Evening star., 1941-02-09
Curtiss Plans Output
To Take WarpIane
Changes in Stride
Two New Factories Being
Added; Total Personnel
May Reach $4,000
(20th OF q seyies.)
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON,

BUFFALO. N. Y. Feb 8.-Looking
forward to the possibility of a pro-
longed war, the Curtiss Aeroplane
Division of Curtiss- Wright Corp. is
planning its production facilities
to make possible the changing of
warplane models without interrupt
ing production.
Even should wartime changes
make imperative the abandoning of
some particular model and the trans
fer of production operations to
new type, this will be accomplished
with the minimum amount of delay
in the great Buffalo plant and in
the new airplane factories now being
built by Curtiss at st. Louis and
Columbus, Ohio.
The CurtiSs program calls for the
production Of more than 600 air.
planes per month at these three
plants. These airplanes will be of
the pursuit. dive bomber, observa-
ton. training and cargo types. Their
production involves an increase of
Curtiss plant floorspaCe from 3,702,-
000 square feet to 9,327, 800 square
feet and personnel from 27000 en-
ployes, as of the end of 1910, to
nearly 10000 workers. 1t is hoped
to attain production at all plants
In the spring.
In all three of the airplane fac
tories, simultaneous production of at
least two different types of airplanes
will be carried on along parallel
production lines. Then, if a change
of one model becomes necessary, pro-
duction can be concentrated on the
remaining production line or lines
without the necessity of completely
shutting down plant production dur
ing the change over.
Plants Being Expanded.
The Curtiss Aeroplane Division of
Curtiss-Wright, claimed to be the
country's oldest aircraft manufac-
turers and today the largest pro-
ducers of combat airplanes. is far
along with its plant expansion pro-
grams at Buffalo, Columbus and
St Louis.
Here at Buffalo s12,000,000 eX-
pansion program will provide a
total of 100000 square feet of
plant space on a 124-acre site ac-
Quired by the Defense Plant Corp.
of the Reconstruction Finance Corp.
Contracts totaling s1,500000 have
been awarded for machine tools and
equipment and s1,166,000 worth of
contracts for steel are outstanding
The plant is scheduled for compile
tion May IS. OF brick and steel con-
struction. it is designed throughout
for mass production.
The manufacturing and engineer
ing section will include 100000
square feet of space and there will
be 119,250 square feet of space de-
voted to accessories. The general
layout is planned for progressive
manufacture and assembly in a
straight-line pattern, without any
cbstructions in the production line
and with sufficient f1exibility to per-
nit changes in the types and sizes of
aircraft produced
The new plant will provide total
cf more than 100000 square feet of
reduction space in the Buffalo area
lone and a total of $1,000 workers
viii be employed here.
At Columbus a 100000 square
''0t plant, to accommodate 10000
employees. is being completed. 1t will
-~oduce the types of airplanes now
uilt at Buffalo.
q Acres of Floor Space.
The st. Louis plant is being in
C"o2sed eight times in size, to pro-
: de more than 81 acres of floor
: race. 1t represents an investment
Ct more than S11000,000 in new
plant, including tooling and equip
ment. The final assembly section,
measuring 600 by 200 feet, with a
r1-foot ceiling, completely clear of
columns and distractions. will
permit assembly of the largest
-"ansport and cargo airplanes.
7ersonnel will be increased from
! 200 to 10000 at st. Louis.
The company has rented $4,000
""uare feet of floor space in Buffalo
r1r training of employees to man
IS new plant. At Columbus it
las taken over building at the old
fair grounds for training and has
huilt uD a fabrications plant there
n preparation for the opening of
the new factory.
Some delays are expected in the
foliverv of machinery and tools for
tie new plants. but Wright officials
id they will "juggle" the available
r r7uipment in the meantime to do
tie best possible job of production
Until complete facilities are avail
able.
Ground was broken for the
Buffalo plant last November 9 and
construction is in progress "a hours
a day Steam pipes and oil heaters
have been installed to dry the
ground and make possible the pour
ing of concrete.