Move to San Diego — Manufacturing Expansion (1935–1936)
The relocation of Consolidated Aircraft to San Diego, California in 1935–1936 stands as one of the most consequential industrial shifts in American aviation history. What began as an effort to improve flight testing conditions rapidly evolved into the creation of one of the largest aircraft manufacturing centers in the world.
Why San Diego?
Several decisive factors brought Consolidated west:
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Year-round flying weather, ideal for continuous test flights.
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Proximity to deep, calm coastal waters, essential for flying boat development.
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Expansive land availability, allowing construction of massive new factories.
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Strategic naval presence, supporting long-term partnerships with the U.S. Navy.
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Access to Pacific shipping routes, facilitating global delivery of aircraft.
San Diego offered everything the company needed to grow from a regional manufacturer into a global force.
Building a New Aviation Hub
Upon arriving in San Diego, Consolidated constructed a modern manufacturing complex on the edge of Lindbergh Field. The new facilities included:
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vast assembly halls
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advanced machine shops
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dedicated testing areas
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large hangars for maritime aircraft
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administrative and engineering offices
The scale of the operation was unprecedented for its time.
Economic Transformation of San Diego
Consolidated’s arrival reshaped the city. What had been a coastal community became a center of aviation innovation and wartime production. Over the next decade, Consolidated would employ more than 40,000 workers in San Diego — machinists, engineers, draftsmen, assembly workers, pilots, designers, and countless specialists.
Entire neighborhoods grew to support the workforce. Schools, shops, transportation, and civic infrastructure expanded as the factory grew. San Diego’s identity as an aerospace city began with this move.
A New Era of Flying Boat Development
San Diego’s waterfront dramatically accelerated Consolidated’s maritime research programs. Engineers now had immediate access to open water, enabling:
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full-scale hull testing
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open-ocean taxi and landing trials
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evaluation of long-range patrol capabilities
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refinement of spray control and water-handling characteristics
These advantages laid the foundation for the company’s most successful maritime designs — culminating in the PBY Catalina.
Strategic Positioning Before WWII
By the time global tensions were rising in the late 1930s, Consolidated’s new San Diego facility was fully operational and capable of high-volume production. The factory would soon manufacture:
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the PBY Catalina
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the B-24 Liberator
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naval variants like the PB4Y series
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transport aircraft used across the Allied theaters
San Diego was now positioned at the forefront of America’s military aviation readiness.
The Start of a Manufacturing Empire
The move west was more than a change of address — it was the birth of a new industrial empire. Over the next decade, Consolidated Aircraft would:
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produce thousands of aircraft
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train a new generation of engineers and specialists
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support global wartime operations
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establish California as the home of American aerospace innovation
What began in Buffalo matured in San Diego. The foundations laid here would support not only Consolidated Aircraft, but also the company’s later evolution into Convair and its eventual role in jet and space programs.
The decision to relocate to San Diego was one of the most visionary and transformative moments in the history of American aviation.