Flight was born in America at the turn of the century. But World War II saw more planes built in a single year--300,000--than had been built in the previous forty. World War II turned the American aviation industry into a huge, high-tech giant. Among the aircraft built for World War II were some of the greatest planes of all time: the C-47 transport (the "Loony Bird"); the rugged B-17 Flying Fortress; the B-24 Liberator, mass produced by Ford on the world's longest assembly line; the P-51 Mustang, the greatest prop-driven fighter; and the scrappy Grumman "Iron Works" output Wildcats and Helicats that leapt from the decks of U.S. aircraft carriers to maul the Japanese air force. Modern shots of restored aircraft, historic footage ranging from factory floors to dogfights, and interviews with pilots and designers recapture the aviation industry's finest hour.