Figure 1.-- American boys were fascinated by air planes. Here two American boys in July 1941 try out a model air plane they built. The press photo caption read, "Air conscious boys build model airplanr. American youth are rapidly becoming air conscious. Buikdng model is an amusng way of getting acquainted with bthe fundamentals of flying." Note that it was a kit made with balsa wood and model paper. There were no plastic kits before World War II.

The World War I air war generated tremendous interest in America. American aces were the subject of extensive media coverage. And while America did not build combat aircraft in large numbers during the War, it did build lower-performance trainers. The Army had no use for most of these trainers after the War and the Federal Government sold them off as war surplus at low price. This meant that just about anyone with a little cash could buy a plane. Enterprising Americans trained as pilots sought to make a living. This resulted in the barnstorming craze which further fueled the public's interest in flying. Boys in particulars were fascinated by airplanes. Every boy in America wanted to dress like polots with leather aviator cap and a leather flying jacket. Air plane toys became very popular as did model airplane model kits. There was no organized programs to train glider pilots as in Germany, but the interest comnined with a developing commercial airline industry meant that thousands of boys were able to turn their interest into awide range of careers. Boys in many other countries were interested in air planes as well, but few had real opportunities to mpursue that interest as a career. The Government helped to promote the industry through air mail contracts. This was how Charles Linburgh got interested in aviation. The development of commercial pasanger aviation was another major boon to the American aviation industry. A number of small compaies worked in the 1920s to improve designs and engenine designs. Speeds, alfitude, and range steadily increased. Boeing and Douglas emerged as the most important companies, producing civilian passanger aircraft. The industry in the United States, however, was a relatively small part of American industrial production before World War II. One source ranks it at only 41st in a list of major industies. The leading industry being the automobile industry. Even so, the American aviation industry was the largest in the world, in part because of demand from the growing demand for passanger aircraft. Europeans with excellent rail networks and relatively short distances had little need for domestic aviation. America with substantial distances between cities did.

World War I (1914-18)

The Wright brothers achieved the first heavier than air flight (1903). The air plane was still relatively rudimentary at the outbreak of World War I (1914). The beligerant countries rapidly made aviation advances as they fought each other over the trenches of the Western Front. As a result, the United States did not have advanced aircraft when it entered World War I (1917). The United States did not build combat aircraft in any numbers during Workd War I. European manufactures made great advances because of combat requirements. When America entered the War, U.S. flyers used the advanced British aad French types in combat. The United States did build substantial quantities of the reliable, but low performance Curtiss JN-4 Jennys which were used for pilot traiing. Most U.S. airman in World War I trained on Jennys. The World War I air war as in other countries generated tremendous interest in America. Each country had its own air aces. American aces were the subject of extensive media coverage.

Barn Storming (1920s)

After the War, the Army had no need for all the Jennys built. There ws no commercial use for the planes. The Federal Government proceeded to sell them off as war surplus for rock-bottom prices. The prices were so low, in some cases only $200, that just about anyone with a little cash could buy a plane. Most of the buyers were World War I pilots who wanted to make a career out of flying. The problem was finding a way of making money with them. Enterprising Americans trained as pilots sought to make a living. This resulted in the barnstorming craze which further fueled the public's interest in flying. The Wright brothers and Glenn Curtiss had staged flying exhibitions before the War. But the post-War barnstorming phenomenon swept the entire country. The term 'barnstorming' was a political/theatrical expression meaning a political campaign or entertainment presentation expression that traveled around the countryside and engaging in all kinds of inctreasingly dangerous stunts like wing walking. Before the barnstorming campaign of the 1920s, few relatively Americans had seen airplanes. As the Governmrnty began to restrict dangerous events in the larte-20s, few Americans had not seen airplanes. It was in fact, the first serious commercial use of the airplane.

American Boys and Airplanes

Boys in particulars are fascinated by mechanics and mechanical equipment. There was a love affair with first locomotives and then later cars. Cars were especially important because it was something a youth could acquire and work on. The airplane was more piece of equipment that fascinated boys. Some boys may have heard of the Wright Briothers flight, but the World War I air war is what caught the attention of American boys. This was especially the case oafter America entered the War (1917) and the newspapers began writing about American air aces. After the War, Barnstomers brought airplanes to the remotest corner of America. If a barnstormer landed in a nearby field, boys would pester their fathers to take them to see it and if mom wasn't with them, even for a ride. Air tricks began appearing in the movie newsreels. Them Lindberg flew across the Atlantic (1926). The result was the first great American media hero. Every boy saw himself as a future Lindbergh. And boys in America wanted to dress like like him and other pilots with leather aviator cap and a leather flying jacket. Air plane toys became very popular as did model airplane model kits. The kits at the time were built from balsa wood kits and paper fabric. Boys could not, unlike cars, assily acquire a plane. But the mechanics of the planes of the era were much blike cars, driven by internal comustion piston engine. This meant that there was a vast pool of American youth that were potenial mechanics to maintain aircraft with relatively limited training. This was less true with the Germans and even less the case of the Japanese. German boys, however, go involved in gliding, an activity promoted by the Hitler Youth acfter the NAZIs seized power (1933). Few American boys got involved in gliding.

Flight Schools and Clubs

The Aero Club of America (ACA) was a social club founded after the Wright Botrothers flight Charles Jasper Glidden, Augustus Post, and others to promote aviation in America (1905) They issued the first pilot licenbses. The ACA steadily expanded until transformed into the National Aeronautic Association (1923). As air ports were built around the United States. Flight schools appeared at these new air ports. Many were small, indepebndent operations. The number of flight schools rapidly increased. There wwere some larger operations such as the Curtis-Wright Flying Service. An important step in the development of an aviation industry was Congress' passage of the the Air Commerce Act (1926). This created a bureau to regularize and administer the licensing of aircraft, engines, and pilots. The development of civil aviation created a demand for pilots which were filled by the flight schools. The number of commercial passangers was miuniscule as late as 1930s, but increased exponentially during the 1930s. As flight trining sas expensive, the numbers of mostly young men were limited and increasred onky somewhat as commercial aviation grew. There were 48 airlines serving 355 American cities, but the number of passengers were still tiny (1928). The Schweizer brothers manufactured sport sailplanes to meet the new demand. Sailplanes continued to evolve through the 1930s and sport gliding became the main application of gliders. Some European nations with the rise of the NAZIs began building up their air forces and iuninited programs train civilians as pilots if war came. Here the United States was late to respond, but initiated its own civilian effirt -- the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) (1938). President Roosevelt supported the CPTP to train 20,000 civilian pilots a year. The President iunderstood more than most Americans that another war was coming. The U.S. Army Air Corops (USAAC) had only 4,502 pilots (1939). This included 2,007 active-duty officers, 2,187 reserve officers and 308 national guard officers. The result was a rapid increase in the USAAC wjich became known as the U.S. Army Air Forces. The number of new pilots increased: 982 (1939), 8,000 (1940), and 27,000 (1941). Even after Peral Harbor and American entry into the War, the civilian role in pilot training did not end. The USAAC/USAAF did not have the capability of immediately creating flight schools for the number of aviators needed. The USAAF utilized the CPTP and a separate network of civilian schools under contract to the USAAF, as well as training programs in its own schools. The The CPTP eventually ran operations at 1,132 colleges and universities and 1,460 flight schools. CPTP-trained pilots receibed advanced traiuning at USAAF schools. Recording nearly 12 million flying hours, the CPTP eventually trained trained 435,165 pilots during the World War II era (1939-44). Military suuccess in Europe and the Pacific clearly showed that that Axis had been defeated and training huhe numbers of new pilots was unnecessary. The military terminated the agreement with the CPTP/WTS (early-1944). The whole program was ended (1946).

National Air Races

The development of increasingly capapable aircraft like cars inevitably led to air races. Thius was not just popular ebtertainment, but allowed a way for aircraft companies to show off their caoabilities. The National Air Races were something newspapers liked to report. They began after World War I. Publisher Ralph Pulitzer sponsored an air race on Long Island in an effort to promote aviation (1920). They thus becamevknown as the Pulitzer Trophy Races. The two marquee events became the Thompson Trophy closed-course race and the Bendix Trophy transcontinental race. A whole new generation of daredevil pilots joined Jimmy Doolittle to make air racing a part of the inter-war popular ethis. Speed was all important and like automobile and horse racing, increasingly popular aspect of American culture during both the Riaring Twenties and the Great Depression. Notably the greates American Worlld War I ace, was autmobile racer Eddie Richennbacher. Future World War II hero Jimmy Doolittle, won the Schneider, Bendix, and Thompson Trophy races--becoming the greatest pilot in air racing history. Dollittle retired from racing at the height of his success after his Thompson victory. He reprtedly began to doubt the value of air racing in terms of advancing technology versus the lives lost.

Commercial Aviation

The development of commercial aviation in America out paced that of any other country and would have very significanty consequences after the outbreak of World War II. There was no organized programs to train glider pilots as was the case in Germany, but the interest of American boys in air planes combined with a developing commercial aviation industry meant that thousands of boys were able to turn their interest into a wide range of careers. Boys in many other countries were interested in air planes as well, but few had real opportunities to actually pursue that interest as a career. One major step was that the Federal Government helped to promote the industry through air mail contracts. In a large country like the United States, this essentially was a huge financial stimulus to a new developing industry. This was how men like Charles Lindbergh was able to get involved with aviation. The Federal air mail contracts is helped get aviation going at a time that many potential passengers were afraid to fly, often for good reason. The development of commercial pasanger aviation was another major boon to the American aviation industry. Europeans with excellent rail networks and relatively short distances had little need for domestic aviation. (This is still true today with American air traffic far greater than intr-Europeam aviation.) Thus commercial aviation while developing in Europe was far more limited than in America. America with substantial distances between cities by the 1930s was developing substantial commercial services and commercial air liners like the DC-2 and DC-3 were far more advanced than anything produced in Europe. In addition, quoite a number of small companies befan producing air planes for private individuals. This also occurred in Europe, but on a much smaller scale.

President Roosevelt

President Rossevelt took office (Match 1933), this was one month after Afolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor in Germany. From the beginning, the President was hostile to Hitler and the abhorent NAZI movement. The President was also concerned aboiut Japan's increasingly aggressive policies. The Presiden'ts focus, hoerverm, was fighting the Depressioin. The growing Isolationist Movement restricted the President's options. Gairly eraly, he began to promote increased militaryu spending. Budgetary restrints and the Isolations restricted these e=ffirts, but important steps were taken. The Presidebt was a Navy man becuause of his boyhood sailing days and service as Assustant Secretary of the navy during World War I. And Nvy spending could be justified as defensive in character. The President also supported exoanded air force spending. Thius was a little more diffuicult to justify, but notavly the B-17 project was justified as a plane which could support coastal defenses agianst eneny navies. Army budgets were severely resyructed. There was no mappetite in America to repeat the terriblke land figting and casualties of Workd WSar I. The President understood thati and as a result the limited defense budgets of the 1930s concentrated on navy and air forces.

Military Aviation

Military commanders did not take the flimsy air craft available very seriously at the onset of World War I. And airplanes played a relatively modest role in World War I, despite the head-line treatment given to flying aces. Not ir was not imomportant and as increasingly capable plamnes were developed, the role of aircraft grew. At first the air role was reconisance, bur gradually increasingly capable air planes were developed with expanded roles. Virtually all of these advances furing the War occurred in Europe as a result of the pressures of combat. The neutral American Government sae no need for massive expenitureson aviation. Thus when America entered the War, its aviators had to use British and French aircraft to fight the Germans. By the end of the War, increasingly sophisticated aircraft types were being built, including bombers with long ranges--but not by the Americans. The War ended before a major American air force could be developed. This development was sharply reduced by the end of the War, but the airplane emerged from the War as a recognized military weapon. The theorists debated just how important and the future role, bur no one now doubted that the airplane was a serious military weapon. Views diverged in Europe and Americas. The Europeans were obsessed with bombers getting through. Americans were isolated by oceans, putting them out of range of bombers, but which bombers and ships could use to build an inprgnabke defense. The Allies at Versailles prohibited Germany from having an airforce, but the Allies sharply reduced military spending. And within the military there was an internse debate about the capabilities of aircraft and their best use. This came to the forefront in America with Col. Billy Mitchell who was court marshalled for too agressively promoting military aviation. Even so, considerable work was done in the United States on improving existing types and developing new plane types. The Army, Navy, and Marine Corps worked to realize their different visions of air power. And the American aircraft industry provided them with a series of increasingky capable aircraft. There were massive impediments. The advocates of air power faced institutional resistance and severe budget lmitatiions. There was also danger pursuing rapidly developing technology. The services orgabized publicity stunts to presented their visions to American peoole and carve out time in the movie newsreels. Many planes developed by the Luftwaffe without the budget restrictions were based on the ground-breaking work done in the United States during the 1920s and early-30s. The Luftwaffe concentrared on thevground support role. The military budgets approved by the U.S. Congress were extremely limited, but Congress was willing to make some appropriations for the ships and planes. Army budgets were cut to the bone, ships and planes in contrat were justified as part of hemispgeric defense. Thus military contracts were very important for a still small, developing industry with a sress in bomiung. This view dominated in Britain as well. Budgets began to change e with the rise of the NAZIs in Eurioe and an increasibgly aggressive Japan in the Pacific. The full extebtbif the danger was nit precrived by Congress and the American people but President Roosevelt did and unlike World War I did begin to build an air force. The Army Air Corps (AAC)also benefitted by the growing American civil air industry. The commanders eorked in doctrine, organization, and technology, The result was the nucleus if the massive force that would fight World War II on a global scale. The AAC leadership ficused on bombers. Gen. Hap Arnold and his commanders would be called the 'Bomber Boys'. The American air craft as it developed was so massuve that it not only supplied fighters, ground suport, reconnaissance, and transport aircraft as well as supplying large quantities of aircraft to its allies.

Aviation Industry

The commercial (at first government air mail contracts) and military contracts provided the foundation for a dynamic new American industry--the aviation industry. The American aviation industry was at first small compared to major industries such as automobile manufacturers. A number of small compaies worked in the 1920s. Many went bankrupt because of the limited demand in the early years. Gradually companies improved airframe and engine designs. Designers steadily increased speeds, alditude, and range, meeting the needs of both commercial airlines and the military . Boeing and Douglas emerged as the most important companies, producing civilian passanger aircraft. The industry in the United States, however, was a relatively small part of American industrial production before World War II. One source ranks it at only 41st in a list of major industies. The leading industry being the automobile industry. Even so, the American aviation industry was the largest in the world, in part because of expansion to meet the growing demand for passanger aircraft. Aircraft design became increasingly complex, far beyond the capabilities of amateur bicycle repairmen. Universities began offering programs in aviation engeneering. This created the infrastructure of designers and plants that could be easily converted for military use. Within only a few yeaes of the rise of the NAZIS in Germany (1933) increasing military orders came from both Rurope and the U.S. Government. At the same time, commercial pasanger traffic began to increase, generating more orders from commercial aviation.

World War II

The aviation industry in the United States was a relatively small part of American industrial production before World War II. One source ranks it at only 41st in a list of major industies. The leading industry being the automobile industry. Even so, the American aviation industry was the largest in the world, in part because of demand from the growing demand for passanger aircraft. Europeans had little need for domestic aviation. America with substantial distances between cities did. President Roosevelt's decession to arm America as Europe moved toward war helped to further expand the industry. President Roosevelt gave a priority to air power in American defense planning. One of the results of that program was the Boeing B-17 which was designed to protect America from invasion. It proved ineffective against enemy fleets, but was along with the B-24 the mainstay of the American strategic air campaign against Germany. The British and French reacted slowly to German rearmament. This changed dramatically as Hitler began using the powerful Luftwaffe, first in Spain and then to threten the Czechs and their British and French allies. The British and French unable to restore the inballance in air fleets rapidly through domestic production, began to place orders for military aircraft in the United States (1938). This provided an inportant pre-War stimulus to the American aviation industry. The United States produced 6,000 air planes in 1939. Germany also developed a major aircraft industry as part of its rearmament program. The difference between the two countries is that America had a substantial capacity to increse airplane production. Germany had only a limited capacity to expand production. One reason America was able to expand aircraft production was its vast automotive industry. After America entered te War, a part of the automotive industry was diverted to aircraft production. American aircraft production expanded to an extent never imagined by the Germans and Japanese and to levels that surprised many Americans. And the industry produced many new many advanced aircraft types during the War. As a result the aircraft the U.S. Air Forces were using at the end of the War were different than those at the beginning of the War. This was in sharp contrast to the Axis air forces. Curtis, Grumman, Lockheed, and North American Aviation focused on fighters. Boeing focused on bombers.

Created: 4:19 AM 11/30/2009
Last updated:10:22 PM 12/6/2020