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maxwell11's avatar
maxwell11
Explorer
Jan 11, 2014

B-24 Liberator bomber - Willow Run

hope it opens for you!

I know its a bit off topic, but after watching, you Ford boys may want to go out to the old Ford truck and salute.

as it's got a little of Willow Run in it.

A good video about the B-24 Liberator bomber. I think you'll enjoy it.

B-24 - Have you flown in a Ford lately?

This was BEFORE Pearl Harbor! Henry Ford was determined that he could mass produce bombers just as he had done with cars, so he built the Willow Run assembly plant in Mich. and proved it. It was the world's largest building under one roof at the time.
This film will absolutely blow you away - one B-24 every 55 minutes , and Ford had their own pilots to test them!!

ADOLF HITLER HAD NO IDEA THE U.S. WAS CAPABLE OF THIS KIND OF THING.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/iKlt6rNciTo?rel=0
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  • BuckBarker's avatar
    BuckBarker
    Explorer
    Jan 11, 2014
    A traveling air show called something like "The Wings of War" was in the area and they displayed a B17, a B24 and a P51. We got to walk through and I just couldn't imagine being inside one when in the middle of a fight. There were several WWII pilots show up for the show and so glad that the vast majority of the crowd were more interested in the vet's stories than the planes.
  • Randu's avatar
    Randu
    Explorer
    Jan 11, 2014
    Made it a clicky. Great to be off topic and see something interesting. Nascar and airplanes make up my top 3 interests along with the RV thing.

    Here's the link to "save the bomber plant. Same people also put on a great Airshow

    Randu
  • DirtyOil's avatar
    DirtyOil
    Explorer
    Jan 11, 2014
    The B-24 Liberator in its many variants were produced by Consolidated 9251 aircraft, Ford "Willow plant" 8685 aircraft with only 6784 aircraft assembled and 1901 knock-down kits available (knock-down kits are as suggested-parts enough to assemble an aircraft), North American 966 aircraft and Douglas 964 aircraft.

    B24 variants:
    XB-24, YB-24, B-24A, D, E, G, H, J (the most produced of the B-24 line-up), L, M, Liberator I, II, III and the LB-30.

    If not for the push from the US government during the early years of WWII, Ole-Henry would certainly of been or perhaps co-leader of the world. Remember he was a Nazi sympathizer!
  • BroncosFan's avatar
    BroncosFan
    Explorer
    Jan 11, 2014
    A number of good books out there on what the bomber crews went through. Thank you Veterans.
  • Water-Bug's avatar
    Water-Bug
    Explorer II
    Jan 11, 2014
    I lived in Ann Arbor, just west of there for a while. When a restored Liberator flew over, it sounded like driving down the highway surrounded by 20 Harleys.

    EDIT. Back on December 7th, I made the comment that Henry Ford made the US a world power, because he could build bombers faster than the Germans could shoot them down. Some people took issue with that opinion.
  • past-MIdirector's avatar
    past-MIdirector
    Explorer
    Jan 11, 2014
    The Yankee Museum there is collecting money to keep a small section of the plant hangers for them since they are tearing down what's left of the plant and hangers. It's a very nice museum if your ever in the Belleville, MI area to stop in!!!
  • Turtle_n_Peeps's avatar
    Turtle_n_Peeps
    Explorer
    Jan 11, 2014
    Loved the vid man. I worked on those engines way back in the day.

    Thanks for posting it here instead of ATC when it most likely would have been removed for some reason.

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