The book also relates the efforts of edsel to build willow run into the largest airplane. Willow run assembly was to the south of the former willow run transmission, the site of the bomber plant built by ford in 1941. Willow run is an albert kahndesigned world war ii bomber plant near ypsilanti, michigan. So read lilys crossing first before you read willow run.
Narrated by harry wismer, the film explains how ford manufactured and built b24 liberators under license from consolidated aircraft company. Willow run, also known as air force plant 31, was a manufacturing complex in michigan, located between ypsilanti township and belleville, constructed by the ford motor company for the mass production of aircraft, especially the b24 liberator heavy bomber. It has more square footage than the willis tower in chicago, the tallest building in the western hemisphere. Men and women install an engine in a b24 at willow run. The arsenal of democracy and millions of other books are available for instant. However, the construction of all of those speed parts and aftermarket upgrades combined pales in comparison to the scale of production at fords willow run plant during wwii.
The title to the arsenal of democracy is a bit misleading as it seems to imply that the book is about the war production effort in general, when really it focuses narrowly on ford. Willow run is the legendary b24 bomber plant near ypsilanti, michigan, which was a focal point of the arsenal of democracy during wwii. The subtitle is also misleading, in that it seems to imply the book will be about fdr, which it is between the arsenal of democracy and go like hell, a. By the willow run, a sleepy little creek near ypsilanti, michigan, ford motor company built the worlds most famous bomber factory, which was the ultimate manifestation of the automotive industrys role in building armaments during world war ii. So he turned to detroit and the auto industry for help. Willow run reference book third edition compiled by members of plant guide staff. But no project captured the publics imagination like willow run, where ford motor company built one b24 liberator airplane every 63 minutes. The ford family at willow run military history of the. Before willow run, it was deemed impossible to build an aircraft on an assembly line. The enrollment of american manufacturing in the second world war was filled with the idea of mass production, a concept made popular by henry ford. The books are willow run, colossus of american industry, alaska, and the mighty eighth air force, world war ii.
The willow run airport history, b24 bomber plant and. Willow run assembly plant demolition proceeding hemmings. Originally 975 acres of farmland owned by henry ford, the site was developed by the ford motor company into. The following pages tells about this great factory and production plant where the ww2 b24 liberator was built which uses many references from this book. Willow run b24 liberator military history of the upper. Willow run bomber plant that eventually manufactured 8,800 of these aircraft. How detroit went from motor city to the arsenal of democracy. Doubters chided henry ford for declaring that his willow run bomber plant could turn out a b24 liberator heavy bomber every hour. Ford motor company into what was described as the largest war factory in the world. The plant turned out nearly 9,000 planes during the war.
At its peak in 1944, the factory produced one plane every 63 minutes. Willow run reference book by willow run bomber plant. Nona joins audreys crew at the willow run bomber plant outside detroit. B24 bomber in flight, willow run bomber plant, 1944. Willow run also built the chevrolet nova 19621979, the xbodies 19801985, the gm h body, and the chevrolet caprice. The willow run bomber plant was a true production miracle, one that contributed greatly to allied victory in world war ii, and is a testament to the determination and fortitude of the greatest generation. Before willow run was converted to the airport we know today, during world war ii it was the fastest b24 production plant in the united states. During that time, the ford motor company produced almost half of the b24s built8,685 out of 19,256. During wwii the willow run bomber plant located near ypsilanti, michigan was the largest factory under one roof in the world. It is the place where meggie and her family move to help america win the war ww ii. The story of the yankee air museum begins in 1941 when willow run airport was built by the ford motor company to serve as an airfield for their b24 bomber plant. Willow run, also known as air force plant 31, was a manufacturing complex in michigan. Willow run airport was built as part of the bomber plant. By the willow run, a sleepy little creek near ypsilanti, michigan, ford motor company built the world s most famous bomber factory, which was the ultimate manifestation of the automotive industry s role in building armaments during world war ii.
Willow run is also the name of this book, which is part 2 to the story lilys crossing. It was constructed in 1941 by the ford motor company for the mass production of the b24 liberator military aircraft. By 1944, the peak year of female wartime employment, they constituted almost 40% of the workforce. Kaiserfrazer leased the willow run manufacturing plant near ypsilanti, michigan, built by ford in 1942 to build world war ii bombers. This book is the story of the run up to the war, how the ford family handled. By november 1941, all the airplane factories had been builtwith willow runs final square footage of 4,734,617 millionand the airplanes we would fight wwii with were in production, according to hotton. Kidder is especially well qualified for this intensive and detailed study of the world war ii history of the willow run plant.
The rate of production throughout 1943 would continually increase until april of 1944, when the mighty factory was producing an astonishing bombereveryhour. Fords chief engineer, charles sorensen, quickly devised a thenuntried. Though chevrolet would go on to build corvairs elsewhere during the 1960s, willow run was always considered the corvairs home assembly plant and was the only plant to. As dave newell wrote in the book 1969 corvair fingertip facts, the willow run corvair plant used none of the old b24 bomber or kaiserfrazer production facilities.
A small part of the worlds largest onestory war production plant, the giant bomber factory at willow run, michigan. At peak production, willow employed 42,000 workers save the willow run plant. Built by the ford motor company, it was used to build b24 liberator bombers. Watch fords willow run plant churn out a b24 every 55. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. Steady of eye and hand, women workers at the great willow run bomber plant are among those throughout the country who are relieving serious shortages of skilled workers by doing such semiskilled jobs as the one shown here. Willow run is an albert kahndesigned world war ii bomber plant near. Workers came from all over to work at the plant in willow run, and so he created willow run village for them to live. Willow run bomber plant air traffic control tower, 1943. In this extensive monograph, sarah jo peterson, an independent scholar with twenty years experience in urban planning, depicts both levelsthe lofty plus the grittyof wartime building and production at the willow run bomber plant. Help us preserve willow runs amazing legacy by turning it into a museum click the big, red donate button on this page and give generously.
Sorensen, the opening of the plant still saw some mismanagement and bungling, and. Willow run is a book that was written by my friend warren benjamin kidder about the b24 liberator, ww2 bomber production plant and airport near detroit michigan. B24 liberator willow run assembly plant in michigan run. Willow run was the largest factory under one roof in the world. Willow run is what albert kahn, its world renowned architect, described as the largest room in the history of mankind. The yankee air museum is proud to present this documentary, produced by stone bridge productions, to preserve the memory of those heroic women and men workers, visionaries, and innovators who served there at the home front. The plant was the embodiment of americas arsenal of democracy the enormous manufacturing capacity so vital to the allies. United states office of war information, rosener, a. Hydramatic, plant was not the onlyassembly plant at willow run just a little history in 1951 my father purchased a kaiser golden dragon from the kaiser dealer in hudson, mass. A definitive history of the worlds largest industrial factory, built by ford motor company in the 1940s to manufacture b24 bombers.
Made by the ford motor company during wwii, the story of willow run explains the companys role in producing the consolidated b24 liberator heavy bomber. John schuyler and i bet all those who worked in the plant and made money really. Apr 29, 2016 lets celebrate all things rosie and lets save a small piece of her willow run bomber plant as a new home for the yankee air museum. This video from ford about largescale production of the consolidated b24 liberator bomber is aweinspiring. On the eve of wwii, women represented 25% of the american labor force. The story of willow run and the production miracle that produced as many as 25. The willow run story describes how charles sorensen, fords director of production, conceived the idea of. Every american automaker turned its workforce and facilities to military production during world war ii. Spot welding parts for the nacelle of an aircraft engine. Along with the b17, the b24 formed the backbone of the allies air war over europe. Fastmoving and rich with detail, baimes book shows how the fords worked a world. Its goal was to apply automaking mass production principles to. Some 40,000 employees, mostly women, turned out b24 bombers at the rate of one every 55 minutes.
This was the first aircraft manufacturing complex to use fords automotive mass production technique, a leading technological innovation of the time. Tuesday hangout when a car company makes planes 102219. With tremendous assistance from the yankee air museum, this book presents a pictorial history of willow run during world war ii. Construction of the willow run bomber plant began in 1940 and was completed in 1942. Dennis norton, founder of the yankee air museum, and randy hotton, the museums former director, talk about the history of the willow run bomber plant, and. Shes left her home in kentucky to do her bit, and buys all the war bonds she can.
The ford motor companys willow run bomber plant began production in 1942 and continued until june 28, 1945. Willow run is what albert kahn described as the most enormous room in the history. The historic willow run plant produced b24 bombers at the staggering rate of one per hour proving that america could get the job done. In the industrial production war, no front was more important than michigan and no single battle more daring and more important than the battle of willow run, no enemy more relentless than time. Ben has also written a movie script about the mighty eighty air force which is in production as of 422012. But no project captured the publics imagination like. Willow run follows the journey of four of those women who migrated from all over america to find new lives at the plant. These women work in the largest onestory building in the works, the giant bomber plant at willow run, michigan. Here is his description of the visit and how he conceived the willow run bomber plant that eventually manufactured 8,800 of these aircraft. Ford motor company built 8,685 b24 bomber airplanes at its willow run, michigan, plant during world war ii. Willow run was the physical embodiment of the ford production system which was later transformed by toyota into just in time and lean manufacturing. The willow run manufacturing plant, located between ypsilanti and belleville, michigan, was constructed during world war ii by the ford motor company for the mass production of the b24 liberator in december 1940, the federal government asked the ford motor company to build 1,200 b24 bombers. The airport and its crew could accommodate up to 20 takeoffs an hour. The legendary b24 liberator bomber plant significant to the arsenal of democracy in wwii.
In a strategic campaign, the airplanes and their crews attacked factories, railroads, harbors and as the war progressed cities in germany, italy and occupied france. Construction on the willow run bomber plant began that spring and it soon became the largest factory under one roof in the world. Ford plant, willow run contributor names rosener, ann, photographer. Sorensen, fords director of production during ww2, conceived the idea of manufacturing the giant b24 liberator bomber at the unbelievable rate of one an hour.
A portion of the eastern end of the willow run plant would be preserved, and along with part of willow run airports hangar building, become the new home of the yankee air museum. During world war ii, the ypsilanti factory became a worldwide symbol of. The total number of b24s built at willow run was 8,685 and during peak production in early 1944, one bomber per hour was produced. The b24 bomber, officially known as the b24 liberator, was designed by consolidated aircraft co. How detroit factories retooled during wwii to defeat. The willow run plant is one of the largest buildings in the world. By the end of the war, willow run had produced more than 8,600 b24 bombers, writes, and the plants mass production techniques were hailed as a symbol of american ingenuity. Most of the bombers left willow run under their own power, requiring an onsite airport. The willow run bomber plant was completed in 1941, and it was the largest factory in the world under a single roof. Ben has also written a movie script about the mighty eighty air force which is in. Building the b24 bomber during wwii story of willow run. Despite intensive design efforts led by ford production executive charles e.
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