Lockheed Plants Layout, Burbank, Ca

CLICK on the image above for enlargement. This plan is from a Lockheed phone book from around 1989.

Plant B-1 was to the east (right) and was the original Lockheed facility in 1928.. Building #1 was in the old Empire Glass factory on Empire Ave. This plant was largely responsible for producing everything up until WWII including the Vegas, Hudsons and P-38's. It had a dirt landing strip parallel to the railroad tracks, indicated as a parking lot in this graphic.

Plant A-1 was on the southeast corner of the existing Burbank airport, between the existing terminal building, the SPRR tracks and Hollywood Way. It was the birthplace of the Vega Company and where they produced the Vega B-17 'G' models and Constellations, among others. Building #93 was called "The Hall of Giants" for it's collection of huge stamping and forming machines. The last item to go from this plant area was the giant green Birdsborro Hydropress. After months of trying to find a buyer who would remove the machine for refurbishment and ignoring suggestions that it stay in place as a memorial to the thousands who worked on aircraft in the area, the machine was finally torched apart in December of 2000. The four rods that run vertically through each corner were 24" in diameter and about 40' long each. The nuts that held them at the top were removed several years ago in an attempt by someone to remove the monster machine. Demolition went down about 15 feet below average ground level; anything below that is still there.

Plant B-6 is west of Hollywood Way and between the airport entrance and San Fernando Road. Originally used by Lockheed Flight Test, this area has in the past been filled with Hudsons, P-38's, F-80's, Connies and more. This area is where the U-2, SR-71 and F-117's were assembled and where "the Fort" was located, as mentioned in Ben Rich's book. The Fort was a WWII revetment situated near the runways and was once used to test hydrogen fuels. During demolition there was a test apparatus set up for the F-117 bomb doors. Contrary to popular rumor, to my knowledge there was not an "underground city" at Lockheed Burbank, although there were underground vaults and tunnels, some with elaborate sound proofing and security.

On the east side of Hollywood Way, building # 371 was mostly a low office type structure with a higher bay on the south end. Men from the demolition crew called it 'the composites lab'. During demolition, it was obvious that the ceiling in this area was thoroughly sandblasted. Ben Rich mentions in his book "Skunk Works", that they had a problem with white paint flecks falling into their 'stealth' composites; perhaps this is the area he was referring to.

Lockheed plant B-5 CLICK here for other images

CLICK on map for larger image

Plant B-5

When the Burbank airport was built in 1929-30 Jack Northrop owned part of this section (Building 5 in the Plant B-5 Layout). Later, the Air National Guard moved here from it's former Griffith Park location. During WWII and the early Cold War, this area was Lockheed Service, maintaining Lockheed product for it's world wide customers. Some of these buildings still exist. Also, the only remaining hangars from the original 1930 airport have been moved here.

Zelman plan for Empire shopping center

Plant C-1 CLICK here for Slick and Flying Tigers information

Located where Price Club used to be and where Media Aviation and Mercury Aviation are located now. Gil Cefaratt says this is where the 'space ship' Constellation was constructed. This Connie had a hugh flat disc on top housing radar equipment. When towing the aircraft across the airport, they had one of the crew dress up in an aluminum suite so he could ride sticking out the top hatch like an alien. Another fellow said he workd on C-130's for the Skunk Works in these old hangars. He didn't recall just what he had actually done.

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