st 5,856 aircraft produced in 1939, the United States would reach the staggering total of 96,318 produced in 1944—almost one-third more than that produced by Germany and Japan combined for that year. For the war years as a whole, the United States would produce 324,750 aircraft, compared with a total of 206,773 for Germany, Japan, and Italy. The U.S. output, combined with the output of the British and the Soviet Union, gave the Allies an advantage greater than three to one, with 615,561 aircraft. With such an advantage, it is little wonder that the Allies won the war in the air. Justin D. Murphy
Jarrett, Philip, ed. Aircraft of the Second World War. London: Putnam, 1997.; Keegan, John. The Second World War. New York: Viking, 1989.; Munson, Kenneth. Bombers, Patrol, and Transport Aircraft, 1939–45. Poole, UK: Blandford Press, 1975.; Wilson, Stewart. Aircraft of WWII. Fyshwick, Australia: Aerospace Publications, 1998.
Justin D. Murphy