How to Build 300k Airplanes in Five Years

“It’s no secret that the Allies won World War II on the back of the U.S.’s enormous industrial output. One of the most important elements in the “Arsenal of Democracy” was aircraft. Over the course of the war the U.S. produced around 325,000 airplanes valued at roughly $46 billion ($800 billion in 2024 dollars). Not only is this more aircraft than what Germany, Japan, and Italy combined produced during the war — it’s also more aircraft than have been built for commercial transport in the entire history of aviation. World War II aircraft production shows that it’s possible for a complex manufacturing industry to grow incredibly rapidly. But it also shows the limits of that scale up; that even in an emergency some things can only be accelerated so much, and success depends on what preparations have been taken beforehand.” (Construction Physics)

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An electric Hall thruster
This is an operating electric Hall thruster identical to those being used to propel NASA’s Psyche spacecraft on the way to its namesake asteroid. The blue glow comes from the charged atoms, or ions, of xenon.NASA’s Psyche spacecraft passed its six-month checkup with a clean bill of health, and navigators fired up its electric Hall thrusters, which emit a blue glow, as the orbiter zips farther into deep space. They are part of Psyche’s incredibly efficient solar electric propulsion system, which is powered by sunlight. The thrust created by the ionized xenon is gentle, but it does the job. Even in full cruise mode, the pressure exerted by the thrusters is about what you’d feel holding three quarters in your hand. (via NASA)

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