I’m standing in a cavernous, 144,000-square-foot industrial building that once produced the B-24 Liberator bombers that helped the United States win World War II. The former plant at the Willow Run Airport near Ann Arbor, Michigan, is one of three historic buildings that comprise the Yankee Air Museum.
Although this structure seems gigantic, it is only a small portion of the original complex, which was 5 million square feet.
“Before the U.S. entered the war, we were producing one B-24 Liberator a month,” says Kevin Walsh, the museum’s executive director since 2012. “This entire plant was constructed in 18 months, and by 1942, one bomber rolled off the assembly line every 55 minutes.”
Willow Run was the largest war factory in the world, and it was Henry Ford’s automotive assembly-line method that made such volume possible.
“No battles were fought at the Willow Run plant, but a war was won here,” Walsh says. “We out-produced and out-trained our enemy. No nation could compete with our manufacturing capacities. The Germans literally ran out of manpower. They were more technologically advanced, but it was sheer numbers (of people and weapons) that won the war.”
More than 42,000 people were employed at the Willow Run plant; half were women. Hence the museum’s celebration of Rosie the Riveter, the icon that represented the thousands of women who worked in war-time factories and other home-front jobs much of the male population had joined the military.
After the war, the Willow Run bomber plant was transformed into a General Motors factory. When GM went bankrupt, it demolished all but the building we are standing in. This section was purchased by the museum, which is dedicated to telling Michigan’s contribution to aviation history. Today, the building houses several vintage planes in need of restoration, keeping them safe from the whims and wilds of Michigan weather.
Eventually, the museum hopes this former airplane manufacturing plant will be its main showcase where planes and artifacts are stored, preserved and exhibited.
Until then, visitors can explore the Collections & Exhibits Building, 22,000 square feet of permanent and changing exhibits that include artifacts such as uniforms, maps, models and mock-ups. Walsh opens a drawer to show us an escape-route map printed on silk and carried by pilots in case they went down behind enemy lines.
“ … I love coming to work each day,” Walsh says. “The volunteers and staff share the same passion and it makes for an incredible work environment.”
Walsh escorts us to a third building on the Willow Run campus, a 30,000-square-foot hangar that acts as maintenance central for several restored vintage aircraft: the B-17G “Yankee Lady;” B-25D “Yankee Warrior;” C-47D “Hairless Joe” Skytrain; and an open-cockpit WACO biplane. A UH-1H Vietnam era “Huey” Helicopter is currently under restoration.
“There were 12,731 B-17s originally,” Walsh says. “Today there are eight still flying and four under restoration to flying condition. There are probably an additional 20 to 25 static air frames.”
I elect to do a climb-through (it’s difficult to fully stand in the fuselage) of the B-25. During the war, it was known as the most heavily armed aircraft in the world. Moving gingerly to the cockpit, I get an appreciation for what flight crews had to endure during bombing runs. No heating, air-conditioning, cushy seats or bathrooms. And imagine sitting for hours in a gun turret.
The future of the museum looks bright.
“In less than 12 months, we are moving into our new aeronautics center,” Walsh says. “The airplanes will have a new home … on the same side of airport as the museum.”
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1 comment
Great story…always love your work.
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