Convair - Fort Worth Texas
N 32° 45.753 W 097° 26.736
14S E 645600 N 3626032
Air Force Plant number 4 produced many of the aircraft that were used during the second World War.
Waymark Code: WM700B
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 08/11/2009
Views: 6
Text from historical marker at posted coordinates:
PRIOR TO WWII, THE US AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON BUILDING AIRCRAFT FOR CIVILIAN AIRLINES. FEW MANUFACTURERS SPECIALIZED IN MILITARY AIRPLANE CONSTRUCTION. IN THE FALL OF 1940 THE WAR DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THAT EXPECTED FUTURE DEMAND FOR MILITARY AIRCRAFT REQUIRED NEW DEFENSE PLANTS, NOT JUST EXPANSION OF EXISTING SITES, THIS FORM OF HOME FRONT INDUSTRY AND THE APPLICATION OF ITS PRODUCT TOWARD STRATEGIC AREIAL BOMBING GREW EXPOENTIALLY AS A PRIMARY WEAPON TOWARD DEFEATING AN ENEMIES ABILITY TO WAGE WAR.
ALTHOUGH INVOLVED IN PILOT TRAINING, TEXAS HAD NO LARGE SCALE ROLE IN AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURING AT THIS TIME. AS AMERICA RECOVERED FROM THE GREAT DEPRESSION WHILE MOVING CLOSER TO WAR, THE FORT WORTH CHAMBER OF COMMMERCE, AGRESSIVELY CAMPAINGED CONSOLIDATED VULTEE AIRCRAFT CORPORTAION (CONVAIR) FOR A NEW PLANT.THIER EFFORTS PROVED SUCCESSFUL AND GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONIES TOOK PLACE HERE ON APRIL 18, 1941. THE AUSTIN COMPANY OF CLEVELAND OHIO BUILT CONVAIR PLANT NO. 4 IN LESS THAN A YEAR AND THE FIRST B-24 (LIBERATOR) ROLLED OFF OF THE ASSEMBLY LINE APRIL 17, 1942 – 100 DAYS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. MORE THAN 3000 HEAVY BOMBERS WERE PRODUCED HERE WITH A PEAK WARTIME EMPLOYMENT OF 32,000. THE SITE ALSO CONVERTED B-24 AIRFRAMES INTO C-87 CARGO TRANSPORTS (LIBERATOR EXPRESS) AND LATER IN THE WAR, PRODUCED A LIMITED NUMBER OF THE NEW B-32 LIMITED BOMBERS (DOMINATOR.)
WARTIME MOBILIZATION WAS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE EVENTUAL ALLIED VICTORY WORLD WAR II. THIS AND OTHER HOME FRONT INDUSTRIES HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY. INDUSTRIAL GROWTH BROUGHT NEW EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS TO THE COMMUNITY AND A MODERN INDUSTRIAL ASPECT TO FORT WORTH’S EXISITING TEXAS FRONTIER REPUTATION.
Opening Days/Times:
This is a secure site, the historical marker is available at all times, but the plant is not open to the general public.
Related Website: Not listed
Supplementary Related Website: Not listed
Admission Fee: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Posting a picture(s) of the location would be nice although not required.