Evening star., 1940-06-10
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON,
Star Stan Correspondent,

uci tdkc, according 10 surveys now
being completed in light of the
current emergency here and abroad.
Asserting that there is a more
real danger of bottlenecks develop
ing in the emergency production of
such items as tanks, anti-aircraft
guns, anti-tank guns and similar
equipment than in the aircraft
engine supply, leaders of the Ma
tion's two great military aviation
engine plants pointed out that their
production has been tremendously
stepped up during recent months
and is expected to expand just about
as rapidly as aircraft can be pro-
duced and pilots and mechanics
trained.
The great Pratt & Whitney Air
craft Division of United Aircraft
Corp. here has increased its actual
production of engines of military
airplane sizes five times in less
than a year; will increase its pro-
duction seven and half times In
the next three months and will
have increased the number of en-
gines actually turned out by 10
times. or 1000 per cent, in another
nine months.
The Wright Aeronautical Corp,
Paterson, N j., is almost parallel
ing the Pratt & Whitney develop
ment. During the last year Wright
has more than doubled its produc-
tive capacity and has increased its
roll frnr,, t1
ployes. Modernization of produc-
ton methods is in process where
possible. This involves the estab-
nShment OF improved or more COM
plete machining methods, the addi-
ton OF new types of machine tools,
where economically justified by
present orders, and the improve
ment of production methods.
Plant Expansion Completed.
Wright has just completed the
last OF a number of plant expan-
sions, the latest construction add
ing approximately 100000 square
feet Of floor space and increasing
the total area by about Is per cent.
Machine tools for the new section
! nave been on order for some months,
deliveries now are being made and
the additional space is expected to
be in full production by September
or October.
The limiting factor in future
large-scale aircraft engine plant
expansion will be the ability to
obtain new machine tools quickly,
In the opinion of Guy w. Vaughan,
president of Wright Aeronautical
Corp.
I'VE may have to have the CO.
operation of the Federal Govern
ment in obtaining machine tools"
Mr.. Vaughan explained. 81 feel
confident that the aircraft engine
plants, possibly with a little help in
this direction, are going to be able
to take care of as much actual
production as the Government will
want to authorize"
Mr.. Vaughan said that in order
to speed up production, Wright will
concentrate on four types of engines.
1t also was disclosed for the first
time that Pratt g. Whitney also
is limiting its production to four
types, at least during the period of
the present emergency. The world
famous Pratt & Whitney series of
Hornet engines has been discon-
tinued and the big East Hartford
plant has dropped all models ex-
cept the Wasp Junior, the Wasp. the
Twin Wasp and the Double Wasp.
These engines are adequate for the
powering, respectively. of primary
training airplaneS, advanced train
erS, pursuit and other smaller COM
bat types and the heavy lombard
ment airplanes.
14-Cylinder Radial Engines.
The two larger models. the Twin
and Double Wasps. are 14-cylinder
radial air-cooled engines of a high
degree of efficiency for military
purposes, with weight of about
1.37 pounds per horsepower and
take-of outputs of 1850 and 1900
horsepower.
The Wright engines remaining in
production correspond pretty gen.
orally In size, horsepower, and use
with the P. & w. models now on
the line. The largest also are a.
cylinder double-row radials, rang
ing up to 1000 horsepower for take
of. These engines have as much
as $500 cubic inch displacement
and the overall diameters run to
55 inches, which presents q serious
problem In the design of high
speed aircraft, since the large
frontal area Of the engine seriously
reduces aerodynamic efficiency and
speed of the airplane.
All of the Wright and Pratt &
Whitney engines now in produc-
ton are air-cooled radials. Only
one other American manufacturer
today Is producing aircraft engines
suitable for combat aircraft and the
third type is liquid-cooled engine
of far smaller frontal area than the
big air-cooled engines. 1t is pro-
duced by the Allison Engineering
Co., indianapolis, one of the Gen.
eral Motors Group. Although Gen.
eral Motors, with all its background
of automobile engine production,
has been working a year at full speed
to get the Allison engine in shape
for production, and despite previous
experience in aircraft engine pro-