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Old 12-05-2011, 01:35 PM   #6
ford38v8
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Default Re: The Ford Bomber Plant

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The video was the product of the war effort, as the bomber itself was. As such, it didn't reveal the problems encountered in the Willow Run plant, how very long it took to get the production up (nicknamed "Will it Run"), the ratio of "Lemons" to airworthy planes nor the number of planes that literally fell out of the sky before reaching enemy territory (nickname "Flying Coffin"). The video and the Ford produced B24 were more valuable as propaganda than they were to actual fighting machines. The problems were limited to the Ford produced Liberater. Ford thought the plane could be mass produced as an automobile would be, and was wrong. The plane was developed and produced by Consolidated in San Diego and Fort Worth. Douglas produced planes in Tulsa, and North American Aviation built them in Dallas utilizing Ford sub assemblies from Willow Run. Willow run produced almost half the total production, but unfortunately most with major problems. No Ford produced B24 survives today.
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