Evening star., 1940-05-30
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.
Star Stan Correspondent.


Star Stan Correspondent.
BALTIMORE, Md, May 30.-Nc
aircraft plant in the United States
can reach quantity production OF
any new airplane model within less
than IL months-and this would be
three times faster than the Germans
were able to reach mass produc-
ton basis--according to Glenn l..
Martin, whose great aircraft plant
here is regarded as the most COM
pletely fooled in the country, if not
in the world.
I'VE must know year before mass
production can begin not only how
many airplanes will be required but
how many day must be produced, +"
Mr. Martin told members Of the
Aviation Writers Association, to
whom his plant was opened yes
terday for the first time since the
war emergency period began a year
ago.
"Only on the basis of this in
formation can we design and build
the many machine tools, dies and
jigs required before actual manu-
facture Of the airplane itself can
begin"
Key to Production.
1t is the manufacture Of these
tools, dies and jigs, which are diff
ferent for each type of airplane; the
arrangements for sources of sup
plies, the subcontracting of parts
let out for outside manufacture or
assembly. and other details which
require many months of time before
quantity production itself can begin.
I'VE are a great Industrial nation
"a greater industrial nation than
Germany" Mr.. Martin pointed out.
I'VE can do as much in the way of
preparing for the mass production
of aircraft in II months as Ger
many was able to accomplish in
three years, in all probability"
Mr.. Martin visited Germany short
ly before the outbreak of the war
and was given the opportunity to
study the German sircraft plants
and methods in considerable detail.
The Germans began their "all out"
aircraft program with the full
weight of government and industry
behind it, in 1884. They were not
able to begin mass production, how
ever until 1887.
When Mr.. Martin was in Germany,
production had attained the rate
OF 60 aircraft a day, with their
plants working 10 hours a day. 6
days week.
The great Martin plant was open
ed to reporters for the first time
since production of planes for the
Allies began last fall, it was indi-
Gated, in the belief that the time
has arrived for frank evaluation
OF the aviation situation, as it relates
to national defense and world condi-
tions. Members of the Aviation
Writers Associations, meeting in
Washington in connection with the
National Aviation Forum, were taken
on a tour of the plant and were
permitted to inspect all operations
except the construction of giant
experimental flying boat for the
United States Navy, which still is
SeCTeI Hlllldry pTOJeCl.
Prepared Years Ago.
The Martin plant some years ago
began to tool up" with a view to
ultimate mass production methods
and today has attained position
of unquestioned leadership in the
variety and number of heavy presses
and machine tools necessary for
quantity production.
Before German rearmament began
to hold a serious recognized threat
to the security of the world, the
Glenn L. Martin Co had attained
the highest type of straight-line fac
tory production methods in the air
craft field. A year ago as farther
step toward ultimate quantity pro-
duction, work simplification pro-
gram was initiated to reduce waste
motion. to simplify and speed up
methods and operations and to
further increase efficiency in all
departments.
More than 300 of Martins 1000
employees were designated to observe
and study every pnase of plant
activity. The effects are noticeable
in hundreds Of details-thes moving
of storage room saved total OF
10 miles of walking Gay; parts for
a single assembly, separated by as
much as 300 feet in a stockroom,
were concentrated IN 20 feet, saving
SO per cent in issuing time; steps
were saved at machines by re-
arrangements; press (still another
machine tooD was devised to clamp
terminals on insulated wire for
electrical connections, work formerly
done by hand, the saving amounting
to 900-man hours OF work on a
single contract; 63 per cent in time
was saved and IA of 81 operations
eliminated in assembling portfolio
covers for Navy patrol bomberS.
Hundreds of similar improvements
resulted; all contributions toward
plant efficiency and. consequently,
to national defense.
Design Photographed on Metal.
One of the wonderful new de-
velopments in the Martin plant is a
huge camera and Photographic
printer which permits the printing
of full-scale photographs of design
drawings directly on sheet metal
which can be cut into templates or
used as patterns for making jigs and
dies without the long, laborious work
of laying out the designs by hand on
the metal from blueprints or the
original drawings. The method has
proved a tremendous time saver.
After the initial rough design of a