Ever wonder why a large percentage of USA WW2 aircraft were made in New York State?

As far as Bell is concerned I should have said airplanes not aircraft. Think the YP59 was their last airplane except for experimental work. Someone should write a readable book on what happened to Curtis – know I would buy a copy. Any more thoughts on Curtis that members would like to share?

Bell went on to do the X1 and other high tech experimentals as well as to successfully branch out into helicopters. Curtiss continued but failure to incorporate better management procedures and a series of design failures for government contracts killed them off.

Seem like the most overbuilt US airplanes of the war were the P40, P39, and yes the P47. More were built than could be used by US and they were all built in NY. Probably for various reasons instead of just politics like I originally thought. Only Republic continued aircraft production after the war as maybe Bell and Curtiss had established a bad reputation by end of 1945.

Where was the duralumin made? Eastern Canada? Transport links? Possibly relevant.

Agree with the above replies that cite NY as a major industrial area- not politics.

Remember that the US aviation industry cranked out thousands of fair, good and great aircraft. Just because some aircraft did not have long post war careers does not mean they were “bad”. Many aircraft had short careers in the US after WWII, but few would call them “bad” aircraft- in most cases they met the need. Post war they were not needed, or were quickly obsolete and replaced by something better, or in downsizing choices were made to go with other aircraft that met the need- there was no need for multiple aircraft serving similar roles.

Would you call the Hellcat a “bad” aircraft? No, it was not, but the Bearcat was better, and the Corsair was a better attack aircraft, and jets were just around the corner.

Some that disappeared rather quickly:
B-26
Hellcat
P-47
Dauntless
Kingfisher
B-32
P-38
A-20
B-24
P-61

IIRC correctly the P-51 was cheaper to fly and maintain and was arguably better all around than the P-47. Also fewer of the best P-47’s, the “N” were around.

Just going by his own estimation at the times.

AFAIK The P-47’s Soldierd on wel into the 50’s With the ANG… as did the P-51.

After WW2 all fighting forces reduced their forces and choices had to be made on which types were more usefull or economical to use…

“Churchill was a failure until Hitler made him a great leader. “

Oh really? Which part of his extensive military and political career prior to 1940 are you talking about?

I am a student of US history and think FDR was only second to Lincoln as president. But of course the times make the leader – Churchill was a failure until Hitler made him a great leader. I know the Truman commission shut down the Vultee attack aircraft line – no one wanted them. And they came close to shutting down the Martin B26 line – one a day in Tampa Bay. If the P47 was so great why is it the new U S Air force couldn’t wait to get rid of them as well as the B24, B26, P40, and P39. Where as the P51, AT6’s, F4U, PBY, B25, and even the B17 linger on for another 10 years or so. Maybe should had used East Coast instead of NY. As for the Solid South Roosevelt was tired of dealing with the Southern intransigency and had serious discussions with Willkie (yes the man he defeated in1940) about forming a new party excluding the South and the farm belt states. But Willkie died after a minor operation and Roosevelt became to frail.

As a history major, and lifelong aviation historian, I’ll agree with Malcolm.
Consider all the machine tools (Pratt & Whitney, etc) and firearms made in Connecticut. The NE US was the center for precision machinery.
If in doubt, look who built the arms during the American civil war.

Curtiss and it’s NY home, predates the FDR administration.
Bell took over the empty Consolidated works in Buffalo when that firm moved to San Diego (a smart move for a firm who made a lot of flying boats for the Navy).
Likewise, Grumman got its start after the Loening firm merged with Keystone and moved to Pennsylvania…Leroy Grumman wanted to stay in NY so he moved some like-minded employees from Manhatten to Long Island.

Yes, the P-40 was obsolete as the war progressed, but at the start it was the best US fighter. It was hardly the only older aeroplane produced past its “sell by” dare. The UK, Germany and Japan did to. Likewise, the P-39 was modern at one point and it was phased out in favor of the P-63, so Bell was trying.
I can’t agree with your biased statement about P-47s. They were very capable and had some virtues the Mustang did not. The senior USAAF leaders felt the Thunderbolt had a role to play. Also remember, it was still being developed late in the war (the N model).

Finally, if you’ve studied American political history, virtually all states in 1940 were democratic party strongholds. FDR won an unprecedented third term that year.

If it was all politics, Vultee would have sold a lot more Vengence dive bombers, since they were built in Tennessee, part of the “solid south” for democrats, they hadn’t supported a Republican since the Civil War in 1860, they were still mad at Lincoln. That would not change for another century.

Well if you understand the history of the US, in the 19th century and the early 20th century the north eastern states were the industrial powerhouse of the US. The companies that operated there attracted the financial and entrepreneurial efforts of the big investors who were based in New York and Boston. So if a company was being formed to manufacture aircraft or an established company was diversifying into aircraft production then it is likely that one would see a small concentration of aviation manufacturers there as well as the companies that provided off shelf subsidiary equipment. But also as has been pointed out there was also a concentration on the west coast which was no doubt a by product of both entrepreneurial effort and the fact that the 19th century gold, silver and other mineral booms had created pockets of wealth in the western states like California. Wealth that was available for investment in manufacturing industry. I doubt politics came into it.

Conveniently in support of the argument overlooks the likes of Boeing, Consolidated (incl Vultee), Martin, North American, Lockheed, Cessna, Piper etc. as major producers.

While I have no supporting facts, in very generalised terms, I would state that the East coast pre-War, in particular New York State was the industrial powerhouse for whole Union, it was where the finance originated for industrial enterprise (having survived the New York Stock market crash a decade earlier). New York State was where modern enterprise was funded from pre-War. While the West Coast had the space and supported innovators (even then); the Great Lakes the output of raw materials, especially steel. Over simplified, yes – but so too was the original hypothesis.

Now, if the hypothesis had been why were failing, dated and mis-managed (if that was indeed the case) aircraft manufacturers in New York State given so much support in the face of successful innovation from elsewhere within the Union, then I too would wonder on political influence. I feel the percentage thing in the title is misleading – but have no figures to either support or refute.

Interesting hypothesis or troll comment, I trust that it is the former.