Aircraft Production: Where did they go

[Wuzak]

The US production capacity was far beyond the abilities of the other major combatants in WW2. They churned out equipment like you wouldn't believe.

Take aircraft. Between 1940 and 1945 Consolidated and contractors built 18,482 Liberators, a few of which were early marks of limited usefulness (prototypes and the like). Boeing and partners built 12,085 F & G model B-17s - ie the battle ready variants.

Where did they all go? There must have been some large yards full of aircraft waiting to be deployed somewhere?

I believe that by 1944 the 8th AF had as many as 2000 operational heavies. Were there similar numbers deployed elsewhere?

[Ricky]

Don't forget that you need to factor in aircraft used for training (though this would be a smallish number) plus relacements for losses (combat and otherwise) plus replacement of older models.

[Stony]

I remember a picture taken somewere in Austria shortly after ww2, where dozens of B-17's were stored in a field.
I guess that the bulk of those planes returned to the U.S. or that they were scrapped at site, taken in mind that the b-17's were taken of strength directly after ww2.

[Kutscha]

Take a look here Wuzak
http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/aafsd/aafsd_list_of_tables_aircraftequipment.html

Heavies 'on hand' in the ETO did not reach the 2000 number til March 1944.

[Wuzak]

So where did they go?

According to one of those reports there were 2615 heavy bombers accepted in 1942 and 9524 in 1943.

[Ricky]

Well, some will have gone to other theatres (CBI, PTO, North Africa/Med), some were used for Coastal patrol (both UK and USA)...

And, I guess, production of aircraft would outstrip production of crews...

So, storage? Until needed.

[Red Admiral]

Littered over the French and German countryside?

Lots were cut up or just left postwar as well.

[GregP]

The WWII U.S.A. aircraft procudtions was as follows:

Type of airplane 1940¹ 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945² Total
Combat airplanes 1,771 8,395 24,669 53,183 74,564 37,861 200,443
Very heavy bombers -- -- 4 91 1,147 2,498 3,740
Heavy bombers 46 282 2,513 9,574 15,057 4,213 31,685
Medium bombers 52 762 4,040 7,256 6,732 2,619 21,461
Light bombers 453 2,617 5,954 11,848 12,376 6,738 39,986
Fighters 1,157 4,036 10,721 23,621 38,848 21,082 99,465
Reconnaissance 63 698 1,437 793 404 711 4,106
Support airplanes 1,840 10,071 22,238 31,670 21,706 7,991 95,516
Transports 164 525 1,887 6,913 9,925 4,486 23,900
Trainers 1,676 9,294 17,237 20,950 7,936 1,352 58,445
Communications -- 252 3,114 4,167 3,845 2,153 13,531
Grand total 3,611 18,466 46,907 84,853 96,270 45,852 295,959

The recipients of these aircraft were as follows:

Type of airplane US AAF US Nav-Mar Other U.S. British USSR Others Total
Combat airplanes 99,487 56,695 8 27,152 13,929 3,172 200,443
Very heavy bombers 3,740 - - - - - 3,740
Heavy bombers 27,867 1,683 - 2,135 - - 31,685
Medium bombers 11,835 4,693 8 3,247 1,010 638 21,461
Light bombers 7,779 20,703 - 8,003 3,021 480 39,986
Fighters 47,050 27,163 - 13,417 9,868 1,967 99,465
Reconnaissance 1,216 2,453 - 350 30 57 4,106
Support airplanes 59,939 17,016 3,706 11,659 788 2,954 95,516
Transports 15,769 2,702 267 3,789 703 670 23,900
Trainers 34,469 13,859 3 7,640 85 2,029 58,085
Communications 9,155 455 3,436 230 - 255 13,531
Grand total 158,880 73,711 3,714 38,811 14,717 6,126 295,959

- Greg


PS: Sorry about the formatting ... Excel doesn't copy across very well, but the data are there. Spaces separate the numbers, commas are a thousands delimiter. That is: 73,711 is 73711. :)

Note, the totals both add up to 295959 aircraft. Some sources differ, but don't break down the recipients either. I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too.

[Wuzak]

Easier to read version:


Type of airplane 1940¹ 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945² Total
Combat airplanes 1,771 8,395 24,669 53,183 74,564 37,861 200,443
Very heavy bombers -- -- 4 91 1,147 2,498 3,740
Heavy bombers 46 282 2,513 9,574 15,057 4,213 31,685
Medium bombers 52 762 4,040 7,256 6,732 2,619 21,461
Light bombers 453 2,617 5,954 11,848 12,376 6,738 39,986
Fighters 1,157 4,036 10,721 23,621 38,848 21,082 99,465
Reconnaissance 63 698 1,437 793 404 711 4,106
Support airplanes 1,840 10,071 22,238 31,670 21,706 7,991 95,516
Transports 164 525 1,887 6,913 9,925 4,486 23,900
Trainers 1,676 9,294 17,237 20,950 7,936 1,352 58,445
Communications -- 252 3,114 4,167 3,845 2,153 13,531
Grand total 3,611 18,466 46,907 84,853 96,270 45,852 295,959

The recipients of these aircraft were as follows:


Type of airplane US AAF US Nav-Mar Other U.S. British USSR Others Total
Combat airplanes 99,487 56,695 8 27,152 13,929 3,172 200,443
Very heavy bombers 3,740 - - - - - 3,740
Heavy bombers 27,867 1,683 - 2,135 - - 31,685
Medium bombers 11,835 4,693 8 3,247 1,010 638 21,461
Light bombers 7,779 20,703 - 8,003 3,021 480 39,986
Fighters 47,050 27,163 - 13,417 9,868 1,967 99,465
Reconnaissance 1,216 2,453 - 350 30 57 4,106
Support airplanes 59,939 17,016 3,706 11,659 788 2,954 95,516
Transports 15,769 2,702 267 3,789 703 670 23,900
Trainers 34,469 13,859 3 7,640 85 2,029 58,085
Communications 9,155 455 3,436 230 - 255 13,531
Grand total 158,880 73,711 3,714 38,811 14,717 6,126 295,959

[Kutscha]

Greg, is that from Table 79 of the Army Air Forces Statistical Digest

[GregP]

Thanks Wuzak and Kutscha!

I have a lot of information that I got over many years. In earlier times, I did not note the sources, but I have the spreadsheets and figures ...

Nice to see SOMEONE is on the ball here.