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Something that changes that chart somewhat is that some of the factories making the planes didn't exist in 1939-40-41.
Thought this might be interesting. It shows the time from the production of the 1st to 500th aircraft and from the 500th to the 1,000th aircraft for 10 major U.S. airplanes.
A-29 Super Tucano…I think a turboprop P-51, sort of like the Enforcer, with modern avionics, could be effective today in limited wars.
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They tried that and it didn't "take" at the time.
But ...modern turboprops are more powerful for the weight and size. Modern props give better thrust. Modern avionics make precision attack MUCH easier. Imagine THIS thing above with smart missiles, smart bombs, and digital displays with overall situational awareness. Now think of eight of them overhead when the troops are in trouble.
I think a turboprop P-51, sort of like the Enforcer, with modern avionics, could be effective today in limited wars.
It was the Army's detour into the B-18 and B-23 roads that helped delay the B-17, although what the US would have done with another 100 Sharkfins is a puzzle.
A consequence of the peculiar objectives inherent in pre-WW2 peacetime planning. The USA was late to the party but its natural resources (manpower etc) enabled it to make up for the discrepancy. Wartime combat experience has a tendency to sift out the wheat from the chaff. The B-18 was the USAAC's most numerous bomber in 1941. A year later the B-17E and F and B-24D are in production. Like the Brits building oodles of redundant airframes, the workforce and shop space was available for all-important production later on.
Plans and budgets often didn't coincide. But these things take time.