Evening star., 1941-02-23
Speedy Air Industry
Recovery After War
Seen by Martin
Crisis Now Will Benefit
Commercial Aviation
Loter, He, Predicts
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON,
Aviation Editor of The Star.

N--~
many industries now engaged in de-
fense expansion programs, In the
opinion of Glenn L. Martin, presi-
dent OF the a;rplare company bear
Ing his name.
I'VE are looking forward to a
rapid recovery after the emergency
Mr.. Martin explained, because
this is the fastest growing of all
the normal peace time industries In
America. Our business has been on
a swifter upgrade than any other
and, while the emergency task now
facing all industry has made our
rate of increase sleeper, we expect
that peace-time aviation expansion
after the war soon will begin to
catch up with our emergency capac-
ity."
Airline Needs FOreseen.
The results of the tremendous
emergency airplane research and de-
'velopment program will be passed
on to commercial aviation after the
war, Mr.. Martin said. Airplanes
will be so much faster and more
efficient that airlines will have to
replace with new models present
equipment which rapidly is becom-
ing obsolete. he predicted.
I'VE will be heels over head in
commercial development after the
war" Mr.. Martin commented.
The Martin plant expansion pro-
ic vN1oyvnl y x,ior ~ 1xy
to high production during
the emergency but also to maxi
mum efficiency in peace-time op-
erations after the war.
The Martin factories for emerg-
ency production are being built by
the Martin company with its own
funds, which are to be repaid by
the Government at rate of one"
sixtieth the cost each month for
five years. At the end of that time
the company may buy the factories,
If it so desires, at a negotiated price
or at the deprecated cost figure, or
the Government may take them
over.
Expansion Cost Is Large.
Behind the shelter of wartime
secrecy, the Martin company has
been working since September 4,
1910, on the great plant expansion
program, amounting to $4,000, 900
in the Baltimore area alone, which
now is nearly half completed. 1t
has just been revealed by Martin
rF 1c III II 1,-f1
advanced of all major aircraft plant
expansion under the emergency
program.
1t also was said today by company
heads that, although the total Mar
tin factory space in Baltimore and
Omaha. Nebr,. will amount to nearly
100000 square feet. or more than
119 acres of floor space under roof,
the Martin production program will
utilize great deal more plant space
than its own total in plants of the
automobile and other industries,
through tremendous system of sub
contracts. This work will be spread
out through many States.
The expansion program at Middle
River is providing a number of new
buildings and annexes around the
original company Offices and factory.
Navy Building Well Along.
In addition. work is we'll along on
a new Navy assembly building 1000
feet long and 400 feet wide, which
will be more than twice the size of
the existing Navy. assembly build
ing, which Martin officials claim has
been, up to now, the largest aircraft
assembly floor in the United States.
The new Navy building lies between
the present plant and Dark Head
Greek, in which Martin launches it's
large flying boats.
A mile and a quarter to the east
of the present plant, beside the
Pennsylvania Railroad main line, an
enormous new factory, known as
Plant 2. is being built. 1t will pro-
vide 1,181 900 square feet of floor
space and is designed for quantity
production of Army bombers exclu-
sively. Progress on this factory,
which will operate as a separate unit.
has reached the structural steel
erection stage.
Between the old factory and Plant
2 is a 500-acre airport, larger than
the new Baltimore Municipal Air
port. Hard-surfaced runways are
being completed and thousands of
cubic yards of earth are being moved
to fill a part of the landing area,
formerly under water. Finally COM
pleted, the runWays will be 4400 feet
in length to accommodate the higher
speeds and greater weights of mod
ern bombers An administration
building and five large hangers, each
capable of housing the largest air.
planes, are to be started at "nce.
Omaha Plant to Be Duplicate.
The Omaha plant will duplicate
Plant 2 and will include an airport
and airport buildings similar to
those at Middle River.
1T is matter of pride with the
Martin company that it foresaw the
part it was to play in the defense
program and planned for it," COM
pany heads said. Assured by Off
cial sources of large contracts for its
newest bombers, the company went
ahead with its expansion program,
tooling and production planning and
its materials and subcontracting
schedules. First ground was broken
September and since that time
there has been a steadily increasing
series of construction projects. The
consequence has been that the COM
pany has gained long lead in re-
armament operations and the new
facilities at both plants at Baltimore
will be In operation by summer. Two
additions will start operations al
most Immediately.
Time Is the critical factor in our
all-out defense effort" Mr.. Martin
said. eve are fortunate in being
able to utilize our full capacity here
50 soon. Our tooling operations
for the new plants are moving con-
currently with the building program
Meanwhile, we shall be producing
bombers In our existing facilities
as rapidly as possible"
Tooling Half Finished.
Entirely completed and already
g.. 1ar~a ~