Editing Lockheed Corporation (section)

===Production during World War II===
[[File:Lockheed P-38 Lightning USAF.JPG|thumb|P-38J Lightning ''Yippee'']]

At the beginning of World War II, Lockheed – under the guidance of [[Kelly Johnson (engineer)|Clarence (Kelly) Johnson]], who is considered one of the best-known American aircraft designers – answered a specification for an interceptor by submitting the [[Lockheed P-38 Lightning|P-38 Lightning]] fighter aircraft, a twin-engined, [[twin-boom]] design. The P-38 was the only American fighter aircraft in production throughout the entirety of American involvement in the war, from [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|Pearl Harbor]] to [[Victory over Japan Day]].<ref>Bodie 2001, p. xvi.</ref> It filled ground-attack, air-to-air, and even tactical bombing roles in all theaters of the war in which the United States operated. The P-38 was responsible for shooting down more Japanese aircraft than any other [[U.S. Army Air Forces]] type during the war; it is particularly famous for being the aircraft type that shot down Japanese [[Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto]]'s airplane.<ref name="Parker 2013, pp. 59-76">Parker 2013, pp. 59–76.</ref><ref>Herman 2012, p. 287.</ref>

[[File:Lockheed plant, ca. 1942.jpg|thumb|left|P-38 Lightning assembly line at the Lockheed plant, [[Burbank, California]], in World War II. In June 1943, this [[assembly line]] was reconfigured into a mechanized line, which more than doubled the rate of production. The transition to the new system was accomplished in only eight days. During this time production never stopped. It was continued outdoors.<ref>Parker 2013, pp. 59, 75–76.</ref>]]

The Lockheed Vega factory was located next to Burbank's [[Bob Hope Airport|Union Airport]] which it had purchased in 1940. During the war, the entire area was camouflaged in case of enemy reconnaissance. The factory was hidden beneath a huge burlap tarpaulin painted to depict a peaceful semi-rural neighborhood, replete with rubber automobiles.<ref>[http://www.amazingposts.com/2008/08/world-war-ii-lockheed-burbank-aircraft.html "World War II-Lockheed Burbank Aircraft Plant Camouflage."] ''Amazing Posts'', August 16, 2008.</ref><ref>[http://thinkorthwim.com/2007/08/19/1034/ "How to Hide an Airplane Factory."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101214941/http://thinkorthwim.com/2007/08/19/1034/ |date=January 1, 2014 }} ''Thinkorthwim.com'', August 19, 2007; retrieved September 30, 2011.</ref> Hundreds of fake trees, shrubs, buildings, and even fire hydrants were positioned to give a three-dimensional appearance. The trees and shrubs were created from chicken wire treated with an adhesive and covered with feathers to provide a leafy texture.<ref name="Parker 2013, pp. 59-76"/><ref>[http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/flying/the_disguise_of_california.htm "California Becomes a Giant Movie Set."] ''Flat Rock'', July 16, 2009.</ref>

Lockheed ranked tenth among United States corporations in the value of wartime production contracts.<ref>Peck and Scherer 1962, p. 619.</ref> All told, Lockheed and its subsidiary [[Vega Aircraft Corporation|Vega]] produced 19,278 aircraft during World War II, representing six percent of war production, including 2,600 [[Lockheed Ventura|Venturas]], 2,750 [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress]] bombers (built under license from [[Boeing]]), 2,900 Hudson bombers, and 9,000 Lightnings.<ref>''Time Magazine'', January 14, 1946.</ref>