Military Aviation Quotes
Defense appropriations have always been easier to get than civilian. Often the military subsidies deliberately were used to strengthen or create civilian enterprises. The American aviation industry would not have developed without military subsidies. American mass production manufacturing was developed with military contracts given to Eli Whitney. And in modern times the Internet was developed with Defense Department Research funds.
At the time, most Japanese (and American and worldwide) Naval leaders and strategists believed that it was the battleship that was the critical naval weapon. Yamamoto proved to be correct and ironically, the American Aircraft Carriers and Planes were his undoing.
In WWII as later, defense contractors and military weapons designers were always trying to improve the design and proto-models, thus stalling production and utilization. Arnold’s statement galvanized the program and B-29s reached the Pacific theater to help win the war.
