American manufacturers drove massive aircraft production during World War II

Ford’s Willow Run factory became a symbol of wartime production due to its substantial contribution to total B-24 deliveries that supported Allied operations.

Boeing primarily manufactured two major bombers: the B-17 Flying Fortress (12,692 built) and the B-29 Superfortress (3,898 built). The B-17 was central to daylight bombing campaigns over Nazi-held Europe while the more advanced B-29 played a crucial role in the Pacific theater—including delivering atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.

North American Aviation developed several influential aircraft: the AT-6 Texan trainer; the medium-range B-25 Mitchell bomber—famous for participating in missions such as the Doolittle Raid; and most notably the P-51 Mustang fighter. The P-51 provided essential long-range escort for bombers deep into enemy territory and is credited with helping turn air superiority decisively toward Allied forces.

Douglas Aircraft Company contributed multiple types including dive bombers like SBD Dauntless and A-24 Banshee; attack aircraft such as A-20 Havoc; long-haul transports like C-54 Skymaster; but especially C-47 Skytrain troop/cargo carriers based on their DC-3 airliner design. Over 16,000 C-47s were eventually produced worldwide under various licenses—including by Soviet Union and Imperial Japan prior to hostilities.

Lockheed focused on fighters such as P-38 Lightning—the first design by Kelly Johnson who would later establish Skunk Works—as well as Hudson and Ventura bombers used by both US and Allied forces. The versatile twin-engine P-38 proved effective across multiple theaters for escort duties and reconnaissance missions.

Curtiss-Wright originated from a merger between Glenn Curtiss’ company and that of aviation pioneers Orville & Wilbur Wright. Its main WWII products included thousands of P-40 Warhawk fighters (notably flown by China-based “Flying Tigers”), SB2C Helldiver dive bombers for naval operations against Japan, plus C-46 Commando cargo transports favored for their capacity during Indo-Pacific campaigns.

Republic entered WWII after leadership changes spurred new designs like P-43 Lancer but achieved lasting impact with mass production of nearly 13,000 P‑47D Thunderbolt fighters starting in early 1942—a model prized for its survivability under fire and effectiveness both as an escort fighter at altitude or low-level ground attack platform.

These manufacturers’ efforts not only supported US military objectives but also supplied many other Allied nations’ air forces throughout WWII.