Warbird Information Exchange

Found these pics and though you might enjoy
www.nosc.mil/sti/visualmedia/photos/otc40s.html

Looks like a B-32 at rear of production line.

http://www.nosc.mil/sti/visualmedia/pho ... c40s/7.JPG

Regards,
Mike

Great photos. I especially like the one with the boxcars and PBY fuselages.

RICK

Great pictures. I grew up in San Diego and was always fascinated by that place. Unfortunately a lot of those builds are gone now.

Good eye Mike!

That would be the first production B-32 off the San Diego line. Only one production airplane was accepted by the AAF, and several (5 or 6) were flown to storage without being accepted by the Army. In addition, the three prototypes were built at San Diego in '42.

Scott

those pics convey a staggering perspective of homefront war effort & u.s. work ethic. i'm currently reading a book on the ww 2 homefront cause, & those pics sure tell the tale. the book i'm reading is.... DON'T YOU KNOW THERE'S A WAR ON? THE AMERICAN HOME FRONT 1941 -1945 BY RICHARD R. LINGEMAN. a great read, & very comprehensive as to detail.

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Isn't at least some of the building shown in the top photo still standing along I-5 north of the airport? They sure look like the ones I have seen on many trips there.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Cool pics!

What always amazes me about those WWII factory photos is the almost complete lack of safety equipment. Few of the workers are even wearing gloves, let alone eye or ear protection. The machines also have few, if any, safety guards or interlocks. I always wonder how many extremities, not to mention lives, were lost in factories on the home front.


SN

Yes, there are a few still left.

Notice the goodies in the sixth photo down in the left-hand column? Here is an enlargement of the good stuff:

I count four Coronados and a fair number of B-24/LB-30s in outdoor assembly.

Scott

The plane in the extreme upper left corner looks like a twin-engine bird. I wonder if it could be the XP4Y-1?

SN

Great collection- thank you

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Steve,

I think you're right about the upper left airplane being the XP4Y-1 instead of another PB2Y. It was at the factory for rework required by the Navy at some time in 1940. Makes the picture even cooler.

Scott

Yup, some are still left. I just drove by it last night and wonder how many people know what happened there once.

I remember when the Collings bird came down one time and parked by the buildings, the emotion was kinda hard to describe. Shame I lost all the pics I took that day.

I can remember when I was young and we were at the Coast Guard station accross the street looking at all of those buildings, there was activity there then. Of the few buildings that are left I think they are Northrop/Grumman missle defense systems now. and of all of the buildings they tore down it's a real shame to see butt loads of rental cars parked in there place now.
Scott..........