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The Cost of WWII Air War (New 28 Mar 2014)
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Man's inhumanity to man has never been more clearly evidenced than in the wars we wage against one another.  The cost of war fades into the past as a distant memory over time and the current generation is forced to re-learn just how costly war is.

Below are some facts about the cost of the air war during WWII that will help us remember the cost in dollars and in tangibles such as planes and men.

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 Most Americans who were not adults during WWII have no understanding of the magnitude of it. This listing of some of the aircraft facts gives a bit of insight to it.

276,000 aircraft were manufactured in the U.S.
43,000 planes lost overseas, including 23,000 in combat.
14,000 lost in the continental U.S.

The U.S. civilian population maintained a dedicated effort for four years, many working long hours seven days per week and often also volunteering for other work. WWII was the largest human effort in history.

Statistics are from Flight Journal  magazine.

THE PRICE OF VICTORY (cost of an aircraft in WWII dollars)

B-17 $204,370.           P-40 $44,892.

B-24 $215,516.           P-47 $85,578.

B-25 $142,194.           P-51 $51,572.

B-26 $192,426.           C-47 $88,574.

B-29 $605,360.           PT-17 $15,052.

P-38 $97,147.             AT-6 $22,952.


PLANES A DAY WORLDWIDE

From Germany's invasion of Poland 1 Sept, 1939 and ending with Japan's surrender 2 Sept, 1945 --- 2,433 days
From 1942 onward, America averaged 170 planes lost a day.

How many is a 1,000 planes? B-17 production (12,731) wingtip to wingtip would extend 250 miles. 1,000 B-17s carried 2.5 million gallons of high octane fuel and required 10,000 airmen to fly and fight them.

THE NUMBERS GAME
  • 9.7 billion gallons of gasoline consumed, 1942-1945.
  • 107.8 million hours flown, 1943-1945.
  • 459.7 billion rounds of aircraft ammo fired overseas,1942-1945.
  • 7.9 million bombs dropped overseas, 1943-1945.
  • 2.3 million combat sorties, 1941-1945 (one sortie = one takeoff).
  • 299,230 aircraft accepted, 1940-1945.
  • 808,471 aircraft engines accepted, 1940-1945.
  • 799,972 propellers accepted, 1940-1945.
WWII MOST-PRODUCED COMBAT AIRCRAFT

Ilyushin IL-2 Sturmovik 36,183

Yakolev Yak-1,-3,-7,-9 31,000+

Messerschmitt Bf-109 30,480

Focke-Wulf Fw-190 29,001

Supermarine Spitfire/Seafire 20,351

Convair B-24/PB4Y Liberator/Privateer 18,482


Republic P-47 Thunderbolt 15,686Text Box:

North American P-51 Mustang 15,875Text Box:

Junkers Ju-88 15,000Text Box:

Hawker Hurricane 14,533

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk 13,738Text Box:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress 12,731

Vought F4U Corsair 12,571Text Box:

Grumman F6F Hellcat 12,275Text Box:

Petlykov Pe-2 11,400

Lockheed P-38 Lightning 10,037Text Box:

Mitsubishi A6M Zero 10,449

North American B-25 Mitchell 9,984Text Box:

Lavochkin LaGG-5 9,920 (water cooled engine)Text Box:

Note: The LaGG-5 (air cooled engine)

Grumman TBM Avenger 9,837

Bell P-39 Airacobra 9,584

Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar 5,919Text Box:

DeHavilland Mosquito 7,780

Avro Lancaster 7,377