final assembly line
The initial batch of 100 DB-7 aircraft was produced by Douglas Aircraft’s El Segundo facility, situated near Los Angeles Municipal Airport, approximately fifteen miles south of Santa Monica. Subsequent French orders for the DB-7 led to the transfer of final assembly operations to the main Santa Monica plant, although fuselage construction continued at El Segundo until DB-7 production ceased.
The majority of Douglas-built DB-7s and A-20s, excluding the A-20B variant, were manufactured at the primary Santa Monica factory located at Clover Field. Assembly of the A-20B took place at the Long Beach facility, situated near Long Beach Municipal Airport, about twenty miles southeast of Santa Monica. Boeing’s Plant 2 in Seattle was responsible for producing DB-7B and A-20C models. While A-2OAs were constructed in Santa Monica, evidence suggests these planes were subsequently transported a short distance to Los Angeles Airport for pre-delivery work by the El Segundo division.
Assembly records indicate the A-20B was constructed in Long Beach. Fuselages originated from Santa Monica and were transported by road, while nose sections were produced in El Segundo. Wing and tail components were manufactured by subcontractors and delivered to the assembly site. These subassemblies were combined in Long Beach to create complete aircraft.
To meet the demands of the substantial A-20G contract, Douglas overhauled the production line at the Santa Monica factory, quadrupling output. An automated assembly line facilitated the concurrent movement of all components, from fuselage halves to the addition of engines, tail sections, and wing panels. Much of the final assembly work occurred outdoors.
To expedite production, Douglas established modification centers nationwide to incorporate the latest equipment into aircraft without disrupting the assembly line. The Douglas-operated modification center in Daggett, California, located in the high desert northeast of Los Angeles, primarily handled post-production modifications for the A-20. Many new A-20s underwent several days or a week of retrofitting at Daggett before deployment. Additionally, the facility accommodated longer-term A-20 projects, including P-70 modifications.