FM-2 Production Information?

[Chappie]

Does anyone have any suggestions on where I can find information on FM-2 production in Linden? I'm looking for production numbers, dates, paint schemes, etc. I've ordered a c.1944 book about Eastern Aircraft Company, but as always I'm looking for information.

For anyone who lives in the Jersey area- I've looked at Linden Airport on Google Earth and adjacent to the airport is a long building that now houses a bunch of retail stores. Is that the old GM plant or did the plant used to reside in the large vacant lot across the highway from the airport?

Thanks in advance.


Chappie

[ChrisK48]

The GM/Eastern Aircraft facility was where the empty lot is across Route 1 from the airport on the latest Google Earth photos. You can see it on some of the historical photos on GE.

[JohnB]

Was it a converted car (or car parts) plant or a new build for Eastern?
I've read in a car magazine it was a former GM parts plant, but car magazines rarely get aircraft stuff correct.

[Chappie]

Was it a converted car (or car parts) plant or a new build for Eastern?
I've read in a car magazine it was a former GM parts plant, but car magazines rarely get aircraft stuff correct.

From what I read during my research on Jerry Yagen's FM-2, the Linden plant had been building Pontiacs, Caddys, Oldsmobiles, and Buicks when it was converted into Wildcat production.

Chappie

[CraigQ]

Was it a converted car (or car parts) plant or a new build for Eastern?
I've read in a car magazine it was a former GM parts plant, but car magazines rarely get aircraft stuff correct.

From what I read during my research on Jerry Yagen's FM-2, the Linden plant had been building Pontiacs, Caddys, Oldsmobiles, and Buicks when it was converted into Wildcat production.

Chappie

Chappie, from what I can gather from the copy of an Eastern Aircraft Division produced history I have, the main auto plant was used. It was modified of course for ac production with some new expansion added on to it for housing incoming and produced parts. The only new, stand alone construction mentioned for Linden was for post production hangars for checks/finishing etc.

Craig

[TOM WALSH]

Needing to focus exclusively on building Hellcats, Grumman freed up plant space in their manufacturing facility by transferring their remaining F4F Wildcat and TBF Avenger production over to the General Motors (GM) Automobile Company. GM had five idle car plants on the east coast - Tarrytown, Linden, Bloomfield, Baltimore and Trenton. Quickly these five were organized into a team called The Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors. Eastern Aircraft went on to build 5,928 Wildcats designated as FM-1's and FM-2's and 7,546 Avengers designated as TBM's.

Cheers,

Tom Walsh.