Building Victory

Book excerpt: World War II was the greatest airborne clash of arms in history. America?s aircraft manufacturers went from a near standing start in the late 1930?s to producing tens of thousands of planes per year. By the end of the war, they built a phenomenal 300,000 planes, a feat that most (including the German high command) thought impossible. They manufactured more aircraft in one year than had been produced in all the pre-war years since the Wright brothers invented the airplane. The Los Angeles area was the center of this remarkable effort, being the headquarters for Douglas Aircraft, Hughes, Lockheed, North American Aviation, Northrop and Vultee, as well as countless subcontractors. Thousands of aircraft workers enlisted or were drafted, leaving manufacturers with huge orders and few experienced employees. They responded by hiring women, students, disabled people and others who might not otherwise have been considered for production positions. Housewives and others with little mechanical experience rolled up their sleeves, learned fast, and brought forth an industrial achievement that ranks among America?s greatest accomplishments. Aircraft manufacturers, museums and libraries have generously opened their special collections of photographs to the author for use in this volume. Many have never been published before.