The Growth of Aircraft Manufacturing in the Post-War Era

The Growth of Aircraft Manufacturing in the Post-War Era

Following the lessons of the performances of the planes in WWII, the aviation industry experienced unprecedented growth in the post-war era due to the desire for improved and high-performance aircraft for both military and commercial purposes. The US, which had not been devastated in the war like their European counterparts, led this development in the design of the late 20th-century military aircraft. It would later be joined by European giants like France and Germany after rebuilding from WWII (Cantrell, 2013). This paper seeks to look into the opportunities and challenges that aircraft manufacturers experienced in this era of heightened aviation growth and the factors that propelled this growth.

Opportunities for the Aircraft Manufacturers

One of the greatest strengths of the WWII battle was the use of air power and armor as the core building material for airplanes. This is what led to the great victories on the German front. By learning that bombers were the most efficient of the artillery in the war, the manufacturers of the aircraft sought to utilize the advances achieved by the enemies. The production of war crafts at an industrial scale beyond the experimental phase of the B-27s and B-24s had already taken shape at the end of WWII, with resources allocation to this industry by the federal government in the US allowing for extensive research in the field (Bright, 2010). The manufacturers also had the opportunity to partner with the automobile industry in the design of the fuselage, helping the aviation industry turn to line production instead.

The increased emphasis on research and design and readily available resources for this sphere helped accelerate technological advances to employ cutting-edge technology in the industry, with aircraft fitted with lasers for precision and stealth capabilities being developed (Bright, 2010). Moreover, there was the need for inter-continental travel for both the military in the peace-keeping efforts under the WWII agreement and the growth of the global trade that necessitated the travel of humans and cargo across the continents in the peacetime era. The knowledge and consciousness of aircraft as a preferred means of transport for the general public had grown increasingly over the war period, and this was a reason for the aviation industry to seize the chance and rake in profits in the inter-continental travel business.

Challenges for the Aircraft manufacturers

It will be noted that the war consumed a considerable amount of resources for the nations, which almost crippled the efforts to develop air travel. In the US, for instance, Congress had voted against President Roosevelt’s resolution to increase funding for aircraft manufacturers due to the hard economic times that faced the nation. The growth of the demand for aircraft also surpassed the potential of the existing manufacturers, which called for a compromise in the manufacture of the planes so as to remain within the parameters of safety and efficiency while at the same time maintaining industrial production capacities (Dawna, 2008).

There was also a shortage of skilled labor at the time due to the absence of dedicated institutions that had ventured into skill transfer in the aviation industry. Most of the people involved in the manufacture of airplanes were from the military, and it took a long time to transfer their skills among the interested people (Bright, 2010).

References

Bright, W. (2010, March 19). World War II: Aviation comes of age. Retrieved from The Jet Makers: http://www.generalatomic.com/jetmakers/chapter1.html

Cantrell, J. (2013, September 16). End of WWII Model Shakes Up Aerospace Industry. Space News, pp. 1-4. Retrieved from https://spacenews.com/37245end-of-wwii-model-shakes-up-aerospace-industry/

Dawna, L. R. (2008). Evolution of international aviation (2nd ed.). Burlington, VA: Asgate Publishing Company.

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The Growth of Aircraft Manufacturing in the Post-War Era

ASCI 202
Introduction to Aeronautical Science

Case Analysis – Aircraft Performance

Format

• Two to three pages text (maximum, include a reference page; and a title page)
• Double-spaced lines
• Times New Roman 12 pitch

Process

• I. Review materials from outside sources regarding the case
• II. Diagnose the case (identify the issue/problem, define the significance of the issue/problem)
• III. “Size-up” the case (determine the influence of the issue/problem, decide what was done well, and identify
  what could be improved)
• IV. Provide recommendations (identify courses of action; what would you do differently?)

Develop a case analysis on this topic: Evaluate the challenges and opportunities in the aircraft manufacturing
industry following World War II as commercial and military aircraft evolved from piston-engine to high performance, jet aircraft. In your analysis, consider factors that influenced the aircraft manufacturing industry with
respect to designs, performance, materials, development, and production of new, high-performance jet aircraft. As always, draw upon module knowledge to help you conduct your analysis.

Refer to the assignment information and rubric in the appropriate module activity and ensure your case analysis
conforms to the assignment requirements. Use the rubric as a guide when completing this assignment.

In order to receive full credit, assignments must be submitted by the due date. You may lose points for late
submissions. No submissions accepted after the last day of the module/week. Collectively, case analyses are
worth 40% of your course grade.

Upon submission, your work will automatically be evaluated through the plagiarism detection tool. Ensure your
work is entirely your own. Cite your sources!