Robert,    Thanks for the post! I went through my archived photos to see if I could come up with a photo, but none to be had.  FO WR was involved in many innovative engineering processes in the manufacture of A/C's and research, but a lot of it was kept "under wrap."  FO WR was also actively involved in "jet propulsion'" in mid summer of 1944.  I am putting together a separate thread along with photos on this.     Best Regards!    Steven  

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

While production at the FO WR Plant began to slowly drop off in late 1944, other activities were going on at the west end of the plant.  For those of you who might have an interest in the "jet propulsion" aspect, please check the newly started thread per the attached link.      Steven
http://forum.armyairforces.com/m_130311/tm.htm

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Good Sunday Evening, Robert,    I still have not come up with any "good photos" of the "wind tunnel," but I have included another photo which I have not yet posted on the thread "Ford Willow Run: The Jet Age."  It is not as clear as some of my other photos, but, at least it shows "a wind tunnel nozzle"  to the left in front of the ram jet.  I am not sure if this is that which you wrote about in post #40.  You spoke about a "huge balloon-like room," but have yet to find a reference to that.  I was wondering:  "Was this at another sight other than at the FO WR Facility?  I thought U of M had some research facilities on site at that time, but I am not sure.   Steven 
 

[image]local://upfiles/11777/AFEC95046BC04E90892697A59A12DD01.jpg[/image]

Attached Image(s)

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

For those collecting information just on FO WR, here is a copy of the post I just wrote over on: B-24 vs. B-17 in answer to a query.
 
Good evening, Nick!     To the best of my limited knowledge, and, in the few limited documents remaining that I have checked, I could not find any confirming information for the use of MD42.  Backing into the information, however, of the 30 different colors used, OD41 seems to have been the standard at FO WR. I do have one other piece of evidence to check, but won't get to it until next week.  The last camouflaged A/C (ship #3844, KD-3190).  The first Master Change Ship to be completed as a "clean skin" was KD-3201, completed 12FE44.  95% of the paints used were supplied by an outside, single-sourced supplier to maintain consistency within color batches. You are correct about "follow-up" touch up work, which, for various reasons, was not always a good match.  Also of note, the "front fuselage" section ,when mated to the "center wing" in the assembly process already had the painted "anti-glare panel: in place on the clean-skins.  Next the "notched (stepped) anti-glare panel" was a signature design at FO WR while the other four facilities used the "straight edge," but not necessarily of the same length. Also the under-carriage of the A/C did have the characteristic "wavey paint line of demarcation."  In the first attached photo, one can clearly see the "anti-glare panel" already on the "front fuselage" sub-assembly which has just been attached to the "center wing" from stations 1 thru 7.  Also clearly visible are sub-component parts "riding along on the A/C" to be installed later."  This is a great picture to demonstrate the Ford moving assembly line.       Best Regards!  Steven

Attachment (1)

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Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Excerpt from the B-24 vs B-17 Thread.   Steven
 
Ken, There may have been flat black on the "anti-glare panel" of some of the FO WR Libs, but the basic color was OD on "clean skins."  I have seen, however, A/C's with the flat black in photos, one of the most famous for us here in Michigan being the B-24J-CO, 44-40429, 5 AAF, 43 BG, 64 BS with the Nose Art: Michigan.  Your father's memory is correct about the H's.  I need to do some more follow-up on the "flat black" at FO WR.  
Also, from where did you take the de-icer schematic for the B-24D which would be the same for the "E?" I would like the source, even though it might be in the stack of books I already have, but can't recall seeing it!  Thanks!   Steven

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Steven,
 
While reading "The War" last night I passed upon a paragraph that I thought you might like. I am quoting from the book..."Industries already engaged in defense work expanded.  Other, like the automobile industruy, were transformed completely.  In 1941, more than 3 million cars were manufactured in the United States.  Only 139 more were made  during the entire war.  Instead, Chrysler made fuselages.  General Motors turned to fighter planes.  Packard made Rolls-Royce engines for the British air force.  And at its vast Willow Run plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan-sixty-seven acres of assembly lines under a single roof-which Charles Lindbergh called "the Grand Canyon of the mechanized world," the Ford Motor Company performed something like a miracle, twenty four hours a day.  The average Ford car had some 15,000 parts.  The B-24 Liberator long-range bomber had 1,550,000.  One came off the line at Willow Run every sixty-three minutes." 
I thought that that was very interesting how they broke down the motor companies but highlighted Fords Willow Run plant.  Maybe it will put a smile knowing that someone else highlighted the plant in a really good book.
 
Michelle

Michelle,   Thanks for the post!   There are numerous books and articles on "The Homefront" which I believe you would really find most interesting.  When it comes to FO WR, there isn't a whole lot out there which I haven't seen, BUT someone always comes up with a photo or article that "I haven't seen," and I am ALWAYS MOST appreciative!  If you go to TimeCovers.com, and plug in the time span of 1941-1944 with a key search word of "Willow Run," there are a lot of easy-to-read, good, short articles.  Also, if you get a chance to look at the "Collectors Edition" of  The World War II MEMORIAL; A Grateful Nation Remembers, Smithsonian Books,  pp. 205-224, "The War on the Homefront" has excellent photos and text, not only about Willow Run, but also about the "Motor City" and the Auto Industry's part in the "war effort."  Another really "pop culture" type of book" which might be hard to find, is entitled DETROIT Goes To WAR, by V. Dennis Wrynn, Motorbooks International Press, 1993.  (I found mine in a "2nd hand book store.")  (If you get a chance, hop over  to the sub-forum: "Miscellaneous," Book Corner for leads and tips.  Also, the books (Time Life Series) which "Janos" had mentioned to you in your "Thread," Homefront Help, are GREAT!  I am sure that other folks will assist you, and, in fact, I'll post this on the "Book Corner" sub-forum.   Good Reading!!!     Steven

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Michelle,     Did you catch the 2nd Installment of the PBS Series, last night?  It showed some great footage of FO WR and some really nice footage of the "Homefront" which will continue throughout the series.   I'm sure you are interested in that aspect.  I've found the series very good, especilly the colored footage of the AAF missions.  These colored segments were, and will be used, I am sure, in the future segments.  The History Channel had a series a few years ago on the War in Color which was remarkable.  This looked vaguely familiar.    Steven

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

For those of you surfing, thought I'd add this latest post from one of my other threads, but thought it would be more appropriate here.   Steven
 
Hugh,   Great quote!  Thanks!  If you haven't taken a look at the thread: History: Willow Run Liberators, surf through it.  There are many good posts there.  I am sure that both at Boeing facilities as well as at Consolidated, there were ancillary activities going on that would compliment the building of A/C's as well as other wartime products.  At FO WR, a section of the plant (sort of "cloak and dagger" at the time) was involved in early jet/rocket technology.  (Cf:  Ford Willow Run: The Jet Age thread.)   Also, as an aside,  at the end of the war when FO WR was sold to the Kaiser-Fraser Corporation and returned to the production of automobiles (the Kaiser, the Fraser and the Henry-J).  Simultaneous to this with the pending outbreak of the Korean Conflict, they built the C-123 and the Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar.  A good  book on the FO WR facility about its construction,  the airport, out-buildings, roadways, manufacturing setup etc. is: WILLOW RUN: Colossus Of American Industry by Warren B. Kidder (1995).  Although out-of-print, I have seen it available on Amazon.com and on a few other sites.   I love that Stephen Ambrose quote!  Best Regards!  Steven 

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Prior to the "final buildout" of the B-24M's at FO WR in June of 1945 (final A/C #8685: 28JN45), a "visitor" at the plant brought us the final realization that what we had seen, heard about and read about  WAS a reality.  The "B-29 Superfortress," which had already been highly successful in the Pacific Theatre, was now the obvious replacement A/C for long distance missions.  This is also one of my favorite photos!  I suppose I could retitle it: "Boeing vs Consolidated" or "B-29 vs B-24."  At any rate, enjoy!   Best Regards!    Steven 

[image]local://upfiles/11777/22C386AC74C74243BB6C57B122C8D8F0.jpg[/image]

Attached Image(s)

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Thought I'd share this photo of the "first B-24 Production Line A/C" to come out of the south hangar doors onto the tarmac at FO WR.   Steven

[image]local://upfiles/11777/2C69AD16899B40BF9AABE2A3A1B9107A.jpg[/image]

Attached Image(s)

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Almost 3 and 1/3 years after the 1st fully completed B-24E was rolled out the hangar door (post #51), the final B-24M FO WR Assembly Line Production A/C, #8685, was sent on its way by the factory workers and Ford Management.  In comparing the two photos, much had changed.  Long since were the days of the media's nickname of "Willit Run" to the Henry Ford "vision" of "a bomber every hour."     Steven

[image]local://upfiles/11777/B963D0D96E5A472EA21B662BB9DA972A.jpg[/image]

Attached Image(s)

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Steven,
 
Your use of the 8,685 figure for Ford B-24 production is, as I'm sure you know, misleading since it includes 1,893 sets of Knock Down (KD) kits produced at WR but assembled into flyable airplanes by Douglas at Tulsa and Consolidated at Fort Worth. From the contractural standpoint a KD was considered 80% of a complete B-24, thus the most Ford could really claim from its KD production would have been 80% of 1893, or 1,514. (And as it turned out this figure should be reduced by two since the first two KDs sent to Douglas suffered from such poor workmanship that they were never assembled into flyable B-24s.)
 
The Willow Run Story is impressive enough without embellishment, even though Ford itself did so in order to counteract its early 'Willit Run?' reputation. However, painting "Ford's 8000th Liberator" on the nose of an airplane did not make it so. I respectfully suggest that WR production of B-24s be cited as the 6,792 figure found in all official documentation on the subject.
 
Al Blue

Al,    Thanks for the post and the information!  Here is a quote from Post #15 of this thread:      Don,   Here is a better copy of the final B24M rollowing out of the WR Plant, #8685, the total number of which included "knockdowns."  Also in posts #3,4,5 and 14 I referenced the KD's which were shipped from FO WR to DT and CF.   Trucking was always an issue, especially thought the narrow and hilly roads of southeastern Michigan or to rails.  Of the 8685, I've always included the 1,893 KD's which was more of a FO WR bias than the official documentations.  As the Quality of those first A/C's, I believe that it was more of a challenge to "get the plant off the ground," and your comment about the first two KD's to DT was appropos.  As I've mentioned to many, I wonder some times if the A/C in post #51 could have truly flown, or was it just the first hurdle for ole Henry.    Best Regards!   Steven 

[image]local://upfiles/11777/8DFEB81998824474A41D58256DDE360D.jpg[/image]

Attached Image(s)

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Good Morning,   For those of you with a passing interest in the FO WR Plant, I've attached the link to a "thread" focusing on an aspect of the plant.  Thoght it would be appropriate here.       Steven 
 
http://forum.armyairforces.com/m_131939/tm.htm

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

I had not been aware that the Willow Run plant had the unfortunate nickname of Willit Run.  The P-51D in the Smithsonian Air & Space museum is painted with the markings of the351st FS, 353rd FG, 8th AF and sports the words "Willie Run?"  Does this imply that the Willow Run plant produced Mustangs at one point or was that name borrowed for this plane for other reasons?
Paul


[image]local://upfiles/8041/AB9B780B69114AC68AD690B2EC5C4C06.jpg[/image]

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Paul, the only other A/C's produced at FO WR were after the war years when Kaiser-Fraser took over the facility.  (This is outlined in post #49 above.)   FO WR did dabble in "JP" a bit which I briefly wrote about in the Thread: Ford Willow Run: The Jet Age.  As far as I know, there was no connection between the media tag on FO WR as "WillitRun" and the P-51D at the Smithsonian.  I will say this, however, there may be an underlying personal connection there, but I do not know of any.  hopefully, this answers your query.   Best Regards!  Steven

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Paul--Steven          this is the original "Willit Run"  44-14771  YJ-L in late 1944; it was named by it's regular pilot Capt. Fred LeFebre . His P-47 was called "Chief Wahoo" after a cartoon character, it may have had something to do with that.
 
Steven.....do you think the first B-24E in your post 51 was in overall zinc chromate primer ? looks like the canopy and nose frames were already painted OD. I havn't seen a colour photo of a B-24 in it's original factory finish.
In black and white it looks similar to Sand.                 Thanks              Nick

Attached Image(s)

Nick,  Can't give you an honest, factual answer!  However, based on your conjecture, you might be right.  I have no color photos except one  actual of a '44 clean skin that is extremely blurry.  Also, what detailed info I have from records has very little on "paint."  Kidder's book on FO WR has mostly generic references on paint.  Unless there is someone out there who has some documentation or still has a good memory, we may be outta luck here.  Steven

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum