Edsel Ford

[Patrick L.]

And my dad flew B-24s. Said they were the only plane that gave him callouses.

My father also flew during WW2 and Korea. 24's and 29's. He said the 17s and 29s flew beautifully, but, the 24 was a hand full.

I have a bit of time in a 17 [ Fuddy Duddy ] and they do fly nicely and was able to get behind the wheel of a 24 once for a short time. The 17 is a mild mannered gentleman, The 24 is rude, crude, noisy and vibrates like crazy.

 

[Mulletwagon]

I hope not to get too far off the topic... The story of the Ford Willow Run bomber plant is a truly remarkable feat of industrialization. The time line from concept to production is astonishing, some 16 months from the time that Edsel Ford and his team of manufacturing wizards visited Consolidated in San Diego to "see how an airplane is built" to the first "Ford assembled B-24" ... all this from corn field to 4,734,617 s.f. factory, all this in a year and a half. You couldn't even get permits approved these days in that time frame.
The definitive book on the subject is "Willow Run, Colossus of American Industry" by Warren B. Kidder. It's an amazing read!
To add a personal note, my father a Ford Motor journeyman tool and die maker worked at Willow Run through the war building and repairing the many tools, jigs and fixtures that enabled Ford to employ assembly line techniques to the massive airplane.

Good flick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2zukteYbGQ

 

[WTSHNN]

The definitive book on the subject is "Willow Run, Colossus of American Industry" by Warren B. Kidder. It's an amazing read!

I'll add that to my reading list. I've read, and really enjoyed, Arsenal of Democracy by AJ Baime which also focused heavily on Ford's involvement in WWII and the Willow Run plant.

-Tim

 

[WTSHNN]

Stumbled across this image today, evidently he was a happy man after finally convincing his father to replace the Model T.

Image is taken from the Ford Industrial Exposition in NY, January 1928.

https://www.thehenryford.org/collec...l-collections/artifact/242779#slide=gs-280697




-Tim

 

[Jeff/Illinois]

And my dad flew B-24s. Said they were the only plane that gave him callouses.

My Dad's best friend growing up was a B-24 pilot in the war. He trained on 17's was sent to England and they threw him in a B-24.

He told me all it was was a big fuel tank with bombs and it didn't hold up like the B-17. It was common for them to have the wings break off at the fuselage.

He also said that it was real physical to fly, and they'd have to help him out of the pilot's seat at the end of a mission he was so cramped up.

If it hadn't been for Edsel we wouldn't have a Model A Ford. Edsel and Bob Gregorie were responsible for the BEAUTIFUL 1930's Ford Flathead V-8 cars. Henry was a drivetrain/chassis man and didn't give a hoot about looks, colors, or interiors.

Henry was real mean to Edsel because he was trying to 'man him up'. What a jerk. After Edsel died, Henry broke down realizing what he had done to his only son.

 

[rotorwrench]

The B24 was a good bit faster than the B17 and could carry a bit heavier load. My Pop hated going on missions with other B24 groups if they got separated. The B24s would get there first so there was no surprises when the B17s showed up. The flack was heavy and it was hard to see the targets with all the smoke billowing up. The saving grace was that the B17 could fly at higher altitudes with that big set of wings. The flak batteries had a harder time judging their altitudes in the combat box formations.

The B17 could take a lot of battle damage and that's what brought the old man home after it was all over. He never got shot down but he was involved in a landing wreck that killed more than half of the crew he was with. I've known several of his squadron mates that did get shot down and spent the rest of the war in POW camps. They all stayed close after the war and had yearly reunions. The B24 guys did too. They all played there part in that hazardous job.