These three combat aircraft accounted for 44,300 Aircraft
15883 "Jug" Pilots 15686 "Mustang" Pilots and 114579 Just to fill the Crew positions on the B-17
05/16/1940 - FDR in a speech on Defense - asked for 50,000 planes per year
5 major CA companies began massive expansion: Douglas, Lockheed, North American, Vultee, Consair -
Douglas A-26 "Invader" 2,446 were built
Consolidated Vaultee B-24 "Liberator" 18,188 B-24 aircraftaircraft were built
More than any other WW II Military Aircraft
Most were produced at "Willow Run" Detroit, Michigan
At the rate of one B-24 every 59:34 Minutes, 24 hours
a day, seven days a week, 462 a month
Number of rivets in the B-24: 313,237
Martin B-26 "Maurader" 5,000 B-26s built "AKA" The Widow Maker
Lockheed P-38 "Lightning" 9,923 were built
"Fork Tailed Devil" The Germans called it.
Richard Ira Bong
WW II Ace of Ace's
Curtiss SB2C "Helldiver" 7,000 Helldivers were built
Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 12,731 Flying Fortresses were produced during the war.
A total of over 47,000 8th Air Force aircrew died in the daylight battles over occupied Europe
Black Thursday Schweinfurt Oct. 14, 1943
60 B-17's and 600 aircrew, The worst day of WW II
for the 8th Air Force Command
Bell "Airacobra" the Russians received nearly 5000 P-39s through the lend-lease program
Almost 9,000 units were built and delivered before production ended in 1944.
Bell "Kingcobra " nearly 3,300 aircraft were produced before the end of the war.
Russians bought 2,400 Kingcobras, and a further 300 were flown by the Free French
Curtiss P-40 "War Hawk" 13,800 planes produced, starting in June, 1940.
One of my High School buddies had a cousin that was a member of the AVG "Flying Tigers"
Republic "Thunderbolt" A total of 15,883 "T-Bolt" or "Jugs" were built.
Francis S. Gabreski
In February 1943, Gabby joined the 56th Fighter Group,
flying P-47 Thunderbolts. In July 1944, he scored his 28th victory
Gabby was my Wing Commander when I was at the "Beach"
flying the F-100-D/F
Douglas SBD A-24 Dauntless "Banshee" 5,936 were built
Grumman TBF "Avenger" 9,836 (7,546 by General Motors) First saw service at "Battle of Midway"
"Valentine" Case in one of the 11,700 Vought F4U Corsair "Whistling Death"
planes produced, starting in July, 1942 & Entering service mid-1943.
If you guessed 125,249 Your pretty close
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days 'til November 5th 2006
Don't you fail to come to the
AF Class 57G Reunion
November 5 to 8, 2006
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