Were Bombers Go To Die......

[Jack Cook]

Kingman, AZ or Altus, OK

[daveymac82c]

Amazing Jack.

That's quite the picture.

As depressing it is to see that huge field full of bombers waiting to be ripped apart, I can look at it a different way.

Each airplane in the picture represents countless young men whose lives would no longer have to be put at risk with the end of the war finally a reality.

Thanks for posting Jack.

-David

[tom d. friedman]

what a sight to see.

I think I can just make out Dana Andrews walking thru there ....

[Second Air Force]

Jack, that is actually Walnut Ridge AAF, Arkansas. Contrary to popular belief, Kingman didn't store the largest total of surplus Army airplanes--Walnut Ridge holds that record. A lot of the B-17 and B-24 airframes in your photo were trainers, but many combat veterans are sprinkled in also. There were a large number of B-32s here, and parking was at such a premium that they towed P-47s onto the grass around barracks and the hospital area. Here's a link to the Walnut Ridge Museum site--check out the photos in collection 2 for a while.
http://www.walnutridge-aaf.com/museum2.htm
Ellen and I have flown over to Walnut Ridge numerous times, and it feels strange lining up on a runway that saw the last flight of so many of the airplanes we are all so passionate about. Here's one from the link above:

The NMF aircraft in the left-center of my photo parked the other direction are new C-54's fresh from the plant.

Scott

[tom d. friedman]

and to think that 4 years prior this country wasn't even on an industrial war footing!!!!

[Django]

Good point David.

But it still brings a tear to my eye.

[F3V]

In 1947, the representatives for the National Geographical Institute of France met faced with these planes by hundreds, with for mission to choose four, they finally had of B-17 counting less than 20 hours of theft
F-BEEA: http://www.b-17-flying-fortress.fr/apres/F-BEEA.html
F-BEEB: http://www.b-17-flying-fortress.fr/apres/F-BEEB.html
F-BEEC: http://www.b-17-flying-fortress.fr/apres/F-BEEC.html
F-BEED: http://www.b-17-flying-fortress.fr/apres/F-BEED.html

F-BEEA crashed in 1989
F-BEEB crashed in 1949
F-BEEC: now at the Lone Star Flight Museum
F-BEED: scrapped but her nose was installed on Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby

A big history for this four Fortresses, F-BEEA fly from 1947 to 1989! (more than 10.000 hours ti fly) and F-BEEC who fly from 1947 to 1975 (5000 hours to fly) and 1984 to 2007 in USA

I love this Fortresses of the French IGN

[valdez25]

They say you still can't drink the water in Walnut Ridge.

[aerovin]

Sounds like an excuse to me.

[Taylor Stevenson]

pic makes me a little sick...

[Warbird Kid]

Wish I could've had the chance to walk out there and try and find my Grandfathers B-24.

[Jiggersfromsphilly]

In 1947, the representatives for the National Geographical Institute of France met faced with these planes by hundreds, with for mission to choose four, they finally had of B-17 counting less than 20 hours of theft
F-BEEA: http://www.b-17-flying-fortress.fr/apres/F-BEEA.html
F-BEEB: http://www.b-17-flying-fortress.fr/apres/F-BEEB.html
F-BEEC: http://www.b-17-flying-fortress.fr/apres/F-BEEC.html
F-BEED: http://www.b-17-flying-fortress.fr/apres/F-BEED.html

F-BEEA crashed in 1989
F-BEEB crashed in 1949
F-BEEC: now at the Lone Star Flight Museum
F-BEED: scrapped but her nose was installed on Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby

A big history for this four Fortresses, F-BEEA fly from 1947 to 1989! (more than 10.000 hours ti fly) and F-BEEC who fly from 1947 to 1975 (5000 hours to fly) and 1984 to 2007 in USA

I love this Fortresses of the French IGN

It was not th enose but the whole fusalage and wings that were given by the French. It was airlifted by a C-5 staioned at Dover AFB to Dover where it was retored.

Here is a link

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsh ... asp?id=512

[Shedwork]

WOW!

The aerial armada of freedom...

As Tom said regards industrial capacity it almost beggars belief the output from the arsenal of democracy once US industry got onto a war footing.

Seeing this pic brings to mind the words attributted to Yamamoto by Hollywood in the movie Tora Tora Tora: "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."

Any one have any sources or figures on the US total output of aircraft in WWII?

As always Jack an amazing pic - thanks for posting!

Cheers
Mark

[aerovin]

A figure I derived and used in Military Aircraft Boneyards was 294,000 aircraft produced by the U.S. between June 1940 and August 1945.

That would average over 4,700 per month or 158 aircraft delivered per day, on average.

Of course, in early 1945, Boeing alone was cranking out 16 B-17s a day at Seattle.

The U.S. inventory of military aircraft in July 1945, all services, was 106,707, of which the AAF had 65, 795.