AMERICAN PLANES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 November 1941, Page 3

AMERICAN PLANES

A RECORD OUTPUT

NEW LIGHTNING FIGHTER.

FIGHTING & CLIMBING POWER

United States military aircraft production reached an all-time record for the month of /August, with 1854 bombers, lighters and training craft completed for delivery to Britain and the United States Army, states an American writer. This was not only the greatest number produced for any single month, but was more than three times the production rate for August last year. One firm largely responsible for this record figure is the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, which has steadily increased its output month by month during the last year and is still expanding as rapidly as .possible. On a recent visit to this mammoth plant I saw one of the most thrilling and heartening sights I have witnessed in many a long day. Rolling off six huge assembly lines was a never-ending stream of Lockheed Lightnings (P3B's), the world’s fastest interceptor aeroplanes, bound for the Royal Air Force and the United States Army. RAPID INCREASE IN OUTPUT. Six months ago, when I last visited the Lockheed, factory, the P3B was just out of the experimental stage and full production of these twin-tailed, twinengined fighters had only begun with a single assembly line. But Lockheed is one part of the “Arsenal of Democracy” that has worked swiftly. In six short months Lockheed has increased production of ' these interceptors sixfold and within a few months there will be eight assembly lines devoted exclusively to turning out Lightnings. These eight assembly lines will be divided equally between the Royal Air Force and the United States Army. Although production figures are a closely guarded secret, it is obvious that each line will complete an aeroplane a day, which means that eight of the world’s Fastest aeroplanes will be ready for delivery at the end of each working day. A good number of Lightnings already have been sent to Canada for delivery to Britain and other fighting fronts. We should shortly hear of their performances' under actual battle conditions.

FOUR HUNDRED MILES AN HOUR.

Lockheed officials point out that the first 144 Lightnings delivered to Britain will not perform as well as those now being turned out for the Royal Air Force, because they were' not fitted with the special turbo super-chargers that help these high-speed interceptors to retain their terrifie speed at altitudes of 30,000 feet and more. These supercharges were not available to Brtain until after the LendLease Bill was passed and Lockheed already had begun production on the British order. The expense of scrapping or changing over the first 144 Lightnings would have been too great. The early Lightnings, however, will have a top speed of about 400 miles an hour at medium heights and no doubt will be of great value to the Royal Air Force. The new supercharged model ■is rated' above 425 miles an hour at an altitude of 40,000 feet. This new interceptor also has bigger engines and the propellers turn in opposite directions from each other. This prevents “torque,” or flying drift at high speeds. Several other slight but important changes have been made. Lockheed has grown so fast that some of the assembly lines are outdoors with no coverings whatsoever. This is not of serious concern, because the climate is very mild. When the rainy season sets in huge tents probably will be erected to protect the workers and aeroplanes. Today thousands of workers can be seen stripped to the waist in the hot sunshine swarming over the Lightnings and the more famous Hudson bombers. There is a feverish activity as if the men knew that the safety of democracy depended on their every movement. Six months ago Lockheed and its affiliated plant, the Vega Airplane Company, which turns out the bigger and faster Ventura bomber, had 25,000 men on the payroll. Today, the two plants have a combined total of 44.160 and within a year it is expected that 75,000 men and women will be toiling in these two great plants. Vega will shortly begin producing Boeing Flying Fortresses under license. The United States and Britain have ordered 1000 of these machines, which are now bombing German cities from heights of 30,000 feet, too high to be hit by antiaircraft guns and beyond the range of most Nazi interceptors. This gives some indication of the value of the P-38 Lightning. It can climb above 30,000 feet and so will be ready for any new high-altitude bomber the Germans may turn out. Lockheed claims the Lightning can get above any aeroplane built and outfly any machine in the world. It is fitted with four machine-guns and a small cannon and should prove to be the most deadly combat aeroplane the world has ever known.