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Fisher Body Craftsmanship Goes to War
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Fisher Body Plant 21 - Detroit Aircraft Unit in World War Two
A Surviving Fisher Body Plant
Detroit, MI
1919-Current
Fisher Body - Gone but not Forgotten!!!

This page added 2-25-2021.

This imposing six-story building was the former Fisher Body Plant 21, located at the corner of  Piquette and St. Antione Streets in Detroit, MI.  During World War Two, it was the Detroit Aircraft Unit.  It was built in 1919 by Albert Kahn for the Fisher Brothers, seven years before they became part of General Motors.  The plant closed in 1984.  General Motors was apparently was able to sell the building and then the new owners either moved out later or were not able to maintain such a large building.  Even though one million dollars have been spent on cleaning up the legacy environmental contamination inside the plant, it is still on the EPA contaminated list.

From an architectural standpoint, this plant is an excellent example of the multi-story auto plants that dotted the Detroit landscape in the early 20th century.  Fisher Body Plant 21 is one of the most photographed buildings in Detroit, due to its symbolism in representing what the American Automobile Industry was when it dominated the world, contributing mightily to winning World War Two, and then its fall from dominance when it focused on the short term bottom line instead of taking care of its customers.   Author's Photo.

The Fisher Body Detroit Aircraft Unit won the Army-Navy "E" award four times.

Fisher Body Detroit Aircraft Unit World War Two Products:   B-25, B-29, XP-75, P-80, and FG-4 aircraft parts and assemblies

B-29:  The table below shows that the proposed shipment schedule did not match up with the number of B-29s built in each plant.  Renton was scheduled to receive almost three times the number of tail gun and rudder assemblies compared to the number of the B-29s built.  It is unknown from the historical record whether the excess components were shipped to the other plants.  The Fisher Body Detroit Aircraft Unit made more than enough of the assemblies to supply all of the B-29s built.

The next three photos show the B-29 tail gun assemblies being assembled at the Detroit Aviation Unit.

This shows the main contractors for the B-29s built by Martin Omaha, NE.  Part number 101, in the lower right hand corner of the table, shows that the Turret Assembly-Tail Guns were furnished by G.F.I Fisher.  G.F.I. stands for Government Furnished Items.  The Army Air Force contracted directly with Fisher Body to purchase the tail gun assemblies, and then had Fisher Body drop ship them to the B-29 assembly plants per its instructions. 

The B-29 Enola Gay was built at the Martin plant in Omaha, Nebraska.  Fisher-Body was shown as the supplier of the tail gun turret assemblies.  Author's photo.

The next several photos show the Fisher Body-built rear gun turret in the Enola Gay.  All of the other gun turrets were removed from the aircraft to decrease the weight of the aircraft.  The tail gun turret was considered important enough to prevent an attack from behind, so it was left in the aircraft.  Author's photo.

Author's photo.


Author's photo.

Author's photo.

XP-75 and P-75A:  The Fisher Body Detroit Aircraft Unit fabricated and assembled rudder pedals for the aircraft.  It also assembled fairings and cowlings fabricated at other Fisher Body plants.

Only (8) XP-75s and (6) P-75s were built during World War Two.  While only fourteen total airframes were built, Lansing and other Fisher Body plants were planning and producing for a high production run.  Many more than fourteen sets of components were built. This is the only remaining P-75A Eagle of the fourteen aircraft that were built.  It is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.  Author's photo.

Author's photo.

What didn't happen:  In the "Fisher Body Craftsmanship goes to War" it notes that there was a contract placed for Lockheed P-80 intakes and wingtips.  There was also a contract to build 1,500 FG-4 engine cowlings for Goodyear.  Both contracts were issued late in World War Two and neither was completed.  Very few parts, if any, were built or delivered due to the sudden end of World War Two in August 1945.  

Several historical sources have misinterpreted this information and claim the Fisher Body Detroit Aircraft Unit actually built P-80s and FG-4 complete aircraft.  The contract was for tooling and parts, not entire aircraft.

  The FG-4 was to be the Goodyear-built version of the Vought F4U-4 Corsair.  It never went into production due to the sudden end of the war in August 1945.  This is a Vought F4U-4 that was built after World War Two.  The Detroit Aircraft Unit would have built the engine cowl like the one on this aircraft.   Author's photo.

This is a Lockheed P-80.  The Detroit Aircraft Unit never had the opportunity to make parts for this type aircraft due to the end of the war.  Author's photo.

The Detroit Aircraft Unit was contracted to build tooling and to make the wingtips on the P-80.  Author's photo.

The Detroit Aircraft Unit was also going to make tooling and build P-80 engine intakes.  Author's photo.