This project is new. It will document the manufacturers of military weapons, where they are located, their ownership, and the amount of money this industry represents. It covers weapons manufacturing from the late 1800s to today.
Aircraft production during World War II bootstrapped aviation. This table tells the story:
| Country | Aircraft built |
|---|---|
| U.S. | 354,750 |
| Soviet Union | 157,261 |
| U.K. | 131,549 |
| Germany | 119,371 |
| Japan | 76,320 |
| Italy | 11,122 |
| France | 5,276 |
This map is interactive. Use your mouse or touch your screen to zoom in and out and to move around. The marker colors and shapes tell you what kind of things were manufactured at these locations.
Click or tap these buttons to see a list of manufacturers and photos for each country:
In addition to World War II bootstrapping the aviation industry, it also spawned a boom in building airports, access roads, and other infrastructure for the new air travel industry.
Before WWII, there was a fledgling air travel industry, but it was based on passenger aircraft that were flying boats, since there were not yet any airports. They were also referred to as amphibian. In the 1930s, Pan American Airlines used flying boats they referred to as Clippers. The Boeing 314 was one of these Clippers.
Flying boats became obsolete at the end of WWII, since military airports were converted to commercial passenger airports.
Additional Reading
China Now Has the World’s Largest Active Service Tank Force
China's large tank manufacturing plant
