Expanding Aviation Industry

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21248, 19 October 1940, Page 11 (Supplement)

Expanding Aviation Industry

Position In America :: Difficulties To Be Faced

THE AVIATION INDUSTRY, planning equipment to turn out an ever-increas-ing number of aeroplanes for defence and commerce, still is waiting for “full speed ahead” orders from Washington, industry leaders declared. Spokesmen for the industry envisioned further delay in drawing up contracts. They declared care must be taken to avoid “milking” aviation companies financially and leaving them “dry” at the end of a few years of defence effort. While America’s capacity for turning out aeroplanes has doubled in the past year. Army engineers say that there should be no talk of “mass production” in aviation. “We are hoping for machine production to replace hand production in aviation,” one officer said, “but certainly not for mass production. Would you expect mass production of automobiles if the industry planned to turn out less than 50,000 cars and those of 10 or 12 different models.” President Roosevelt has set 50,000 planes as the ultimate goal of the American air defence effort. The spokesman of the aviation industry laid the blame for delay, not on the Army and Navy, but on the Congress, which they declared had taken almost six weeks to put into law President Roosevelt’s latest emergency defence proposals. Hub of the contract problem, they declared, is the 7 per cent limitation on profits imposed by Congress in a bill intended to speed up defence works. While Congressmen defended the limitation as a necessary guarantee against “wai millionaires,” industry spokesmen declared it make necessary careful study of “amortisation” schedules in all contracts. Leaders Looking Ahead “Amortisation,” means the gradual writ-ing-off, in the price of planes, of the capital investment necessary to expand plants to meet the needs of national defence. Aviation leaders are looking ahead to the time when the sudden boom of defence orders—both at home and abroad—will collapse. They recalled that some aviation companies “went under” financially when plane orders stopped short after the World War. To assure their shareholders against losses on the costly expansion of plant and tooling of machines for the defence effort, they declared, the cost of the plants must

be provided for. One official of an aeronautical trade group said the 7 per cent —might stifle research and experiment, limit on profits—unless carefully handled which he termed basic necessities for the continued progress of American aviation. “Machine-sewed” Planes Aeroplane engineers and Government officials alike are hopeful that bulk orders in the new defence drive will make a change from “ hand-sewed ” planes to “machine-sewed” planes in many plants. This would speed up the country’s plane production. Wide use of machines to do the jobs now done by hand requires an order for at least 300 planes of a single type from a single manufacturer. A smaller order will not pay the cost of installing machines and tooling for the job. First “machine job” for the Army was a 300-plane order completed this year. Every time a model is changed, or an order for pursuit ships is followed by an order for reconnaissance planes (for instance) the machines must be retooled at ■considerable expense, it was explained. American aviation experts are not willing, either to “freeze” present models and limit themselves to known gadgets. At the rate of aeronautic progress, a military aeroplane model often is obsolete within a year or so after production. Problems Will be Overcome These are the problems which Government and industry are seeking to work out together. Both are confident that the job can be done successfully, despite many expressions of impatience with the delays which have occurred. Colonel John H. Jouett, president of Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce, has indicated the size of the task by citing that only 48,000 aeroplanes had been built in America since 1903. A nation survey shows that, while many major aeroplane companies are working two and three shifts in all available plantspace, several companies are not yet at “full speed ahead.” In Los Angeles, a major centre of aircraft production, manufacturers voiced agreement that production cannot be brought to maximum capacity until Army orders start moving. The orders will come principally from monies voted by Congress. They expressed concern, too, over the supply of engines and par,ts.

Sometimes a problem is as good as solved by the realisation that it has no solution; but a common failing is to worry endlessly over a condition that cannot possibly be corrected. Instead of accepting the reality of the situation, people will take their troubles to bed with them and hear the clock strike every hour in the night. * * * * Big Ben is the most accurate as well as the largest and most powerful striking clock in the world. Official records prove that it varies hardly more than a second either way throughout the year. The bob of the pendulum alone weights four hundredweight, yet if a penny is placed on the pendulum the clock will gain 4-5 of a second in twenty-four hours, and by the curious a half-penny may be seen at the present time on the pendulum. It was necessary to have it placed there when the clock was last regulated to keep the clock dead right.—Philip Turner in “Canadian Geographical Journal, Ottawa.

Some people dodge unpleasant facts. Then nights are often sleepless. Others boldly face their difficulties, analyse them, isolate them, and seek to solve them. Their nights are usually restful. Whenever I Tiave found out that I have blundered, and when I have been contemptuously criticised, and even when I have been overpraised, it has been my greatest comfort to say to myselfi, *' I have worked as hard and as well as I could, and no man can do more than this.” —Charles Darwin. T*.e school system of Japan includes vigorous physical training, which becomes even more vigorous during military service. The training of the Japanese soldier is unique. In contrast with those of other nations, they are “ trained to die.” Military training may be said to begin at the age of six. and there is serious competition for entry into the Army, only one candidate m eight being enlisted-