PBS to air documentary about Ypsilanti's legendary Willow Run B-24 bomber factory

By Katrease Stafford Ypsilanti Reporter

Posted on Sat, Mar 9, 2013 : 10:05 a.m.

A documentary about the Ypsilanti Willow Run airport's legendary B-24 bomber plant will air Sunday on PBS.

B-24 Liberators line the airfield at Willow Run Airport in this June 1945 photo. The bomber plant adjacent to the airport produced the famed World War II bombers in a plant built by Henry Ford. The influx of workers for the massive war-time production project gave rise to an entire community called Willow Run.

AnnArbor.com file photo

"The Story of Willow Run" was a black and white documentary produced by the Ford Motor Company in 1945. The documentary describes the history of the bomber plant during the World War II period.

According to the Michigan Aerospace Foundation, the documentary recounts the building of the massive assembly plant, and the production process of more than 8,000 B-24 heavy bombers. The bombers were built at the plant from 1942 to 1945.

The plant was built by Henry Ford in 1941 and employed more than 42,000. The factory produced one B-24 aircraft every 59 minutes, according to the Yankee Air Museum. The museum was established in 1981.

The program will air at 4 p.m. Sunday on Channel 56.

Below, see a preview of the documentary from the Michigan Aerospace Foundation: