Field capacity to repair, overhall, reconstuct, and build airplanes in W.W.I.I.

A question has come up on anoouhter thread: Did airbases during
W.W.I.I have mini-factories near-by able to assemble airplanes from a
combination of recylced parts, mini-milled machine parts (ferrous
parts and aluminium parts, but not organic parts), and new spare
parts?

I have seen several domumentaries were there are mentions of small
industrial furnaces being deployed to the Pacific and new part
milling, the robust repair and recylcing of Hurricanes, and in one
documentary on the B-26 of whole plane final assemeble do right on
base from parts from a vareity of sources.

In addition, I have heard that on US aircraft carriers any metal
aircraft part can be made on board using furnances and milling tools
right on board: Is this so today? Was this so in W.W.I.I. ?

How many airmen did the Allied airforces have ground working in
England? How sophisticated and massive was aircraft maintence? Could
they assemble a warplane? Could they make a new engine using badly
damaged engines as the raw material?

Also, the internet didn't have a great deal on on-base or near-base
cottage warplane stuff, but it gets mentions in documeteries.



John Freck