Journey through time as we explore the growth of military aviation technology at Air Force Plant #4 in Ft. Worth, Texas. On April 19, 2022, the first B-24 Liberator Bomber celebrates its 80th when it made its initial Texas appearance out of the plant.
The Warbirds of Air Force Plant #4
By Historian Ray Cartier
About Air Force Plant #4: Established in 1942 to provide needed B-24 bombers to the Allied Forces in WWII, Ft. Worth's "Bomber plant" produced 3,150 aircraft before the war ended in 1945. Operating initially as Consolidated Aircraft, the plant soon became Consolidated Vultee, an then operated several years as Convair before being sold to General Dynamics. After losing one of the biggest possible new aircraft contracts with the failed A-12 Navy fighter in January 1991, the plant was sold again and is now known as Lockheed - Ft. Division where it has been producing F22 and F35 fighters for the U.S. Air Force and several other allied nations.
