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- Edsel Ford, P.E. Martin, and Charles Sorensen Breaking Ground at Ford Motor Company Willow Run Bomber Plant, September 17, 1940 - Ford Motor Company president Edsel Ford joined production managers P.E. Martin and Charles Sorensen in a September 1940 groundbreaking ceremony for the company's Willow Run bomber plant, 35 miles west of Detroit. When finished, the complex employed more than 42,000 people and included more than seven million square feet of floor space. Workers there built one B-24 bomber every 63 minutes.
- September 17, 1940
- Collections - Artifact
Edsel Ford, P.E. Martin, and Charles Sorensen Breaking Ground at Ford Motor Company Willow Run Bomber Plant, September 17, 1940
Ford Motor Company president Edsel Ford joined production managers P.E. Martin and Charles Sorensen in a September 1940 groundbreaking ceremony for the company's Willow Run bomber plant, 35 miles west of Detroit. When finished, the complex employed more than 42,000 people and included more than seven million square feet of floor space. Workers there built one B-24 bomber every 63 minutes.
- Employees at Willow Run Assembling Bomber Frame, February 1943 - At Willow Run, Ford Motor Company built B-24 bomber planes for World War II using automobile mass production techniques. Airplanes were much more complex than cars. They required constant design changes poorly suited to a standardized assembly line. Ford overcame these difficulties and, at the plant's peak, Willow Run crews produced an average of one bomber every 63 minutes.
- February 04, 1943
- Collections - Artifact
Employees at Willow Run Assembling Bomber Frame, February 1943
At Willow Run, Ford Motor Company built B-24 bomber planes for World War II using automobile mass production techniques. Airplanes were much more complex than cars. They required constant design changes poorly suited to a standardized assembly line. Ford overcame these difficulties and, at the plant's peak, Willow Run crews produced an average of one bomber every 63 minutes.
- Overhead View of Tool and Die Department, Willow Run Bomber Plant, August 1943 - At Willow Run, Ford Motor Company built B-24 bomber planes for World War II using automobile mass production techniques. Airplanes were much more complex than cars. They required constant design changes poorly suited to a standardized assembly line. Ford overcame these difficulties and, at the plant's peak, Willow Run crews produced an average of one bomber every 63 minutes.
- August 27, 1943
- Collections - Artifact
Overhead View of Tool and Die Department, Willow Run Bomber Plant, August 1943
At Willow Run, Ford Motor Company built B-24 bomber planes for World War II using automobile mass production techniques. Airplanes were much more complex than cars. They required constant design changes poorly suited to a standardized assembly line. Ford overcame these difficulties and, at the plant's peak, Willow Run crews produced an average of one bomber every 63 minutes.
- Building the B-24 Center Wing in Record Time, Willow Run Bomber Plant, 1942 - At Willow Run, Ford Motor Company built B-24 bomber planes for World War II using automobile mass production techniques. Airplanes were much more complex than cars. They required constant design changes poorly suited to a standardized assembly line. Ford overcame these difficulties and, at the plant's peak, Willow Run crews produced an average of one bomber every 63 minutes.
- November 30, 1942
- Collections - Artifact
Building the B-24 Center Wing in Record Time, Willow Run Bomber Plant, 1942
At Willow Run, Ford Motor Company built B-24 bomber planes for World War II using automobile mass production techniques. Airplanes were much more complex than cars. They required constant design changes poorly suited to a standardized assembly line. Ford overcame these difficulties and, at the plant's peak, Willow Run crews produced an average of one bomber every 63 minutes.
- World War II Poster, "Yessir! Rick We'll Make Willow Run Hitler's Headache!," circa 1943 - The people of Ford Motor Company's Willow Run plant felt -- justifiably -- that their efforts were crucial to Allied victory in World War II. The B-24 Liberator airplanes they built formed the backbone of the Allies' strategic bombing campaign against Germany. Posters like this reinforced the idea that the harder Willow Run's employees worked, the weaker the enemy became.
- circa 1943
- Collections - Artifact
World War II Poster, "Yessir! Rick We'll Make Willow Run Hitler's Headache!," circa 1943
The people of Ford Motor Company's Willow Run plant felt -- justifiably -- that their efforts were crucial to Allied victory in World War II. The B-24 Liberator airplanes they built formed the backbone of the Allies' strategic bombing campaign against Germany. Posters like this reinforced the idea that the harder Willow Run's employees worked, the weaker the enemy became.
- Employee Florence Nightingale Working at Willow Run Bomber Plant, 1942 - At Willow Run, Ford Motor Company built B-24 bomber planes for World War II using automobile mass production techniques. Airplanes were much more complex than cars. They required constant design changes poorly suited to a standardized assembly line. Ford overcame these difficulties and, at the plant's peak, Willow Run crews produced an average of one bomber every 63 minutes.
- July 25, 1942
- Collections - Artifact
Employee Florence Nightingale Working at Willow Run Bomber Plant, 1942
At Willow Run, Ford Motor Company built B-24 bomber planes for World War II using automobile mass production techniques. Airplanes were much more complex than cars. They required constant design changes poorly suited to a standardized assembly line. Ford overcame these difficulties and, at the plant's peak, Willow Run crews produced an average of one bomber every 63 minutes.
- Henry Ford Watching Workers Riveting Center Wing Section at the Willow Run Bomber Plant, 1942 - At Willow Run, Ford Motor Company built B-24 bomber planes for World War II using automobile mass production techniques. Airplanes were much more complex than cars. They required constant design changes poorly suited to a standardized assembly line. Ford overcame these difficulties and, at the plant's peak, Willow Run crews produced an average of one bomber every 63 minutes.
- December 21, 1942
- Collections - Artifact
Henry Ford Watching Workers Riveting Center Wing Section at the Willow Run Bomber Plant, 1942
At Willow Run, Ford Motor Company built B-24 bomber planes for World War II using automobile mass production techniques. Airplanes were much more complex than cars. They required constant design changes poorly suited to a standardized assembly line. Ford overcame these difficulties and, at the plant's peak, Willow Run crews produced an average of one bomber every 63 minutes.
- 6,000th B-24 Bomber at Ford Motor Company Willow Run Plant, September 9, 1944 - Mass producing B-24 bombers during World War II was no easy feat -- not even for the company that invented modern mass production. But Ford Motor Company was building one airplane every 63 minutes at its Willow Run plant by March 1944. Ford produced its 6,000th B-24 that September. Another 2,685 were built before production ended in May 1945.
- September 09, 1944
- Collections - Artifact
6,000th B-24 Bomber at Ford Motor Company Willow Run Plant, September 9, 1944
Mass producing B-24 bombers during World War II was no easy feat -- not even for the company that invented modern mass production. But Ford Motor Company was building one airplane every 63 minutes at its Willow Run plant by March 1944. Ford produced its 6,000th B-24 that September. Another 2,685 were built before production ended in May 1945.
- 6,000th B-24 Bomber at Ford Motor Company Willow Run Plant, September 9, 1944 - Mass producing B-24 bombers during World War II was no easy feat -- not even for the company that invented modern mass production. But Ford Motor Company was building one airplane every 63 minutes at its Willow Run plant by March 1944. Ford produced its 6,000th B-24 that September. Another 2,685 were built before production ended in May 1945.
- September 09, 1944
- Collections - Artifact
6,000th B-24 Bomber at Ford Motor Company Willow Run Plant, September 9, 1944
Mass producing B-24 bombers during World War II was no easy feat -- not even for the company that invented modern mass production. But Ford Motor Company was building one airplane every 63 minutes at its Willow Run plant by March 1944. Ford produced its 6,000th B-24 that September. Another 2,685 were built before production ended in May 1945.
- 6,000th B-24 Bomber at Ford Motor Company Willow Run Plant, September 9, 1944 - Mass producing B-24 bombers during World War II was no easy feat -- not even for the company that invented modern mass production. But Ford Motor Company was building one airplane every 63 minutes at its Willow Run plant by March 1944. Ford produced its 6,000th B-24 that September. Another 2,685 were built before production ended in May 1945.
- September 09, 1944
- Collections - Artifact
6,000th B-24 Bomber at Ford Motor Company Willow Run Plant, September 9, 1944
Mass producing B-24 bombers during World War II was no easy feat -- not even for the company that invented modern mass production. But Ford Motor Company was building one airplane every 63 minutes at its Willow Run plant by March 1944. Ford produced its 6,000th B-24 that September. Another 2,685 were built before production ended in May 1945.