities did. President Roosevelt's decession to arm America as Europe moved toward war helped to further expand the industry. President Roosevelt gave a priority to air power in American defense planning. One of the results of that program was the Boeing B-17 which was designed to protect America from invasion. It proved ineffective against enemy fleets, but was along with the B-24 the mainstay of the American strategic air campaign against Germany. The British and French reacted slowly to German rearmament. This changed dramatically as Hitler began using the powerful Luftwaffe, first in Spain and then to threten the Czechs and their British and French allies. The British and French unable to restore the inballance in air fleets rapidly through domestic production, began to place orders for military aircraft in the United States (1938). This provided an inportant pre-War stimulus to the American aviation industry. The United States produced 6,000 air planes in 1939. Germany also developed a major aircraft industry as part of its rearmament program. The difference between the two countries is that America had a substantial capacity to increse airplane production. Germany had only a limited capacity to expand production. One reason America was able to expand aircraft production was its vast automotive industry. After America entered te War, a part of the automotive industry was diverted to aircraft production. American aircraft production expanded to an extent never imagined by the Germans and Japanese and to levels that surprised many Americans. And the industry produced many new many advanced aircraft types during the War. As a result the aircraft the U.S. Air Forces were using at the end of the War were different than those at the beginning of the War. This was in sharp contrast to the Axis air forces. Curtis, Grumman, Lockheed, and North American Aviation focused on fighters. Boeing focused on bombers.

World War I (1914-18)

The first heavier than air flight was conducted by the Wright brothers in at Kitty Hawk, North Carolinaa (1903). The Wrights were Ohio bicycle mechanics without formal engineering training. The Wrights after their success, dismatled their flyer and kept their design a scret. This did preent Europeans from copying their desisn. It also impaired their efforts to sell their flyers. Europeans who were working on aviation were shocked that two American bicycle mechanics had achieved the first flight. The Wrights managed to figure out how to conttrol a plane in flight. This put them several years ahead of other designers. The American military gave little attention to aviation. Europeans were involved in an arms race. Thus the Wrights turned to Europe to sell their planes. Military spending in Europe meant that after the Wrights, most early aviation advances occurred in Europe. Thus when American entered World War I the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy air components were hopelessly outdated (1917). American pilots had to use British and French aircraft. American aces are well known, including Eddie Rickenbacker, Raoul Lufbery, Quentin Roosevelt, Frank Luke, Joe Werner, Carl Spaatz, Everett Cook, Billy Mitchell and others. The United States Air Service deployed 45 fighter, bomber and observation squadrons. They participated in seven campaigns and shot down 781 enemy planes and 73 balloons. They dropped 140 tons of bombs in 150 bombing runs. They lost 289 planes and 48 balloons and 237 men. The War ended before America could begin to mass produce aircraft. They dropped 140 tons of bombs in 150 bombing runs. They lost 289 planes and 48 balloons and 237 men. The United States Navy also had one ace.

Inter-War Period (1920s-30s)

The World War I air war generated tremendous interest in America. American aces were the subject of extensive media coverage. And while America did not build aircraft in large numbers during the WAr, the Brirish and French had huge numbers of aircraft which they sold off as war surplus at low price. This meant that just about anyone with a little cash could buy a plane. Enterprising Americans trained as pilots sought to make a living. This resulted in the barnstorming craze which further fueled the public's interest in flying. Boys in particulars were fascinated by airplanes. Every boy in America wanted to dress like polots with leather aviator cap and a leather flying jacket. Air plane toys became very popular as did model airplane model kits. There was no organized programs to train glider pilots as in Germany, but the interest comnined with a developing commercial airline industry meant that thousands of boys were able to turn their interest into awide range of careers. The Government helped to promote the industry through air mail contracts. This was how Charles Linburgh got interested in aviation. The developtment of commercial pasanger aviation was another major boon to the American aviation industry. A number of small compaies worked in the 1920s to imprvce designs and engenine designs. Speeds, alfitude, and range steadily increased. Boeing and Douglas emerged as the most important companies, producing civilian passanger aircraft. The industry in the United States, however, was a relatively small part of American industrial production before World War II. One source ranks it at only 41st in a list of major industies. The leading industry being the automobile industry. Even so, the American aviation industry was the largest in the world, in part because of demand from the growing demand for passanger aircraft. Europeans with excellent rail networks and relatively short distances had little need for domestic aviation. America with substantial distances between cities did.

Roosevelt Administration Policies (1930s)

President Roosevelt's decession to arm America as Europe moved toward war helped to further expand the industry. Several countries reached the conclusion that any future war shoulf be fought with technology rather than massed armies to avoid the horrendous casualties of World war I. An America had the indistrial capacity to use tevhmology more than any other country. President Roosevelt gave a priority to air power in American defense planning. One of the results of that program was the Boeing B-17 which was designed to protect America from invasion. It proved ineffective against enemy fleets, but was along with the B-24 the mainstay of the American strategic air campaign against Germany.

Allied Purchases (1938-40)

NAZI plans for rearmament including a new air force began almost immediately after Hitler seized power (1933). Göring and Hitler announced the Luftwaffe (1935). The new Luftwaffe was on display in Spain (1936). The British and French reacted slowly to German rearmament. It was at Munich that the British and French first were exposed to the conswquences of the gap in air power. Hitler thretened the Czechs and their British and French allies. The British and French unable to restore the inballance in air fleets rapidly through domestic production, began to place orders for military aircraft in the United States (1938). This provided an inportant pre-War stimulus to the American aviation industry. It also resulted in a political incident when a French purchasing agent was killed in a crash at a time when America was suposedly neutral.

Industrial Capacity (1939-41)

The United States produced 6,000 air planes in 1939. Germany also developed a major aircraft industry as part of its rearmament program, rapidly increasing production in the 1930s. The difference between the two countries is that America had a substantial capacity to increse airplane production. Germany had a lmuch more limited capacity to expand production. One reason America was able to expand aircraft production was its vast automotive industry. After America entered the War, a part of the automotive industry was diverted to aircraft production. American aircraft production expanded to an extent never imagined by the Germans and Japanese and to levels that surprised many Americans.

New Aircraft Types

When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor forcing America into the War (December 1941), America was surprised to learn that not only was American aircrft like the P-40 not up nto German performance standards, but it was not up to the performance standards of the new Japanese Mitisubishi Zero. The industry rushed into production many new many advanced aircraft types and began working on new types. As a result the aircraft the U.S. Air Forces were using at the end of the War were different than those at the beginning of the War. This was in sharp contrast to the Axis air forces. Curtis, Grumman, Lockheed, and North American Aviation focused on fighters. Boeing focused on bombers.

War Production (1939-45)

American production reached stunning levels and to these numbers have to be added very substantial British and Soviet numbers. The level of production reached munbers the Axis could never even dream of replicating. The Roosevelt Administrations orders for aircraft seemed very large as American began to incease defense spending. The 6,000 planes produced annually before the War was already outproducing the Germans. The numbers proved, however, almost insignificant compared to what would fpllow. After Pearl Harbor, the Administration ordered 20,000 planes (1942) and set about doubling production. American companies exceeded their quota, producing 22,000 planes in 1942). And by 1944, the last full year of the War, production reached an incredible 96,000 planesm in addition to several thousand for the Soovirt Union through Lend Lease. America also shipped huge quanities of aluminum to the Soviet Union which allowed the Soviets to significantly expand their aircraft production. American production totaled over 300,000 planes (1940-through thend of the War in August 1945). These numbers have to be viewed within the context of what the German Luftwaffe schieved with only a few thousand planes. America achieved these tremendous totals by opening new factories, running them 24 hours a day, and applying assembly line techniques. Aviation turned in a small indusry to a massive operation which by 1943 employed 2.1 million workers--including many women workers importalized by Rody the Riviter.

Manufuctuers

Quite a number of companies produced aircraft during the War. Commercial aviation and airmail comntracts helped support the development of signfican industril capacity. Many of the manufcturing companies merged after the War. A process of manufacturing specialization began during the War. Boeing, Douglas, and Martin had built civil aircraft before the War. As they were experienced in building large, heavy aircraft, they became the principal developers of bombers and in the case of Doulas, transport aircraft. The Douglas DC-3 airliner became the military transport workhorse--the C-47. Douglas Aircraft turned out C-47 transport every 5 hours. By the summer of 1944, 15 airframe builders were producing 23 types of combat aircraft. Boeing produced mearly 4,000 B-29 Superfortresses capable of reaching the Japanese Home Islands from the Marianas. The B-29 has a ceiling high enough that it did not need fighter esorts to nomb Japan. It was the B-29 that carried the two atomic bombs. Other companies specialized in fighters like Gruman, Lockeed, and Vought. Lockheed produced the P-38 Lightning fighter-interceptor which first appeared in 1939. Some manufacturers had a more varied output. Curtis made some of the inferior Navy planes before the war but and the P-40 fighter. Its Helldiver had a very good dive bombing record in the last 2 years of the war. North American not only make the P-51 but they also produced the best American and possibly the best of all nations medium twin engine bomber, the B-25 Mitchell. The North American company was only created about 5 years before the war but went on to make some of America's finest and well known planes during WW II and Korean War. P-51, B-25 and F-86. I know the P-51 did see some limited action at start of the Korean War. In addition to aircraft companies, production was conracted out to other coanies as well. Here the automobile companies were in a unique position to mass produce. The Ford Motor built a brand new factory at Willow Run which alone produced 5,476 B-24 bombers in 1944–45.

Sources

Bilstein, Roger E. The American Aerospace Industry (New York: Twayne Publishers, 1996).








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Created: 10:02 PM 11/12/2009
Last updated: 4:48 PM 2/14/2013