The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-05-29
Willow Run


ton at Willow Run, with the rest
being used at other Ford plants and
by outside contractors.
Unlike these machines, which
can be used in most any type OF
manufacture, tools and fixtures
usually are designed for specific
manufacturing Jobs. Since vii.
low Run was started. $4,000 fix
lures have been built, OF which TO-
600 are still in operation. The re.
naming 1000 have been salvaged
or stored as they were made obso,
lete by engineering changes In
the bomber or as newer methods
OF manufacture were adopted.
Largest and perhaps most import.
ant of the fixtures at Willow Run
are the q 1-2 ton center wing fix.
lures, of which there are 80. These
fixtures have been responsible for
reducing assembly time Of the cen
ter wing-the most important part
OF the bomber-from $500 to $50
man hours.
Aviation History
! In tooling. Willow Runs hard
dies have made aviation history.
Parts that formerly were formed
largely by hand or laboriously with
soft dies, have been stamped out
on presses by Ford workmen, long
expert at sheet metal fabrSeation
and making deep drawn stampings
Half OF the 10000 dies made since
| Willow Run was started are still
| in production: Most OF the remain
der have been replaced due to en-
cheering changes in the bombers.
Spreading certain manufacturing
processes into other manufacturing
buildings has greatly facilitated the
Willow Run operation. The bomb
er program includes nearly every
building in Ford's Michigan plants.
Huge Tract
Today the Willow Run Plant,
with its airfield and two hangers
directly adjoining and a new ma
atrials building, occupy 1876
acre portion OF a 3,000-acre tract.
The construction Job alone was
stupendous, and the tooling Of the
plant will be regarded as one of
the outstanding feats OF its kind in
the war effort.
The 67-acre bomber plant build
ing is divided into two sections:
manufacturing and assembly. Pop
ular interest naturally centers on
the assembly line. on which the
bomber begins to take shape and
from the end OF which the ship
passes through flight test depart
ment to the Army Air Forces.
The assembly line is supplied by
conveyors from the manufacturing
section. There is a constant flow
through unit assemblies consisting
OF various parts such as bulkheads.
fuselage and wing stringers. pilots
floor, bomb and hatch doors. wing
skin assemblies, fuselage panels,
wing spars, and tubing assemblies.
Major units flow in from various
departments along conveyors or by
crane, growing into larger units
until at length they arrive at the
assembly end OF the plant, where
they meet the center wing section.
With the center wing section form
ing the frame" OF the bomber,
the rest of the bomber is attached
in the form OF major assemblies.
At each station in the four IL
nal assembly lines certain installa-
tons take place; forward and
aft fuselage sections are mated to
the center wing; the four engines
descend from an overhead balcony
TO their proper places, and the tall
tail surface and gun turrets fol-
low. Four final assembly lines con-
verge into two main lines where
the outer wings are added and the
ships complete their journey.
Train Workers
Training of skilled workers,
which proved to be one Of the big
gest problems, was aided by the
erection OF a 100000 school, con-
nected to the main plant by an over
head ramp. To date approximate
ly 1000 students have completed
from one to ten courses in this
school. On company time. employ
es have been trained in basic cour-
SEES such as riveting, blueprint
reading and welding. Workers
seeking further advancement and
training have the opportunity to
enroll in courses on DRAWN, cleo
tricity. hydraulics. jobleader train
ing, metallurgy, meteorology, navi-
CATION. radio, shop mathematics,
shop theory and engine mechanics.
The Army has taken full ad-
vantage Of the school facilities,
and thousands OF enlisted men.
many OF whom the serving over
seas as ground crew members for
the B-24, have studied at Willow
Run.
The Willow Run plant Is regard
ed as one OF the outstanding ex-
amples Of careful planning for en-
ploye welfare in the country. Hun
dreds OF workers lunch daily in
four large cafeterias. and thous-
ands eat. or augment their home
packed lunch. from lunch wagons
placed at convenient points in the
plant A public address system