Evening star., 1940-12-20
j. ). Will Test Auto
Industry's Capacity
To Build Planes
$4,000, 900 Educational
Orders Planned to Gear
Plants for Production
N the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
Aiming America called on the
automobile industry today to swing
into test production of parts for a
powerful fleet of long-range bomb
ers.
An estimated $20000,O00 worth
Of initial "educ&tional orders" de-
cided on by the War Department
and Defense Commission, was ex-
pected to familiarize automobile
plant managers with the manufac-
ture of the intricate parts they will
be called upon to supply.
AS presently visualized, motor car
plants will be geared to help pro-
duce annually some $500 two and
four motor bombers. costing at cur
rent prices nearly $1,000,000,0O0.
Mass orders must await perfec-
tion of production methods which
will have to be worked out largely
without guiding precedent. An
other prerequisite is assurance of an
adequate supply of motors.
Engines Are Sought.
Possibly Is months. by official
estimates, will be required to put
into full operation the plan to en-
ploy the automible industry to
supplement the aircraft factories in
expanding the output Of planes for
the United States and Great Britain.
Current negotiations with the
Buick and Studebaker companies
for the manufacture of engines were
said to be part of the scheme to
assure future aerial striking force
for this country and presumably
Britain as we'll.
Four large assembly plants have
been projected, west of the Missis-
sippi, to be operated by experienced
aircraft manufacturers Sites al
ready have been selected at Kansas
City of Omaha for plants to as
semble two-motor bombers, and be-
hind the scenes numerous Western
cities are bidding for two other
plants where four-motor planes will
be put together largely from parts
produced by automobile makers.
Schedules call for a monthly out
put of 100 two-motor bombers in
each of two plants, and SO four
motor craft each in the others.
First Plan Scaled Down.
Technical studies enforced seal
ing down the original proposal ad-
vanced in October by William S.
Knudsen, Defense Commission pro-
duction chief, for the automobile
industry to help produce 10000
bombers year.
Not more than 40 per cent of
the man hours of work involved in
the construction of an average
plane of the type can be under
taken in motor car plants, experts
decided.
Elsewhere in Washington, au-
thoritative sources said that air.
craft aid to Britain had been
stepped up to the point last month
where she received probably 10
times as many bombers. fighters
and certain type observation planes
as the United States Army did.
One reason for this, it was ex-
planned, was the Army's action in
releasing current production for
later model ships embodying i'm
provements resulting from combat
experience abroad.
A. F. Hinrichs of the Bureau of
Labor Statistics estimated that the
aircraft industry would have to in
crease its present working force of
203 900 employees to total of 455,-
500 by August to produce the planes
already contracted for under the
defense program.
Bigger Problem Ahead.
The production problem would
be increased if Britain orders the
10000 additional planes believed
contemplated in the S3.O0O,000, 900
contract negotiations on which the
Administration gave the "go ahead"
yesterday. Present British orders
are for approximately $4,000 planes.
In a partial breakdown of his
calculations, Mr.. Hinrichs estimated
that 10000 of the expanded force
would be need in airframe, engine
and propeller plants.
He estimated that employment in
the airframe plants on the Pacific
Coast would increase from 10000
to 125,000, and from 10000 to $1,000
on the Atlantic Coast.
Plants on the Canadian border
and in the interior, he estimated,
will expand from 10000 to 10000.
Engine plant employment. he
estimated, will increase from $4,000
to $4,000,