Airplane production in USA

burunduk

burunduk

I love the history of airplanes
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Dear colleagues!

During 20 years I try to create the comprehensive picture of the airplane production in the world in the XX century on year-by-year basis. I've collected more than 29000 entries in format «modification – year – manufacturer – quantity – additional information»

Part of results concerning Russia was published in the book of group of authors including me: «The history of domestic aircraft industry 1910-2010», in Russian, you may legally download it here.

Some preliminary results were also reported on 29th ICAS congress in 2014.

Among the total 29+ thousands entries 9,5 thousands are devoted to USA production. According to my data, in the XX century more than 950 thousands of airplanes were produced in USA, it's 44% of world total airplane production.

My data corresponds well with NASM data about total quantity except few years. I don't see several thousands (!) airplanes produced in 1946 and in 1959-1962 years.

According to NASM data there were 36418 aircraft produced in 1946: only 1417 military and 35001 civil. It includes helicopters, but their number was very few. According to USAF stat digest 1946, p. 95-98, only 44 helicopters were delivered to USAF and USN, including 38 Sikorsky ones.

So there should be more 36000 airplanes in this year. But I see only 32000: the difference is huge, 4000+ airplanes! Definitely the shortage should be some popular civil aircraft I just forgot to add, but I can't obtain what I've lost.

May be somebody could help me? Here is a table (it's quite pity that .xls table are forbidden to add) of airplane production in USA in 1946 according to my data. Airplanes manufactured less than in 5 pieces summarized in the last row.

What about Stinson 108? In 1945-1946 years 742 were built (R. Simpson. The General Aviation Handbook ISBN 1-85780-222-5 p. 290), but how many in 1946? The same question about Globe Aircraft GC-1A Swift (428 during 1945-46). But just these two types can't save the picture.

Thank you in advance and Happy New Year!
 

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Thank you for your work.

According to my data, in the XX century more than 950 thousands of airplanes were produced in USA, it's 44% of world total airplane production.
Click to expand...

950 000 aircrafts in the United States alone. Wow. I often wondered about that number, now I have an answer. It's funny to think that the Cessna 172, by itself, beat P-51 or P-47.
Or that most produced american combat aircraft of WWII was the B-24 Liberator, all 18 000 of them. It was a big 4-engine bomber, yet it outproduced single engine fighters that you may think would be easier or faster to build.

When you think about it, Lancaster, Halifax, Stirling, B-17 and B-24 production totaled nearly 45 000 heavy bombers. It is no surprise Germany was flattened. Imagine if all these aircrafts flew together and each dropped 10 000 pounds of bombs. The sky would have been dark.
 
Also note that the 737, with the A320 on its heels, has gone past the 10 000 mark.

That is, it took relatively big, modern airliners to return aeronautics to WWII production numbers.

While MiGs managed to push combat jets past the 10 000, this won't happen again any time soon.

For all the hate against the F-35, a production run of 3000+ stealth-VSTOL-supersonic jets will be a notable feat.

And in the West (AFAIK, could be wrong) record belongs to Lockheed's extended P-80 / F-94 / T-33 family, a little below 10 000.

What is amazing is that, the 737 flew in 1967 but the A320, only 20 years later - and 33 years ago, 1987. 9000+ aircraft in 33 year: hell of a production rate.

And there are some thousands more A320 (Neos) and 737s (MAX... oh forget about this one) in order.
 
As WW2 drew to a close, American airplane manufacturers eagerly anticipated selling thousands of light planes to returning military veterans. Older companies like Aeronca, Bellanca, Callair, Cessna, Grumman, Interstate, North American Aviation, Piper, Rearwin, Stinston, Waco, etc. all built dozens of airplanes on speculation. A variety of new manufacturers: Erco, Globe, Johnson, etc. started up.
Unfortunately, few returning airmen wanted - or could afford - private airplanes, so the market crashed. Interstate, Johnson, Rearwin, Stinston, Waco, etc. soon closed, while larger manufacturers: Grumman, Lockheed, North American, Republic, etc. abandoned private airplane production to focus on re-arming the USAF for the Cold War.
 

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