Historical Procurement Timescales

(Created 4 November 2012?)
(Updated 7 April 2024)

NOTES

If no specific date of the month is given, then I assume that the first flight, contract, etc is given on the 15^th of that month for counting reasons.

“Peak Production Period” for combat aircraft/vehicles is defined as the period when the top 40% of all production is built. It's also a good “rule of thumb” for estimating when that type would be in true mass service. To find this, the equation [ =B37>=PERCENTILE($B$37:$B$74,0.6) ] is used in Excel spreadsheets.

Armored Fighting Vehicles

The tank stuff here was inspired by a post by "AlexH" on the Dupuy Institute's forum (HERE) (ARCHIVED TXT VERSION).

M3 Grant/Lee Series Reference: Sherman by R.P. Hunnicutt and Wikipedia plus Production Statistics from BBOW.
Date	Days from Start	Notes
13. Jun. 1940	0	Characteristics of a tank incorporating the new requirements needed as a result of the changes in Europe in Spring 1940 outlined in OCM 15889.
11. Jul. 1940	28	“Paper Tank” standardized as Medium Tank M3, due to the urgency of the world situation.
26. Aug. 1940	74	Wooden Mockup shown to the Tank Committee at Aberdeen.
1. Feb. 1941	233	Detail Design of initial M3 design finished.
13. Mar. 1941	273	First M3 pilot hull moves under it's own power at Rock Island Arsenal, before being shipped on 14 March 1941 to Aberdeen Proving Ground.
1. Nov. 1941	281	M3 Pilot Hull arrives at Aberdeen and is mated to a turret for preliminary testing
5. May. 1941	326	First Production Pilot M3 arrives at Aberdeen Proving Ground from Detroit Tank Arsenal
15. Jul. 1941	397	First M3 Grant built for the British completed by Pressed Steel Car Company.
Jan 1942	581	M3 monthly production reaches 545 tanks that month; beginning of Peak Production Period.
June 1942	732	Peak of M3 Production at 738 tanks that month.

M4 (75mm) Sherman Medium Tank Reference: Sherman by R.P. Hunnicutt and Wikipedia plus Production Statistics from BBOW.
Date	Days from Start	Notes
31. Aug. 1940	0	Detailed Characteristics for a medium tank to succeed the M3 submitted by Ordnance Department for manufacturers.
1. Feb. 1941	154	Detail design of the M3 successor begun. Up to this point, the Aberdeen design team has been busy finishing up the production drawings for the M3 Medium Tank during the Fall and Winter of 1940.
18. Apr. 1941	230	US Armored Force Board chooses simplest of five detailed designs submitted by Aberdeen, and designates it the T6.
2. Sep. 1941	367	T6 Pilot completed and inspected by Armored Force and Ordnance representatives.
5. Sep. 1941	370	Ordnance committee recommends that the T6 Pilot (after necessary changes) be standardized as the M4 Medium Tank.
November 1941	441	Production Pilot construction begun by manufacturers.
February 1942	533	M4A1 production begins at Lima Locomotive Works.
September 1942	745	M4 monthly production reaches 1,259 tanks that month; beginning of Peak Production Period.
December 1942	836	Peak of M4 75mm Production at 2,433 tanks that month.

M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank Reference: Sherman by R.P. Hunnicutt and Wikipedia plus Production Statistics from BBOW.
Date	Days from Start	Notes
11. Sep. 1941	0	OCM 17202 requires that the gun shield and turret of the M4 Medium tank be capable of mounting the 75mm M3, a 105mm Howitzer, or a 3-Inch (76.2mm) gun.
1. Aug. 1942	324	76mm Gun T1 shipped to Aberdeen for tests with modified M4s. Tests conclude that the 76mm Gun T1 is satisfactory for use with M4 series.
17. Aug. 1942	340	Ordnance Committee recommends that the M4 with 76mm gun be classified as “substitute standard” and that the 76mm T1 gun be standardized as the 76mm M1 gun.
2. Feb. 1943	509	M4A1(76M1) tank arrives at Fort Knox for service tests.
5. Apr. 1943	571	Final report on M4A1(76M1) service tests submitted by Fort Knox, in which the 76mm tank is rejected by the Armored Force.
3. May. 1943	599	Ordnance committee cancels the classification of “substitute standard” for the M4A1(76M1), and recommends manufacture of an improved pilot (M4E6) mounting the turret of the T20 medium tank.
July 1943	672	M4E6 Pilot #2 arrives at Aberdeen Proving Ground before being sent to Ft. Knox. A major redesign of Sherman begins, with it referred to as “Medium Tank, M4 Series (Ultimate Design)” to standardize parts and stowage across all the models.
17. Aug. 1943	705	Armored Board recommends acceptance and production of tanks based on the M4E6 Pilot.
Jan 1944	856	First 76mm Sherman (a M4A1) comes off the production line at Pressed Steel Car Company.
June 1944	1008	M4 (76mm) monthly production reaches 724 tanks that month; beginning of Peak Production Period.
December 1944	1191	Peak of M4 (76mm) Production at 1,153 tanks that month.
NOTES: The 76mm upgunning process went through two complete cycles, the first unsuccessful attempt taking 19 months and the second successful attempt taking 8.5 months.

T14 Assault Tank Reference: Sherman by R.P. Hunnicutt and Wikipedia plus Production Statistics from BBOW.
Date	Days from Start	Notes
30. Mar. 1942	0	Requirement for a special assault tank established at a conference between the Chief of Ordnance and the British Tank Mission.
May 1942	46	Detailed military characteristics issued, along with designation Assault Tank, T14.
June 1942	77	Aberdeen completes preliminary drawings, and assigns ALCO the task of finishing the design.
April 1943	381	Detail design work finished at ALCO.
July 1943	472	Pilot #1 shipped to Aberdeen by ALCO.
August 1943	503	Pilot #2 shipped to Aberdeen by ALCO. Tests at Aberdeen show difficulties and Aberdeen recommends that no further consideration be given to T14.
14. Dec. 1944	990	OCM 26038 officially cancels program.

M4A3 (Ford GAA) Sherman Medium Tank Reference: Sherman by R.P. Hunnicutt and The Internet (TM). Automotive and Aviation Industries, Volume 89 (1943) Page 48.
Date	Days from Start	Notes
January 1942	0	Ordnance Committee authorizes the use of the new Ford GAA in the Sherman and designates the GAA powered version the M4A3. At the same time, orders the first GAA for military use.
April 1942	90	First “Ford Tank Engine” produced at the Lincoln plant in Detroit.
Late May 1942	125	Ford completes manufacture of three pilot models of the M4A3 and sends them to the GM Proving Grounds.
June 1942	151	Production of the M4A3 begins at Ford.

M3 Stuart Light Tank Reference: Stuart by R.P. Hunnicutt
Date	Days from Start	Notes
3. Jun. 1940	0	OCM 15864 recommends that the light tanks procured during FY1941 have 1.5” of armor.
5 July 1940	32	OCM 15932 designates the improved vehicle as the Light Tank M3.
March 1941	285	M3 replaces M2A4 on production line at American Car & Foundry.
April 1942	681	M3 monthly production reaches 544 tanks that month; beginning of Peak Production Period.
Dec 1942	925	Peak of M3 Production at 1,587 vehicles.

M5 Stuart Light Tank Reference: Stuart by R.P. Hunnicutt
Date	Days from Start	Notes
6. Jun. 1941	0	OCM 16837 authorizes the installation of two Cadillac engines and automatic transmission in the M3 light tank as the M3E2.
13 Nov 41	160	OCM 17428 assigns designation Light Tank, M4 to the production M3E2.
21 Nov 1941	168	OCM 17451 combines the Cadillac re-engine program (M3E2/M4) with the M3A1E1 hull re-design project, turning the M3E2 into the M3E3.
February 1942	254	OCM 17827 redesignates Light Tank, M4 as the Light Tank, M5 to avoid confusion with Medium Tank, M4.
19 March 1942	286	M3E3 / M5 Pilot at Aberdeen Proving Grounds.
April 1942	313	M5 production begins at Cadillac.
September 42	466	M5 monthly production reaches 449 tanks that month; beginning of Peak Production Period.
December 1942	557	Peak of M5 Production at 737 vehicles.

M24 Chaffee Light Tank Reference: Stuart by R.P. Hunnicutt Note: In this case, a lot of “pre-development” work on light tanks had been done by the T7/M7 program.
Date	Days from Start	Notes
March 1943	0	Ordnance Committee listed characteristics of a light tank using the power train of the M5 light tank, but with the 75mm Gun system developed during the T7 Light/Medium tank program.
2 Sep 1943	171	OCM 21446 type classifies the T24 as limited procurement and directs that 1,000 T24 be built in place of 1,000 M5 Light Tanks.
15 Oct 1943	214	First T24 pilot shipped to Aberdeen Proving Ground for testing.
April 1944	397	Production of T24 begins at Cadillac.
22 June 1944	465	OCM 24175 recommends standardization of T24 as Light Tank, M24.
November 1944	611	M24 monthly production reaches 417 tanks that month; beginning of Peak Production Period.
December 1944	641	Peak of M24 Production at 549 vehicles.

M6 Heavy Tank Reference: Firepower by R.P. Hunnicutt Note:
Date	Days from Start	Notes
20 May 1940	0	Chief of Infantry recommends a requirement be established for a heavy tank and that it weigh between 50-80 tons.
22 May 1940	2	OCM 15842 recommends a development program be initiated for a 50 ton multi-turreted tank (2 x 75mm turrets and 1 x 37mm and 1 x 20mm turrets).
11 July 1940	52	Proposed vehicle approved and designated as Heavy Tank, T1.
August 1940	87	Contract signed with Baldwin Locomotive Works for production of a pilot heavy tank followed by 50 production models.
24 October 1940	157	OCM 16200 is first mention of revised arrangement with a single turret mounting a 3” AA gun and a 37mm coaxial cannon.
August 1941	452	Testing of T1E2 pilot at BLW begins.
8 December 1941	597	T1E2 Pilot officially presented to Ordnance Department at the BLW Plant.
13 April 1942	693	OCM 18059 recommends standardization of T1E2 as M6 and T1E3 as M6A1. Number of tanks to be ordered reduced from 1,084 to 115.
26 May 1942	736	Standardization of M6 and M6A1 approved.
7 Dec 1942	931	General Jacob Devers, CG AGF states that there is no need for the M6 due to it's great weight. Program canceled.
December 1942	939	First production M6 accepted at BLW.
March 1943	1029	M6 monthly production reaches 3 tanks that month; beginning of Peak Production Period.
October 1943	1243	Peak of M6 production, with 6 tanks accepted this month.

T23 / M27 Medium Tank and M26 Pershing Heavy Tank Reference: Pershing by R.P. Hunnicutt Note: This protracted development program shows what happens when you're not really quite sure what you want, and you spend your time chasing weird concepts like electric transmissions, automatic loaders and you change gun caliber from 76mm to 90mm during the process.
Date	Days from Start	Notes
Spring 1942 (Assumed to be 15 APR 42)	0	GEN Barnes and COL Colby propose a new medium tank utilizing the “space engineering” concept, the low-profile Ford GAN tank engine, and the 76mm Gun T1.
May 1942	30	Mockup of the proposed tank studied by the Product Study Division of General Motors. Ordnance Comittee designates the concept as the T20 medium tank and approves construction of two pilots.
January 1943	275	T23 Pilot #1 completed by General Electric.
May 1943	395	250 x T23 tanks ordered by Ordnance Department, of which 40 were requested to mount a 90mm Gun (T25) and 10 were to mount both the 90mm Gun, plus heavier armor (T26).
July 1943	456	Proposed to standardize the T23E3 as the Medium Tank M27, and the T20E3 as the Medium Tank M27B1. This is rejected.
November 1943	579	Production of 200+ T23 begins.
January 1944	640	Ordnance receives permission to build 250 T26E1 beyond the first ten pilots. These tanks are re-designated T23E3 later on.
21 Jan 1944	646	T25 Pilot #1 completed by Chrysler and shipped to Aberdeen.
February 1944	671	T26E1 Pilot #1 shipped to Aberdeen for testing and evaluation.
March 1944	700	T23 monthly production reaches 30 tanks that month; beginning of Peak Production Period.
21 May 1944	767	Tests of T26E1 Pilots #1 and #2 completed at Aberdeen and Fort Knox.
June 1944	792	Peak of T23 Production at 39 vehicles.
29 June 1944	806	T26 series redesignated as heavy tanks.
November 1944	945	T26E3 production begins at Fisher Tank Arsenal.
March 1945	1065	T26E3 standardized as M26 Pershing.
April 1945	1096	M26 monthly production reaches 269 tanks that month; beginning of Peak Production Period.
June 1945	1157	Peak of M26 Production at 375 vehicles.

Panzerkampfwagen III (3.7 cm KwK) Reference: Panzer Tracts #3-1: Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf A, B, C, D (1934-1938) by Jentz and Doyle Note:
Date	Days from Start	Notes
27 January 1934	0	WaPruf 6 given authority to proceed with development of a 10 ton weight class tank with a 3.7 cm gun.
30 June 1934	154	Deadline for Daimler Benz, Krupp, MAN and Rheinmetall to submit designs for the new 10 ton tank.
August 1934	200	Krupp completes two prototype 3.7cm turrets for the 10 ton tank.
August 1935	565	First trial chassis completed by Daimler Benz.
20 August 1935	570	Heer acceptance firing trials of the turrets.
December 1935	687	Contracts issued for 0-Series Pilots.
3 April 1936	797	Designation Panzerkampfwagen III (3.7cm) (Sd.Kfz.141) assigned to tank.
May to Sep 1937	1204 to 1327	Pz III Ausf A production begins (Series 0 Pilot version).
11 July 1938	1626	759 Pz III ordered for Accounting Year 1939
December 1938	1783	First Panzer III Ausf E (first mass production version) accepted by the Heer.
September 1939	2057	Panzer III (3.7 cm) monthly production reaches 40 tanks that month; beginning of Peak Production Period.
July 1940	2361	Peak of Panzer III (3.7cm) Production at 67 vehicles.

Panzerkampfwagen V Panther Reference: Germany's Panther Tank: The Quest for Combat Supremacy by Jentz
Date	Days from Start	Notes
17 December 1941	0	Previous plans by Germany for a 20-ton class tank (VK 20.01) (Vollketten = Fully Tracked; 20 = Weight in Tons; 01 = first model in series), canceled and new specification for a 30-ton class tank (VK 30.01) issued.
3 February 1942	48	Wa Pruef 6 reviews and approves preliminary designs from MAN and Daimler Benz.
11 May 1942	145	Special Commission unanimously decides in favor of MAN's proposal.
13 May 1942	147	Hitler briefed on Commission report.
15 May 1942	149	MAN informed that Hitler has decided in favor of their proposal.
8 November 1942	326	Driving trials of experimental chassis begin.
24 January 1943	403	First and second Panther Ausf D built arrive at Grafenwohr for testing, despite not being accepted by Waffenamt inspectors.
May 1943	514	First actual Panthers accepted by Waffenamt. (February through April production was withdrawn and rebuilt, being included in the May 1943 totals).
December 1943	728	Panther monthly production reaches 299 tanks that month; beginning of Peak Production Period.
July 1944	941	Peak of Panther Production at 380 vehicles.

Tiger II Reference: Germany's Tiger Tanks: VK45.02 to Tiger II: Design Production & Modifications by Jentz and Doyle Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War II by Chamberlain, Doyle and Jentz.
Date	Days from Start	Notes
21 June 1941	0	Wa Pruf 6 requests that Porsche investigate whether it is possible to mount the 8.8 cm Flak 41 (L72) in the VK 45.01 (P).
27 Sep 1941	98	Krupp and Rheinmetall receive contract to present Wa Pruf 6 with conceptual designs for a turret mounting the 8.8 cm Flak 41 on the VK 45.01 (P & H).
April 1942	298	Henschel begins concept designs for chassis that can mount a turreted 8.8 cm KwK L/71.
November 1943	877	Tiger II V1 prototype accepted by Waffenamt.
January 1944	938	First production Tiger II accepted by Waffenamt.
February 1944	969	First Tigers II issued to training units.
June 1944	1090	Tiger II monthly production reaches 32 tanks that month; beginning of Peak Production Period. Also, first issue of Tiger II to combat units.
August 1944	1151	Peak of Tiger II Production at 94 vehicles.
September / October 1944	N/A	On 22, 27, 28 September and 2 and 7 October 1944; a total of 2,906 HE and 1,792 Incendiary bombs were dropped on Henschel, destroying 95% of the floor area of the plant. Production dropped to 26 vehicles a month in October and November 1944 before slowly recovering in December 1944.

Sturmgeschutz III (7.5 cm L/24) Reference: Panzer Tracts No.8 Sturmgeschuetz by Jentz and Doyle. Sturmgeschutz & its Variants by Spielberger
Date	Days from Start	Notes
8. Jun. 1936	0	Erich von Manstein lays out the tactical concepts for Sturmartillerie.
15. Jun. 1936	7	Inspektorat 4 (Artillery) authorizes the Waffenamt to proceed with the design of a armored self propelled chassis mounting a 7.5 cm gun.
By the end of 1937	571	Five 0-Series soft-steel StuGs produced. (precise dates not possible due to the Heereswaffenamt not keeping precise records before December 1938).
January 1940	1316	First production series StuG III Ausf A completed.
January 1941	1682	StuG III (L24) monthly production reaches 44 StuGs that month; beginning of Peak Production Period.
October 1941	1955	Peak of Stug III (L24) production at 71 vehicles.

Sturmgeschutz III (7.5 cm L/40+) Reference: Panzer Tracts No.8 Sturmgeschuetz by Jentz and Doyle. Sturmgeschutz & its Variants by Spielberger
Date	Days from Start	Notes
1 Aug 1938	0	Krupp announces that the conceptual design for a StuG with the 7.5cm Kanone L/40 would be ready by 20 August 1938.
12 Jan 1939	164	Krupp receives official contract for the sPaK L/42.
21 Jul 1939	354	WaPruf 4 orders wooden mockup of the 7.5 cm L/40 StuK.
4 Nov 1939	460	Krupp completes wooden mockup of the 7.5 cm L/40 StuK.
26 Apr 1940	634	Krupp completes pilot of the “lang 7.5 cm Kanone (Pz.Sfl.). (7.5 cm L/40).
1 Oct 1941	715	“lang 7.5 cm Kanone (Pz.Sfl.). (7.5 cm L/40) accepted by Waffenamt after a testing program involving 133 fired rounds.
19 Mar 1941	961	Pilot weapon displayed in StuG III at Daimler Benz for the Army.
31 Mar 1941	973	Demonstration of StuG III with L40 gun for Hitler.
20 Nov 1941	1207	Cancellation of 7.5 cm Kanone L/40 in favor of 7.5cm Kanone 44 L/46.
27 Jan 1942	1275	Two 7.5cm Kanone 44 L/46 completed and ready for installation & testing.
16 Mar 1942	1323	7.5cm Kanone 44 L/46 redesignated 7.5 cm Sturmkanone 40 L43.
March 1942	1322	First StuG with 7.5 cm L/46 produced.
July 1943	1809	StuG III (L46/48) monthly production reaches 281 StuGs that month; beginning of Peak Production Period.
December 1944	2328	Peak of Stug III (L46/48) production at 71 vehicles.

Mehrzweckpanzer

In June 1943, Guderian wanted a Mehrzweckpanzer (multipurpose tank) for reconnaisance, artillery observation, anti-aircraft, tank destroyer and SP Artillery on a 28 ton chassis.

In July 1943, Krupp's developmental plan for the Mehrzweckpanzer envisioned:

3 months to complete detail design.
6 months to complete a trial vehicle.
3 months to test the trial vehicle.
8 months to perfect the design based off trial results.

With series production beginning April 1945, a total of 670 days (or 22.3 months) to go from “idea” to Ausf A rolling off the lines.

References:
Panzer Tracts: No 20-1: Paper Panzers – Panzerkampfwagen, Sturmgeschuetz and Jagdpanzer by Jentz & Doyle

Piston Engined Light Bombers

SBD Dauntless Reference: The Dauntless Dive Bomber of World War Two by Barrett Tillman U. S. Navy Dive and Torpedo Bombers of World War II by Barrett Tillman and Robert L. Lawson
Date	Days from Start	Notes
November 1937	0	XBT-2 ordered by USN to be a development of the BT-1.
August 1938	273	XBT-2 Prototype completed.
April 1939	516	USN orders 144 x SBDs, broken down as 57 x SBD-1 for USMC and 87 x SBD-2 for USN.
June 1940	943	Marine Air Group One (MAG-1) receives first SBD-1s.
November 1940	1096	USN receives first SBD-2s.
March 1941	1216	Deliveries of SBD-3 begin.
May 1941	1277	Completion of USN SBD-2 contract with all aircraft delivered.
October 1942	1795	Deliveries of SBD-4 begin.
May 1943	2007	Deliveries of SBD-5 begin.
5 July 1944	2424	Last Fast Carrier Force SBD combat mission flown by VB-10 attacking Guam from USS Enterprise with SBD-5s. After this point all SBDs in service would be USMC ground based Dauntlesses.
July 1944	2434	SBD production terminates.

SB2C Helldiver Reference: Wikipedia page on the SB2C (LINK) U. S. Navy Dive and Torpedo Bombers of World War II by Barrett Tillman and Robert L. Lawson
Date	Days from Start	Notes
May 1939	0	Navy orders 370 x Helldivers.
18 December 1940	583	XSB2C-1 Prototype Maiden Flight.
April 1942	1066	VS-9 receives first production SB2C-1s. It was planned for the SB2C to begin replacing the Dauntless in 1942, but due to teething difficulties, combat entry was delayed by a year.
11 November 1943	1641	SB2C-1C enters combat with VB-17 on USS Bunker Hill with strikes against Rabaul.
5 July 1944	1878	SB2C completely replaces the SBD in the Fast Carrier Task Force (FCTF).

B-25 “Mitchell”

Prototype Authorization: 10 September 1939
Prototype First Flight: 19 August 1940
Production First Acceptance: 1 February 1941
First Combat Use: Not Applicable due to Pre-War Development
Peak Production Period: December 1942

Days from Authorization to First Acceptance: 510 days
Days from Authorization to Peak Production: 1,192 days

References:
Joe Baugher's Web Articles
Army Air Forces Statistical Digest - World War II (Second Printing) (December 1945)
Army Air Forces Statistical Digest - Supplement Number 1: 1945 (April 1946)

B-26 “Marauder”

Prototype Authorization: 10 September 1939
Prototype First Flight: 25 November 1940
Production First Acceptance: 22 February 1941
First Combat Use: Not Applicable due to Pre-War Development
Peak Production Period: February 1943

Days from Authorization to First Acceptance: 531 days
Days from Authorization to Peak Production: 1,254 days

A-20 “Havoc”

Production Authorization: 30 June 1939
Production First Flight: 16 September 1940
Production First Acceptance: December 1940
First Combat Use: Not Applicable due to Pre-War Development
Peak Production Period: August 1942

Days from Authorization to First Acceptance: 534 days
Days from Authorization to Peak Production: 1,142 days

Note: The A-20 was a redesign of an existing Douglas aircraft (DB-7) developed for foreign orders; so it's production timing is a bit odd.

A-26 Invader References: Joe Baugher's Web Articles Douglas A-26 and B-26 Invader by Scott Thompson Army Air Forces Statistical Digest - World War II (Second Printing) (December 1945) Army Air Forces Statistical Digest - Supplement Number 1: 1945 (April 1946)
Date	Days from Start	Notes
5 November 1940	0	AAF replies to Douglas letter of late October 1940 asking for prioritization on preliminary projects under development at Douglas. Douglas initiates informal and un-contracted design studies in response to letter.
21 January 1941	77	AAF releases specification XC-220 for light bomber.
27 January 1941	83	Douglas sends DS-536 proposal to AAF, for the construction of two types of aircraft, one a night fighter, and the other a bomber built to the XC-220 specifications.
23 February 1941	110	Douglas proposes building 500 A-26s based upon DS-538B. Deliveries would commence 20 months after contract signing with the 500^th aircraft being delivered approximately 3 years after production start.
9 April 1941	155	XA-26 Mockup Inspection by RAF.
11 to 16 April 1941	157	XA-26 Mockup Inspection #1 by AAF.
19 to 22 April 1941	165	XA-26 Mockup Inspection #2 by AAF.
2 June 1941	209	War Department authorizes construction of XA-26 (Attack Bomber) and XA-26A (Night Fighter) prototypes under contract AC-17946.
9 June 1941	216	AAF Change order adds XA-26B prototype with 75mm cannon to contract AC-17946.
16 June 1941	223	Douglas presents AAF with DS-539 specification for production aircraft.
28 June 1941	235	AAF Contracting Officer requests new proposal for 500 A-26s from Douglas
7 July 1941	244	Douglas replies with bid for 500 A-26s. Doesn't satisfy AAF.
30 July 1941	267	Douglas resubmits bid for 500 A-26s. Douglas claimed that if the contract was approved by 15 August 1941, the first production ship would be delivered by January 1943, with fifty aircraft a month rates by September 1943 and the 500th ship by March 1944.
31 October 1941	360	War Department approves Douglas bid for 500 A-26s as contract AC-21393.
10 July 1942	612	First flight of XA-26 (Attack Bomber) prototype.
10 September 1943	1039	First A-26B #41-39100 accepted by AAF.
May 1944	1287	First four A-26Bs shipped overseas to 5^th AF in PTO for end-user testing.
June 1944	1318	3^rd Bomb Group (L) evaluates the four A-26Bs in New Guinea.
August 1944	1379	18 x A-26s delivered to 9th AF in the ETO, most of them to the 386th Bomb Group.
17 September 1944	1412	First combat missions with the A-26 by the 386th BG in the ETO.
December 1944	1501	Peak Production Period of A-26 Begins.
8 May 1945	1645	In the ETO and MTO on V-E Day, five Bomb Groups had converted from the A-20/B-26 and another three were transiting. 11,000 combat sorties had been flown and 18,000 tons of bombs dropped for the loss of 67 aircraft.

Piston Engined Heavy Bombers

B-24 “Liberator”

Prototype Authorization: 27 April 1939
Prototype First Flight: 29 December 1939
Production First Acceptance: 16 June 1941
Deliveries to Combat Units: Not Applicable due to Pre-War Development
First Combat Use: Not Applicable due to Pre-War Development
Peak Production Period: June 1943

Days from Authorization to First Acceptance: 781 days
Days from Authorization to Deliveries to Combat Units: Not Applicable due to Pre-War Development
Days from Authorization to First Combat Use: Not Applicable due to Pre-War Development
Days from Authorization to Peak Production: 1,510 days

B-29 “Superfortress”

Prototype Authorization: 24 August 1940
Prototype First Flight: 21 September 1942
Production First Acceptance: September 1943
Deliveries to Combat Units: 8 May 1944 (Operation Matterhorn units arrive in China)
First Combat Use: 5 June 1944
Peak Production Period: November 1944

Days from Authorization to First Acceptance: 1,117 days
Days from Authorization to Deliveries to Combat Units: 1,353 days
Days from Authorization to First Combat Use: 1,381 days
Days from Authorization to Peak Production: 1,544 days

B-32 “Dominator”

Prototype Authorization: 24 August 1940
Prototype First Flight: 7 September 1942
Production First Acceptance: 19 September 1944
Deliveries to Combat Units: July 1945
First Combat Use: July 1945
Peak Production Period: Not Applicable

Days from Authorization to First Acceptance: 1,487 days
Days from Authorization to Deliveries to Combat Units: 1,786 days
Days from Authorization to First Combat Use: 1,786 days
Days from Authorization to Peak Production: Not Applicable

Piston Engined Fighters

F4U Corsair References: Vought F4U Corsair by Martin W. Bowman
Date	Days from Start	Notes
11 June 1938	0	XF4U-1 BuNo 1443 ordered by USN under contract 61544
29 May 1940		XF4U-1 first flight.
24 October 1940		XF4U-1 delivered to NAS Anacostia for USN Evaluation.
24 to 24 February 1941		Final USN demonstration/evaluation of XF4U-1 at NAS Anacostia.
3 March 1941		BuAer issues letter of intent to Vought proposing a production version of the XF4U-1.
2 April 1941		Vought submits VS-317 for F4U-1.
30 June 1941		Vought awarded contract 82811 for 584 F4U-1, with production to begin February 1942).
1 November 1941		Brewster Aeronautical Corporation assigned as associate contractor for F4U production.
December 1941		Goodyear Aircraft assigned as associate contractor for F4U production.
25 June 1942		F4U-1 BuNo 02153, the 4^th Production F4U-1, flies on it's maiden flight.
15 August 1942		F4U-1 BuNo 02156, the 7^th Production F4U-1, is the first Corsair to be delivered to the USN.
25 September 1942		F4U-1 BuNo 02156 flown to CVE-26 Sangamon in the Chesapeake Bay for CARQUAL. These four landings and four takeoffs showed the F4U had severe problems as-is for carrier operations.
26 October 1942		VMF-124 receives its first F4U at Camp Kearney, CA.
28 December 1942		VMF-124 declared “operational”.
January 1943		VMF-124 departs for the South Pacific.
12 February 1943		VMF-124 arrives at Guadalcanal.
14 February 1943		VMF-124 sees combat for first time at Bougainville.
2 October 1943		VF(N)-75 begins operational patrols in F4U-2 night fighters at Munda.
April 1944		VF-301, equipped with modified Corsairs with longer stroke oleos, makes 113 landings with no incidents on CVE 73 Gambier Bay as part of the second round of CARQUALs for the Corsair.
16 May 1944		A USN Evaluation board concludes that the F4U is the best all around fighter available and suitable as a carrier aircraft.

Jet Engined Fighters

F-100A “Super Sabre”

Prototype Authorization: 1 November 1951
Prototype First Flight: 25 May 1953
Production First Acceptance: November 1953
Initial Operational Capability: 29 September 1954

Days from Authorization to First Acceptance: 745 days
Days from Authorization to IOC: 1,063 days

F-15A “Eagle” References: The Great Book of Modern Warplanes by Mike Spick
Date	Days from Start	Notes
June 1969	-205	Bidding Closed
23 December 1969	0	Selection of McDonnell Douglas as contractor and prototype contract authorization.
Sep 70	252	Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and Radar contractor selected.
Apr 71	464	Critical Design Review (CDR)
June 71	525	Avionics review
[unknown – Given as June 1972 but obviously a typo]	UNKNOWN	Major sub-assembly tests
Mar 72	799	Engine inlet compatibility
26 June 1972	916	Rollout of First F-15
27 July 1972	947	First Flight of F-15 (71-0280).
Sep 72	983	Bench avionics complete and first aircraft performance demonstration
Dec 72	1,074	First airborne avionics performance
Jan 73	1,105	Fatigue test to reach one lifetime, Static test 2 critical concluded.
Jun 73	1,256	Armament ground test
Aug 73	1,317	1g flight envelope
Dec 73	1,439	Fatigue test to reach 3 lifetimes, and USAF evaluation summary.
Mar 74	1,529	Equipment qualified; Category II aircraft and equipment in place
Oct 74	1,743	Training equipment in place and fatigue testing reaches 4 aircraft lifetimes.
Aug 74	1,682	External stores flutter and release
Oct 74	1,743	AGE equipment in place
Nov 74	1,774	Category I flight tests complete
4 November 1974	1,777	First Production aircraft accepted.
14 November 1974	1,787	First production aircraft delivered to TAC: TF-15A (F-15B)
1 July 1975	2,016	First operational F-15 Squadron formed at Langley AFB – the 1^st TFW.
9 January 1976	2,208	1^st TFW receives first F-15A (74-0083) “Peninsula Patriot” to the 27^th TFS.
October 1976	2,474	IOC Declared for F-15A/B with elements of the 1^st TFW.
27 February 1979	3,353	F-15C First Flight
19 June 1979	3,465	F-15D First Flight
September 1979	3,539	18^th TFW at Kadena AFB, Okinawa receives first F-15C/D squadron

F-15 pre-production aircraft flight test roles Reference: The Great Book of Modern Warplanes by Mike Spick
Serial	First Flight	Function
71-0280	Jul 27, 1972	Open flight envelope; explore handling qualities; external stores carriage
71-0281	Sep 26, 1972	F100 engine tests
71-0282	Nov 4, 1972	Avionics development; calibrated air speed tests
71-0283	Jan 13, 1973	Structural test airframe
71-0284	Mar 7, 1973	Internal gun, external fuel jettison and armament tests
71-0285	May 23, 1973	Avionics tests; flight control evaluation; missile fire control
71-0286	Jun 14, 1973	Armament and. fuel stores tests
71-0287	Aug 25, 1973	Spin recovery, high AOA and fuel svstem tests
71-0288	Oct 20, 1973	Integrated aircraft/engine performance tests
71-0289	Jan 16, 1974	Tactical EW system, radar and avionics evaluation

F-16A “Fighting Falcon”

Prototype Authorization: 13 April 1972
Prototype First Flight: 2 February 1974
Production First Acceptance: August 1979?
Initial Operational Capability: 1 October 1980

Days from Authorization to First Acceptance: 2,680 days
Days from Authorization to IOC: 3,093 days

F-22A “Raptor”

Prototype Authorization: 31 October 1986
Prototype First Flight: 29 September 1990
Production First Acceptance: 23 October 2002 (Raptor #10)
Initial Operational Capability: 15 December 2005

Days from Authorization to First Acceptance: 5,919 days
Days from Authorization to IOC: 6,985 days

Armored Vehicles

M1 “Abrams” MBT

Prototype Authorization: June 1973
Prototype Handover: February 1976
Production Handover: 28 February 1980
Initial Operational Capability: Unknown

Warships

Arleigh Burke DDG-51 Class Reference: GAO/NSIAD-86S-9 (1 MB PDF) DDG-51 Selected Acquisition Report (PDF)
Date	Days from Start	Notes
May 1978	0	CNO forms DDG(X) study group to determine what the next generation of surface warships should be.
August 1979	457	CNO directs that a design should be chosen to be authorized in the FY84 or FY85 program.
October 1979	518	DDG(X) Program Office established in NAVSEA.
December 1981	1310	DDG(X) redesignated DDG-51.
February 1982	1372	Preliminary Design Started
August 1982	1553	RFP issued for design contract + lead ship construction
October 1982	1614	Proposals received and evaluated.
November 1982	1645	DDG-51 named ARLEIGH BURKE
December 1982	1675	Preliminary Design Completed
May 1983	1826	Contract design begun to select lead shipbuilder in FY85.
3 April 1985	2529	DDG-51 contract awarded to BIW
6 December 1988	3872	DDG-51 Laid Down
16 September 1989	4156	DDG-51 Launched
4 July 1991	4812	DDG-51 Commissioned

Midway CVB: 513~ days from being laid down to launched, 178~ days from launching to commissioning, 690 days average total
Essex CV: 453~ days from being laid down to launched, 165~ days from launching to commissioning, 617 days average total
Saipan CVL: 363~ days from being laid down to launched, 371 days from launching to commissioning; 734 days total (CVL-48 only)

Bogue CVE: 154~ days from being laid down to launched, 250~ days from launching to commissioning, 383 days average total
Casablanca CVE: 116~ days from being laid down to launched, 50~ days from launching to commissioning, 166 days average total
Commencement Bay CVE: 207~ days from being laid down to launched, 212~ days from launching to commissioning, 418 days average total
Average CVE: 159~ days from being laid down to launched, 171~ days from launching to commissioning, 322 days average total

Iowa BB: 942~ days from being laid down to launched, 153~ days from launching to commissioning, 1095 days average total
South Dakota BB: 744~ days from being laid down to launched, 215~ days from launching to commissioning, 959 days average total
North Carolina BB: 839~ days from being laid down to launched, 324~ days from launching to commissioning, 1163 days average total

Alaska CB: 627~ days from being laid down to launched, 309~ days from launching to commissioning, 936 days average total
Baltimore CA: 502~ days from being laid down to launched, 256~ days from launching to commissioning, 758 days average total
Cleveland CL: 457~ days from being laid down to launched, 240~ days from launching to commissioning, 697 days average total

Fletcher DD: 212~ days from being laid down to launched, 152~ days from launching to commissioning, 364 days average total
Allen M. Sumner DD: 172~ days from being laid down to launched, 116~ days from launching to commissioning, 288 days average total
Gearing DD: 196~ days from being laid down to launched, 133~ days from launching to commissioning, 293 days average total
Average Destroyer: 193~ days from being laid down to launched, 134~ days from launching to commissioning, 315 days average total

Evarts DE: 111~ days from being laid down to launched, 143~ days from launching to commissioning, 278 days average total
Buckley DE: 89~ days from being laid down to launched, 120~ days from launching to commissioning, 214 days average total
Cannon DE: 158~ days from being laid down to launched, 88~ days from launching to commissioning, 241 days average total
Edsall DE: 81~ days from being laid down to launched, 136~ days from launching to commissioning, 217 days average total
John C. Butler DE: 66~ days from being laid down to launched, 116~ days from launching to commissioning, 182 days average total
Rudderow DE: 69~ days from being laid down to launched, 235~ days from launching to commissioning, 304 days average total
Average Destroyer Escort: 96~ days from being laid down to launched, 140~ days from launching to commissioning, 239 days average total

Gato SS: 238~ days from being laid down to launched, 109~ days from launching to commissioning, 347 days average total
Balao SS: 224~ days from being laid down to launched, 148~ days from launching to commissioning, 372 days average total
Tench SS: 111~ days from being laid down to launched, 122~ days from launching to commissioning, 221 days average total
Average Submarine: 191~ days from being laid down to launched, 126~ days from launching to commissioning, 313 days average total

Scharnhorst-class Battlecruisers

Average time from ordering to keel laying: 486 days
Average time from keel laying to launching: 529 days
Average time from launching to commissioning: 677.5 days
Total Average Time from Keel Laying to Commissioning: 1,206.5 days
Average Construction Rate (Keel Laying to Commissioning): 31.57 long tons/day

Bismarck-class Battleships

Average time from ordering to keel laying: 184.5 days
Average time from keel laying to launching: 919 days
Average time from launching to commissioning: 626.5 days
Total Average Time from Keel Laying to Commissioning: 1,545.5 days
Average Construction Rate (Keel Laying to Commissioning): 32.02 long tons/day
Average Construction Costs: 193,800,000 Reichsmarks [2]

References:
[2] Bismarck-Class.dk (LINK)

Admiral Hipper-class Heavy Cruisers

Average time from ordering to keel laying: 213.4 days
Average time from keel laying to launching: 709 days
Average time from launching to commissioning: 784 days
Total Average Time from Keel Laying to Commissioning: 1,482.3 days
Average Construction Rate (Keel Laying to Commissioning): 12.48 long tons/day
Average Construction Costs: 92,735,000 Reichsmarks (for the three completed ships only) [2]

References:
[2] Heavy Cruisers of the Admiral Hipper Class: Warships of the Kriegsmarine by Gerhard Koop, Klaus-Peter Schmolke

Yamato-class Battleships

Average time from ordering to keel laying: 260 days
Average time from keel laying to launching: 978 days
Average time from launching to commissioning: 568 days
Total Average Time from Keel Laying to Commissioning: 1,546 days
Average Construction Rate (Keel Laying to Commissioning): 47.08 long tons/day

Warship Time Equations

Heavy Armored Warships Built in U.S. Yards during WWII

Time = 32.69 * Displacement^0.32

Where:

Time = Time from keel laying to commissioning in days
Displacement = Full-Load displacement of the vessel in long tons.

Notes: Suitable for things ranging from light cruisers to battleships.

Historical Procurement Timescales(Created 4 November 2012?)(Updated 7 April 2024)

NOTES

Armored Fighting Vehicles

M3 Grant/Lee Series

M4 (75mm) Sherman Medium Tank

M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank

T14 Assault Tank

M4A3 (Ford GAA) Sherman Medium Tank

M3 Stuart Light Tank

M5 Stuart Light Tank

M24 Chaffee Light Tank

M6 Heavy Tank

T23 / M27 Medium TankandM26 Pershing Heavy Tank

Panzerkampfwagen III (3.7 cm KwK)

Panzerkampfwagen V Panther

Tiger II

Sturmgeschutz III (7.5 cm L/24)

Sturmgeschutz III (7.5 cm L/40+)