Remembering Boeing's Plant 2, the Birthplace of the B-17

During World War II, a Hollywood set designer helped design a 26-acre fake community to camouflage the Boeing factory.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, December 13, 2024 at 04:02 PM ET

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Edited By:

Kimberly Johnson

A nearly complete B-17F Flying Fortress bomber at the Boeing's production line in the Seattle plant, 1942. [Credit: United States Office Of War Information, courtesy Library of Congress archives]

Key Takeaways:

Boeing's Plant No. 2 in Seattle was a crucial World War II production hub, most famously known as the birthplace of the B-17 Flying Fortress, producing thousands of these aircraft.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, an elaborate 26-acre fake community, designed by a Hollywood set designer, was built on the plant's rooftop to disguise it from potential Japanese air raids.
This sophisticated camouflage included faux streets, homes, schools, and civic buildings crafted from canvas, chicken wire, and paint, designed to appear as a residential area from above.

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Boeing’s Plant No. 2 in Seattle, arguably the birthplace of the B-17 Flying Fortress, predates the entry of the U.S. into World War II by several years.

The factory was located just west of Boeing Field, which was formerly dedicated as a municipal airport in July 1928. The brick terminal building is still in use today on the east side of the airport now known as King County International Airport/Boeing Filed (KBFI).