▁Liber ator ▁bom ber , ▁still ▁the ▁most ▁produced ▁al lied ▁heavy ▁bom ber ▁in ▁history , ▁quickly ▁shift ed ▁the ▁balance ▁of ▁power . ▁The ▁av iation ▁industry ▁could ▁produce , ▁if ▁everything ▁went ▁all ▁right , ▁one ▁Cons olid ated ▁A ircraft ▁B - 2 4 ▁Bom ber ▁a ▁day ▁at ▁an ▁aircraft ▁plant . ▁Ford ▁would ▁show ▁the ▁world ▁how ▁to ▁produce ▁one ▁B - 2 4 ▁an ▁hour , ▁and ▁at ▁peak ▁production ▁Ford ▁produced ▁ 6 5 0 ▁per ▁month ▁at ▁Will ow ▁Run ▁by ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁Ford ' s ▁Will ow ▁Run ▁factory ▁broke ▁ground ▁in ▁the ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁assembly ▁plant ▁in ▁the ▁world , ▁with ▁over ▁. ▁Ed sel ▁Ford , ▁Henry ▁Ford ' s ▁son , ▁under ▁stress , ▁died ▁in ▁the ▁Spring ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁of ▁st om ach ▁cancer ▁prompt ing ▁Henry ▁Ford ▁to ▁res ume ▁day - to - day ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Ford ▁Motor ▁Company . ▁Will ow ▁Run ▁completed ▁its ▁first ▁B - 2 4 ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁with ▁production ▁increasing ▁substantial ly ▁by ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁Pil ots ▁and ▁crew ▁sle pt ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 , 3 0 0 ▁c ots ▁waiting ▁to ▁fly ▁the ▁B - 2 4 s ▁as ▁they ▁rolled ▁off ▁the ▁assembly ▁line ▁at ▁Ford ' s ▁Will ow ▁Run ▁facility . ▁ ▁L arg