Department of History

EMPIRES OF INDUSTRY: WAR PLANES OF WORLD WAR II Flight was born in America at the turn of the century. But World War II saw more planes built in a single year-300,000-than had been built in the previous forty. World War II turned the American aviation industry into a huge, high-tech giant. Among the aircraft built for World War II were some of the greatest planes of all time: the C-47 transport (the "Goony Bird"): the rugged B-17 flying fortress: the P-51 Mustang, the greatest prop-driven fighter; and the scrappy Gruman "Iron Works" output-Wildcats and Hellcats that leapt from the decks of U.S. aircraft carrers to maul the Japanese air force. Modern states of restored aircraft, historic footage from factory floors to dogfights, and interviews with pilots and designers recapture the aviation industry's finest hour.