The Disasters of the Glider Program

The manufacturing quality of the gliders in the first year or two was just a tremendous wings would fall off in mid flight. The manufacturers, some of them were charlatans literally being built in circus tents in Florida and dry cleaning shops. Ford Motor Company converted a station wagon plant in Minnesota and used their extensive mass manufacturing skills to produce about I think 4000 of the glider at the cheapest price. Meanwhile, hundreds of subcontractors, one contractor was making caskets before the war, Steinway pianos was made are making components for gliders. Everyone was learning literally on the fly in the race to get these ready in time for Normandy.