Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-02
Aircraft Plant
Expansion May Cost
S35O,o0O,0Oo
Floor Space May Have
To Be Increased 400 Pet.
For Peak Production
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.

meet national de1enSe requirements
probably will exceed 100000. 900
and may go as high as $3.50, 900, 900,
according to present estimates.
Leaders of the aviation industry
have estimated the present total
floor space in aircraft and engine
plants at 100000 square feet and
that the production of $4,000 air.
planes a year would require a total
of 100000 to 100000 square
feet of factory space.
Although a number of aircraft
factories now are. engaged in ex-
pansion programs which will double
or treble their factory space, 1t is
believed that space in some OF the
key plants must be increased as
much as eight to ten times, while
the average increase in floor space
must be at least threefold and may
run as high as 400 per cent.
Although there is no Federal
agency which has total figures on
the amounts. already put into ex-
pansion of airplane and engine fac
tories, the Reconstruction Finance
Corp. already has made loan COM
mitments of s150,oo0,000 to 5000
600 900, including a single $92, 900 900
loan to the Wright Aeronautical
Corp, Paterson, N. j., to provide
factory space for manufacturing
aircraft engines.
3 Billions for Plant Expansion.
Many of the plant expansion pro-
grams are being financed by the
aircraft companies themselves, some
on the chance that Congress Will
permit the companies to amortize
these costs over period OF f1ve
wears and will raise the existing
s per cent profit limitation. These
projects, in many cases, do not ap-
pear in any existing Federal totals.
Other expansion projects are COW
cred in contracts for airplanes, en-
gines or equipment, and do not ap-
pear in the R. F. c. totals.
The Bureau of Foreign and Do
nestle Commerce, however, now IS
making a survey Of expenditures
for plant expansions to handle all
phases of the national defense pro-
gram. On the basis of the informa-
tion already in hand, however, IL
&c estimated that between $2.5O0,-
100000 and $4,000 100000 will be
required during 194l for plant ex-
mansion and new equipment Tor
all defense purposes. Preliminary
studies indicate that s2,0O0'OOO,ooo
or more has been spent for plant
EXPANSION for defense purposes IN
each of eight years between 1919
and 1889.
The Aviation Advisory Commits
sion to the National Defense Com
mission. is reported to have worked
out, with the approval OF the Army
and Navy, an aircraft procuremenI
program which calls for a national
productive capacity of 10000 air.
planes a year, to be reached by July
1912. It has been estimated that
plant expansion work to nanole
such a program would cost about
$3.50 100000.
Cost of 10000 Planes.
The cost of producing 10000 air.
planes year probably Wouio
amount to 100000 900 annually
II is estimated, of which about $500.
100000 would go out in the form OF
subcontracts for raw materials, &C
cessories, parts and subassembhes:
Early this month it was estimated
that Great Britain had a total OF
$500 100000 worth of aircraft on
order in the United States and also
had placed orders for Sl25, OO0,ooo
worth of machine tools, major
norton of them destined to go into
her own aircraft and airplane
engine factories.
Recent estimates place airplane
engine production in the united
states at 1900 engines of combat
airplane sizes-that is, 1000 horse
power or more-per month. AS a
result of plant expansion programs
now in progress. this production Is
expected to reach 1000 engines per
month early in 194l.
Taking into account plant expan-
sion now under way, contracted Tor
or in process of being financed, by
the Pratt g. Whitney Division,
United Aircraft Corp: Wright Aero
nautical Corp, Allison Engineering
Corp, Ford Motor Co., and PACK.
ard, production of engines OF !oOo
horsepower or better may reach a
maximum total of 1000 a month by
the end of 1941. The Ford company
Is expected to build 1,850-horsepoWer
Pratt & Whitney engines and may
get into production of these models
before either the Packard company
or the new Wright Aeronautical
Corp. plant which is to be built near
Columbus. Packard is to build the
british Rolls Royce Merlin engine,
which Henry Ford turned down be-
cause terms of the order called Tor
delivery of engines to England.
Packard to Need $4,000 Workers.
II has been reported that Pack
ard will spend $4,000 900 to expand
and equip for the production OF
5000 of the British designed en-
gines. Total production costs for
this many engines probably will total
about s15000O,000, which will cover
the cost of tooling the new factory.
Packard production of engines Is
expected to begin by the end OF 10
months at an initial rate OF 20 en-
eines a month. This rate is ex-
pected to build up to a final maxi
mum of $40 engines per month by
the end of IS months from the con-
tract date. To attain this maxi
mum rate of production some $4,000
new workers will be required, in ad-
dition to the present 10000 Pack
ard automobile workers. Most OF
them must be trained.
The largest of the r. F. G. avia-
ton plant loans, $92 100000 to
Wright Aeronautical, is expected to
provide plant space which will ap-
proximately double the corpora
tons present output of 500 engines
a month in the 1,000-horsepower
category or greater. Some $32,-
C{)D OOO Of the loan is to 90 into the