Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
Yankee Air Museum Willow Run Bomber Plant Project.
Construction Update – End of first year of the restoration – March 2016
By Dennis Norton Founder of the Yankee Air Museum and President of the Michigan Aerospace Foundation
A Little History - In 2010, General Motors Corporation abandoned the Willow Run Powertrain production facility as part of its bankruptcy re-organization. This 5 million square foot plant dates back to March of 1941 when construction began on what at the time was to become the largest manufacturing plant under one roof in the entire world.
This plant, designed by famed Ford Motor Company industrialist Charles Sorenson was planned because the United States needed 18,000 B-24 bombers to fight the Axis powers during World War II. At the time, Consolidated Aircraft in California was building one B-24 per month. The only way to produce the numbers President Roosevelt demanded for the war effort was to “build them on an automotive style assembly line” – so said Henry Ford. The President listened to him, looked at Sorenson’s plans for what would become the Willow Run Bomber Plant and after hearing that Ford could build one B-24 per hour instead of one B-24 per month, Roosevelt was convinced. Ford was given the largest contract ever signed at that point in time by the US Government and Willow Run was born.
Construction began in March, 1941. In just 18 months, Willow Run was built and in September of 1942, the very first B-24 rolled off the Willow Run Assembly line. Once production got into full swing, the plant began operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. By late 1944, Willow Run was producing one B-24 every 55 minutes – 25 per day.
The B-24 Bomber Plant at Willow Run was the most significant and visible piece of the Arsenal of Democracy that was Detroit and SE Michigan during World War II. All major automotive companies along with numerous Automotive Suppliers came together to participate in the manufacturing of the Willow Run B-24s. For example, Nash, now owned by Chrysler, supplied the propellers for the Chevrolet built B-24 engines. Many sub-assemblies and individual components were produced by companies large and small, all over Michigan and Northern Ohio. Without the most modern aircraft manufacturing technology in the world at that time, and the beginning of “Just In Time Manufacturing”, both of which were hallmarks of Willow Run, the Allies would have had a very difficult time winning World War II.
Willow Run was a banner of success not only to the war effort, but to the social fabric of SE Michigan. Thousands of workers came from all over the country to work at Willow Run. Over 70,000 people went through the workforce at Willow Run over the 3 ½ years of production, and many more tens of thousands worked at Willow Run after the War, all the way up to 2010. Ford brought women into the industrial workforce in large numbers for the very first time and they were brought in with equal pay and equal opportunity for advancement. Women made up almost half of the workforce, were supervisors and even test pilots flying the B-24s at Willow Run. The Rosie The Riveter story began at Willow Run with a young woman named Rose Will Monroe. It was a union work force and an integrated Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant workforce. The University of Michigan was deeply involved in training workers and planning housing for numbers that overwhelmed the small towns and townships surrounding Willow Run.
After the war, Ford sold the Plant to Kaiser Fraser and the US Government sold the airport to the University of Michigan. Kaiser Fraser built about 800,000 automobiles at Willow Run along with a two year run of C-119 Flying Boxcars. In 1953, General Motors lost its Livonia transmission plant to a fire and leased Willow Run from Kaiser Fraser. A short time later, General Motors purchased the plant and used it to manufacture over 80 million automobile transmissions until 2010.
So this plant has a tremendously proud history and the surrounding towns and townships and dozens of Michigan companies all played a significant role in the history of Willow Run.
How it came to be the future home of the Yankee Air Museum - In 2010, I met with Bob Lutz and Selim Bingol from GM and we talked about the possibility of the Yankee Air Museum temporarily storing our B-17 in the Roll Out Hangar of the old Bomber Plant. Unfortunately, ownership had already been transferred to the RACER Trust during the bankruptcy proceedings.
GM Real Estate facilitated a meeting with the RACER Trust and I expressed our desire to allow the Yankee Air Museum to save a small portion of the Bomber Plant, preserving this important piece of local and national history with the eventual goal of relocating the museum into the building. In 2012, when it became apparent that no one wanted to purchase the entire plant because it was too old, too big and not easily repurposed for a new owner, RACER made the decision to offer to let us buy the very end of the plant if we could prove that we had the ability to raise the funds necessary to eventually restore and use the building. We did that through a tremendously successful campaign and on October 30, 2014 we closed on the purchase of 144,000 sq ft of the old Willow Run Bomber Plant along with 17 acres of land.
Restoration plans were already well underway at the time of the purchase and work began on December 16, 2014.
These two photos, taken well before we purchased the building show the condition of the interior before demolition.
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
This photo shows the outline in red of the 5 million square feet of the Bomber Plant and GM facility after demolition in November, 2014. The only piece left standing is the Roll Out Hangar that the Yankee Air Museum purchased on October 30, 2014. This represents slightly less than 3% of the total plant prior to demolition. Bordering Willow Run Airport, our facility when restored will house almost all of our aircraft collection. The flyable aircraft, our B-17, C-47, B-25 and Waco will remain in Hangar 1 which will be connected to the museum by a short enclosed walkway.
To understand how much work was done during the first year, you would have to have seen the building when we took possession. A few of the following photos will give some sense of the magnitude of the job just cleaning it up and turning it back into a basically functionally shell of a building.
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
These two photos taken on November 7, 2014, show the Yankee Air Museum Bomber Plant from the air shortly after we purchased the building, saving it from Demolition. The building was originally connected to the plant, so when the balance of the plant was demolished, the building was left with only 2 ½ walls. The entire North end of the building and part of the West side of the building were open.
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
These two photos show the North end of the building in November 2014, shortly after we purchased it.
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
December 16, 2014 - WORK BEGINS –
If you look closely at the photo showing the roof (two pages prior to this page) you will see a large 8’x8’ hole in the roof just beyond the large rooftop enclosure above the open North Wall. The very first job was to close up that hole to prevent water intrusion from the roof. Since rooftop access was lost when the balance of the plant was demolished, the decision was made to close that large hole with a new rooftop access hatch, killing two birds with one stone. Our General Contractor, Phoenix Construction, brought in Morkin & Sowards and JSC Construction to rebuild the roof and add a new roof hatch and ladder. This work was finished on December 21, 2014, becoming the very first renovation/restoration piece of the project.
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
Demolition
The interior of the Roll Out Hangar had been modified greatly over the years by GM. Our intention was to remove all of the modifications, open up all the walls and attempt to restore the inside to its original look as much as would be possible. In this photo, the Mezzanine 2nd and 3rd floors are enclosed with makeshift walls. Looking at a later photo you will see how we opened up the entire Mezzanine.
This photo shows demolition work beginning on the Mezzanine area with some of the 2nd floor wall removed. Interior demolition and clean up took three months to complete. Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
Power Washing and Cleanup
In addition to demolition, we had to power wash the entire inside of the building to remove over 70 years of accumulated dirt, grease and grime. Power washing by Arch Environmental took an additional three months to complete. Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
Steel Reinforcing
The demolition of the balance of the old Bomber Plant left the Roll Out Hangar with no external support. It had been structurally tied into the demolished portion of the building since 1941. In addition, the carved out section of the building had never before experienced wind load because it was protected from the wind by the rest of the plant. Therefore we brought in the original architect and engineers for the building, Albert Kahn Company. Albert Kahn worked for Henry Ford designing industrial plants and when Ford was given the contract to build the B-24s, Edsel and Henry Ford brought in Albert Kahn to design the building.
We brought them back to do an analysis of the structure, and hired SME Corporation in Plymouth to do a present condition analysis of the steel itself. Albert Kahn engineers designed the structural enhancements and new steel was added to the building during the summer of 2015.
In this photo, the dark gray steel shown is a small portion of the newly added structural bracing.
Also visible in this photo is the yellow roof access ladder that was installed in December, 2014 – see the earlier photo from the rooftop.
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
Enclosing Walls and Foundation Work
When the demolition, power washing and structural bracing enhancements were completed, work could continue on enclosing the building. These two photos show work being done on the new walls on the open North and West sides of the building. Our General Contractor, Phoenix Construction worked diligently through the entire first construction season to suggest better, more cost effective restoration activities. A 75 year old factory is not an easy restoration project but Phoenix is proving that it can be done.
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
This photo shows framing being constructed for the open West side of the building.
This photo shows the open West side of the building from the inside and the now enclosed North wall of the building.
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
Upon completion of the framing for the North and West walls, work could begin on the exterior of the building. Our architect, URS Corporation, worked to design an exterior that echoed the simple construction of the original building while at the same time holding cost down and providing for a much more energy efficient structure. Remember from earlier photos that these walls were completely gone when we began construction.
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
Preparing for a new, modern hangar door on the North end of the building required constructing a new foundation and pouring a concrete floor for the new door. Doan Construction was called in to provide the concrete.
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
With interior work finished for the construction season in November of 2015, these photos show what the inside of the Bomber Plant Roll Out Hangar now looks like. It is cleaned up, opened up and ready for interior buildout which will take place in 2016 and 2017.
The upper photo shows the 2nd floor of the Mezzanine all opened up. This will be a Visitors Viewing are in the new Yankee Air Museum.
Below is the entire Mezzanine area looking from North to South. Compare this with the earlier photos. Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
This photo, taken from the 3rd floor of the Mezzanine where the museum offices will eventually be located, shows the East Bay, all cleaned out and ready for the 2016 construction season.
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
Temporary Electricity
Temporary electricity and lighting were installed in the building by AF Smith Company. Besides the lighting, this electrical connection provided power to the new hangar door as well as outlets for restoration workers. This photo shows what the Yankee Air Museum portion of the old Willow Run Bomber Plant now looks like inside. Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
This photo shows what the building looked like immediately before the installation of the new modern hangar door on the North end of the East Bay of the building.
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
New Hangar Door
This photo shows the new hangar door installed on the North end of the building. Since the two original hangar doors on the South end of the building will be 75 years old in 2016, the decision was made to NOT attempt to incorporate them into the daily operations of the museum. Instead, a new hangar door by Megadoor was purchased and installed in October, 2015. The new hangar door, at 120 feet wide being the second largest ever installed by Megadoor, spans most of the North wall of the East Bay. This modern door will be used to move aircraft into and out of the building.
Compare this aerial photograph taken on February 23, 2016 with the aerial photograph on page four taken on November 7, 2014.
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
First Airplanes
These two photos were taken on February 16, 2016. Three aircraft that have been stored outside for many years were moved into the Bomber Plant in order to prevent further deterioration. They will be moved back outside as construction work dictates and eventually will be restored. These are the first aircraft in this building since the last of Kaiser Fraser’s C-119 Flying Boxcar production ended in 1953.
This link shows these aircraft being moved into the building on February 16. Please post it and share it with others. http://www.theverge.com/2016/3/9/11181246/yankee-air-museum-willow-run-bomber-plant-gm
On the left is a historic Vietnam Era DH4-C Caribou. The aircraft behind the Caribou is an RB-57 Canberra from the 1950s. Below is a very rare, US Navy World War II PB4Y2 Privateer. All three of these aircraft will be fully restored for placement in the new museum
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
Going Forward
We are now done with the first year of construction/renovation/restoration of a very small piece of the historic Willow Run Bomber Plant. Total funds spent to date - approximately $4,000,000 covering survey, planning, architecture, engineering, structural steel enhancement, analysis, plumbing, demolition, clean up, power washing, walls, hangar door, repairs, temporary electrical and lighting. Many other small jobs were done during this time as well, along with future planning for 2016 and beyond.
Fund Raising has begun in earnest for the next phase of the project, bringing all the utilities back to the building. Our goal for the next six months is to raise an additional $6 million in cash and in-kind work by contractors. We do need significant in-kind/pro-bono contributions during the summer of 2016 in the following areas: roofing, electrical, pai9nting, plumbing and the two most important, underground contractors to bring in the necessary utilities along with concrete and asphalt companies to provide the new interior concrete floor and the exterior parking and drives. If you would like to be part of this fascinating and historical restoration project by stepping forward and helping with any of these pieces, please give me a call.
When completed, hopefully in 2018, the total restoration cost will be approximately $18 million. Not all of this is cash donations. Some is longer term pledges that will help fund future work inside along with operational costs going forward. A good portion of the total funding is and will be in the form of in- kind/pro-bono donations from contractors and suppliers. Besides the contractors I mentioned above, all of whom provided some in-kind/pro-bono services, others who stepped forward to help us were Bidlack Creative, Inland Press, Adams Survey, RACER Trust, Ypsilanti Township, YCUA, Willow Run Airport, Wayne County Airport Authority, Verdeterre, Adamo, MCM and Devon Corporation. In addition to all of these generous and historically minded contractors, we have had almost 5,000 individual and corporate donors who have contributed badly needed funds to help purchase and Save The Bomber Plant.
A question that I’ve been asked – “Why not just build a new museum? Why go to the expense and all the difficulties of trying to restore a 75 year old building?”
First, the cost of restoration for this building, estimated to be approximately $18 million total, equates to roughly $100 per sq foot based on the 175,000 total square footage of the building including the two Mezzanine floors. This also includes all the exterior site work, parking areas and drives as well as the cost of bringing all the utilities back to the building. Constructing a new building of this size would cost about the same per square foot, so there is little if any savings to be had by building new.
Second, this building perfectly fits the needs of the museum – a big, open building for all the aircraft we need to put inside for display. And we will actually be living in our biggest artifact, the Willow Run Bomber Plant. What better way to tell the fascinating stories of this facility than to live in it. Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
Third, it was standing and was a perfectly good building. Why tear down a perfectly good building when it can be repurposed as the new home for the Yankee Air Museum? In our way of thinking, far too many good buildings are demolished when they could be repurposed.
And last, this is a very historic structure. The stories that revolve around this building for 75 years are absolutely fascinating and give us a glimpse of another generation, the “Greatest Generation” and the “Home Front” that was critically needed to win World War II. And we can’t forget the tremendous technological advances in aviation manufacturing that put Willow Run on the map as the premier aircraft production facility in the World for 3 ½ years. It is the last remaining piece of the Arsenal of Democracy that was Detroit and SE Michigan during World War II. History needs to be saved and these stories retold so future generations will understand the sacrifices made here by young men and women who put their lives on hold for 4 years, taking up the call to man the factories and provide the means to win World War II. We did something special here in Detroit, something that was done nowhere else in the world. We can look back on what happened at Willow Run with pride and a sense of accomplishment. We really did save the world and that is the history we want to preserve.
The three artist renderings on the next two pages will give you a great visual representation of our concept for the overall look and feel of the building when it is completely restored and in operation.
The first shows the South exterior face of the building with the two original hangar doors. The view is from the Yankee Air Museum existing hangar at the North end of Hangar 1, Willow Run Airport.
The second rendering shows how aircraft will be displayed in the East Exhibition Hall of the restored Bomber Plant. This view is from the third floor in the mezzanine.
The third, on its own page, is the concept for the basic interior layout of the new museum and shows its relationship with nearby areas of Willow Run Airport including Hangar 1 where the museum’s flyable aircraft are housed.
While these photos are only artist’s renderings, they fairly well reflect the current thinking and planning for the museum. Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
Historic Willow Run
The next few pages offer a glimpse of the Willow Run Bomber Plant during the war production years, 1941-1945. Each photo shows the Roll Out Hangar at the very end of the B-24 Assembly Line. This is the portion we have saved and are now in the process of restoring. When the Yankee Air Museum moves into this building, the museum will be living in its largest, most significant artifact. We will truly be History inside of History.
The photo above shows the Roll Out Hangar during construction. This is the building where every one of the 8,685 Ford built B-24s rolled off the assembly line. Construction of the entire plant and the airport was begun in March 1941 and completed in September 1942. This is the building the Yankee Air Museum now owns and is the subject of this restoration report. The three story mezzanine can clearly be seen in the middle of the building separating the two roll out bays. This will be the location of the museum’s offices and Visitors Overlook when the new museum is completed. Compare the mezzanine area in this photo with the same area in some of the other photos. Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
The 1944 photo below shows a day and a half of B-24 production sitting on the West Ramp of Willow Run Airport. The building in the upper right is the Roll Out Hangar now owned by the Yankee Air Museum.
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
The three story Mezzanine area between the two bays of the Roll Out Hangar during construction in 1942. Looking at earlier photos in this report will clearly show that we have cleaned out all subsequent modifications and are in the process of restoring this area to its original condition. The second floor will be a Visitors Overlook in the new museum and the third floor will be the museum offices.
This photo of the East Bay of the Willow Run Bomber Plant Roll Out Hangar taken in 1944 shows the 7,000th Ford built B- 24 being serviced just before she was rolled out into the sunshine. Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
Willow Run Bomber Plant Roll Out Hangar 1944
The East Bay of the Roll Out Hangar as it appeared during its operational days. The two bays of the Roll Out Hangar, now saved from demolition and owned by the Yankee Air Museum, were the most significant pieces of the historic Willow Run Bomber Plant. This photo shows one B-24 inside the East Bay being serviced and prepared for final roll out. The B-24 in the foreground is being towed to the Hangar 1 area for final inspection and test flight before being turned over to the US Army Air Corps. Within seven days after the time this photo was taken, this aircraft would have been on its way to Europe or the Pacific to perform its wartime duties.
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
Saving The Willow Run Bomber Plant
Thank You
On behalf of the Michigan Aerospace Foundation and the Yankee Air Museum, I want to personally thank each of you who has helped in some way this first year. We succeeded with the construction we wanted to accomplish during the initial phase of restoration and look forward to the ongoing construction as we restore this valuable artifact of the World War II Arsenal of Democracy.
The Michigan Aerospace Foundation recently kicked off another drive to fund the coming year of restoration, estimated to cost $4-6 million. Please dig deep and do what you can to help us. Besides our greatly appreciated cash donors, I know there are many companies out there who played significant roles in the original construction of this building and in the manufacturing of the B-24s at Willow Run. Step forward and become one of our significant in-kind donors. Help us with this project to save the last remaining piece of the Arsenal of Democracy.
Dennis Norton [email protected]
Michigan Aerospace Foundation 807 Willow Run Airport Ypsilanti MI 48198 734-999-8052
Yankee Air Museum 47884 D Street Belleville MI 48111 734-483-4030
The Michigan Aerospace Foundation is a sister organization to the Yankee Air Museum tasked with Fund Raising and Capital Projects, currently working on the restoration of the Roll Out Hangar of the Willow Run Bomber Plant for the museum. Both the Michigan Aerospace Foundation and the Yankee Air Museum are IRS 501c3 tax exempt organizations.
Yankee Air Museum www.yankeeairmuseum.org
Michigan Aerospace Foundation www.savethebomberplant.org