Frigidaire Division of General Motors Corporation in World War Two

Dayton, OH

1916-1979

Rest in Peace

Frigidaire was sold by GM to White Consolidated Industries in 1979. This page updated 10-7-2018.

Frigidaire Division of GM World War Two Production Statistics: (363,000) .50 Caliber Browning M2 Aircraft Machine Guns, (1,000,000) spare .50 Caliber Machine Gun Barrels. First Contract was in June 1941. Frigidaire engineers made over 500 design and manufacturing changes to reduce the cost of the machine gun to 25% of the original cost, using mass manufacturing techniques. Frigidaire chambered one million FP-45 "Liberator" pistols to .45 caliber. (21,263) three blade Hamilton Standard Propellers for the C-47, B-17, B-24, PB4Y and C-87. (54,737) four Blade Propellers for the B-29 and P-47. Frigidaire also built components for both three and four bladed Aeroproducts propellers, which was another GM Division located in nearby Vandalia, OH. These propellers were installed on the Bell P-39 and P-63. Components supplied by Frigidaire were the blades, hub, regulator assembly, blade thrust member and other parts. Various components: including the long-range fuel tanks for the famous Doolittle Raiders' B-25s, components for the Hispano-Suiza 20mm aerial cannon built by Oldsmobile, diesel cylinders and heads the Electro-Motive Division of GM that were installed in Sub Chasers, carburetor bodies for radial aircraft engines, 20mm Oerlikon cannon magazine front and back plates, and millions of .50 caliber bullet cores. For a more complete story on Frigidaire's contribution to victory in WWII, see its 1944 publication "Frigidaire at War" farther down this page. It is one of the best of the GM publications from the war showing its products and how they were made.



Frigidaire won the Army-Navy "E" Award twice during World War Two.

It won the first award on August 22, 1942 for high achievement in the production of war material.

Frigidaire built Hamilton Standard propellers during World War Two under license for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. The B-29, "Fifi," of the Commemorative Air Force, taxies into her spot at the Dayton Airshow in 2013. The Frigidaire props have come home. Author's photo.

Author's photo.

Going to work at Frigidaire to help win the war.

One of many B-25s that came to Ohio in 2012 to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. Frigidaire made B-25 parts, and for the 1942 Doolittle Raid on Tokyo only, built the long-range fuel tanks for the aircraft. Author's photo.

Frigidaire also built Hamilton Standard four bladed props for the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. The eight .50 M2 aircraft machines seen here were also produced by Frigidaire. Author's photo from the 2014 Thunder over Michigan Airshow. Added 11-30-2014.

Many of the famous Boeing B-17s not only had Frigidaire built propellers, but bristled with .50 caliber M2 machines built by the Division. Author's photo taken at Purdue University in August of 2013. Added 11-30-2014.

Frigidaire was one of two automakers supplying propellers for the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. Nash-Kelvinator was the other. Author's photo from the 2014 Thunder over Michigan Airshow. Added 11-30-2014.

Frigidaire made many components for the Aeroproducts four-bladed prop on this Bell P-63, including the blades, hub and regulator assembly. Author's photo from the 2014 Thunder over Michigan Airshow. Added 11-30-2014.

The North American T-6 trainer had six hydraulic actuators that operated the landing gear and landing gear doors. Author's photo from the 2014 Thunder over Michigan Airshow. Added 11-30-2014.

Note that Frigidaire was involved in the manufacture of the million FP-45s built by chambering the barrels. This information does not show in the 1944 "Frigidaire at War" shown below as the FP-45 was a secret weapon. Author's photo taken at the National Museum of the Air Force.

Author's photo.

This cut-away of .50 caliber Browning machine gun was found in the maintenance shop of the National Armor and Cavalry Museum at Fort Benning, GA. Author's photo added 10-7-2018.

Author's photo added 10-7-2018.

Author's photo added 10-7-2018.

A 110-foot Subchaser during WWII which was powered by two Electro-Motive Pancake engines. Frigidaire made cylinders and heads for the Pancake engines. Photo added 10-7-2018.

Frigidaire made front and rear plates for the magazine on the Oerlikon 20mm anti-aircraft cannon. Author's photo added 10-7-2018.

Frigidaire made parts for tank tracks during WWII. Author's photo added 10-7-2018.

This is an AN-2 20mm aircraft cannon. It is a license-built version of the Hispano-Suiza 20mm aerial cannon. Frigidaire made parts for these, which were then shipped to Oldsmobile Division of General Motors in Lansing, MI for final assembly. Author's photo added 10-7-2018. Frigidaire at War

1944

Below is a 1943 Frigidaire publication intended for new employees. Only the relevant portions have been used here. Another informative publication.

