Secret Boeing Factory

[Dave Homewood]

This is a great article and photo of a camouflaged Boeing factory in WWII

http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/5302332 ... er-existed

[WallyB]

This is a great article and photo of a camouflaged Boeing factory in WWII

http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/5302332 ... er-existed

More here: http://www.taphilo.com/history/WWII/USA ... ndex.shtml

I think they were being a bit optimistic about the potential enemy's bombing accuracy; if Boeing Field had been attacked I'm quite sure some loads would have missed and hit the factory anyway, camo. or not.

[The Inspector]

Under that is what used to be Plant 2, birthplace of the 314 Clippers, the XB-15, thousands of B-17's, the B-47, B-52, and the first three 737's, and now being demolished . Everything was well hidden in plain sight, even the runways and ramps by clever application of paint that made the field look like a neighborhood development with 'streets' and 'parks' until some Army bean massager decided the field needed barrage balloons, they were put out and the field then stuck out like a flashlight in a dark basement.
Salvagers of wooden beams are paying huge money for the old growth beams in the building, some four feet thick X 2 feet wide.

The lighter colored sawtooth buildings in WALLYB's link were Jorgenson Steel and out the top of the picture (South) was Kenworths original plant (the very dark structures built out of dark, dark red bricks), the MoF is a bit outside the top of that photo, and the 1st. South bridge in the photos is being removed and replaced. In spite of what the text says, no B-29's were built @ BFI, it was the delivery point and production flight test center for the 29 since Renton is just over the hill and pretty small as far as ramp space.

[WallyB]

Santa Monica, Burbank and March Field too:
http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/flyin ... fornia.htm

[The Inspector]

COOL! Those are the first detailed photos of Douglas' Plant I've seen! THANX
Must have been tough working outside under dappled sunlight all day, gentle breezes blowing under the camo-

[jdvoss]

Actually I believe that most A/C plants along the west coast of the US had a similar camoflauge application. A book entitled "Flight" has a photo of the NAA plant at Inglewood, CA (now LAX) with the same type of camoflauge. Actaully I was born and raised in Santa Monica (California) and at the age of 4 years I still recall being in our car driving down Wilshire Blvd toward the retail district and being under the camoflauge netting all the way to the beach. Wilshire blvd was about a mile north of the Douglas plant. Also as a point of interest Santa Monica is known for its pier. My parents told me that during the war the pier lined up with potential strategic targets so a second "dummy pier" was constructed near by. Interesting !!!

Given the potential attack by the Japanese upon west coast aircraft facilities all post Dec 7 factories were built in the mid-west. Douglas in Tulsa, OKC & Chicago, NAA in Dallas & KC, Republic in IN, Boeing in KS, Martin in Omaha, Consolidated in Ft. Worth, Curtiss in Columbus, Lexington & St. Louis, Ford in MI, Vultee in TN...the list goes on.

[WallyB]

COOL! Those are the first detailed photos of Douglas' Plant I've seen! THANX
Must have been tough working outside under dappled sunlight all day, gentle breezes blowing under the camo-

Here's Lockheed Burbank: http://www.boreme.com/posting.php?id=12885