You need to start thinking of this as a logistics problem, not a tech problem. Ventilators is a solved problem. What is needed is a stream of parts and manufacturing capability. I'm not sure if car manufacturers are the right partners but they do have a lot of people that know how to put stuff together. They can put an assembly line for ventilators together; get a stream of parts going and start manufacturing long before we reach the peak of this epidemic. Their workers are not going to be doing anything else so let's let them have their shot. Meanwhile, other companies could start on parts manufacturing. Some design should be chosen; standardized and then we need to start moving. Everywhere. Ditto portable ICU units, negative pressure environments and training for people to help others during this epidemic. If not many more more lives will be lost.

Let’s throw masks and other PPE onto your list as well.

Those are closer to nanomachine fabrication tasks, but different. Lots of specialized, uncommon, high-precision machines: everything is a one off, there is no bulk, and it's all expensive and fiddly.

Ironically the way to make this stuff cheaper would be a three-fold attack.

* Make MORE things that use the same parts, so that making the raw materials is commodity.

* Reduce waste in use (if sterilizing the filters for reuse / etc is possible, etc).

Part 3: Look for alternatives that are feasible.

A hot-zone (book) style line supplied breathing air positive pressure suit that can be scrubbed clean on the outside, OR a similar glove-box (negative draw?, scrubbed inside?) style phone-booth like I think I saw on TV from South Korea (IIRC) would be much better replacements.

Yes, absolutely. In NL one quarter of the total confirmed infections is hospital employees and other healthcare workers!

As for actual air-dropping - this is actually not that far from reality here in Europe. Two days ago Czech army transport aircraft (nothing fancy, just a A319) got back from Shenzen with 100k quick-tests for the virus, that can give results in about half an hour for a symptomatic infected person. Then the test were distributed to main hospitals via police helicopters.

Reportedly the Hungarian government learned about this operation & are likely to do something similar in the next days.

Also in parallel, Czech Airlines aircraft have been pretty much drafted and sent to China for more stuff - like more tests, respirators and personal protective equipment. And one of the huge Ukrainian AN-124s has been chartered and is already on way for ~100 tons of medical supplies in one go, with more likely to follow.

Basically any classical goods transfer methods are far too slow for this and time is of essence.