Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-18
9 Big Projects
Ford Share
In Defense Plan

With construction started on n
new $4,000 900 plant which will
build assemblies for bombing
planes. and with S2S oo0 GOO air
plane engine plant due 10 start
production soon. nine major de-
tense projects are under way IN
the plants OF the Ford Motor
Company.
Here. in brief. is the record 10
date of what Ford is doing 10 help
arm the nation:
WILLOW RUN PLANT - At
Willow Run. Just east of Ypsilantl.
Mich, the Ford Company is build
ing a huge plant in which il will
produce parts, Sub-aSSemblies and
landing gears for B-24D bomberS.
This plant will cost $4,000. 000.
Excavation is under way. founda-
tons are now being laid and cree
ton of the steel work is expected
TO start this week. Nearly a hun
dred Ford engineers and pfoduc-
ton experts are now at the Com
solidated Aircraft plant al San
Diego. Cal. working out produc-
ton methods.
The B-24D is regarded as the
worlds most formidable bomber.
II weighs q tons and is capable
of carrying four tons of bombs at
q speed of 300 miles an hour.
AIRPLANE ENGINE PLANT
The plant in which the Ford
Company will produce an initial
order of 4.236 Pratt & Whitney
airplane engines and spare parts
Is about completed inside the
grounds of the Ford Rouge plant
at Dearborn. When in full pro-
duction il will turn out one en-
CINE an hour. The plant and
equipment will cost $4,000, 900. |
FORD AIRPLANE ENGINE
Ford engineers have developed
revolutionary new airplane engine
of original Ford design. This en-
CINE will be ready for tests next
month. Other tests which have
been going on for months at the
Ford laboratories at Dearborn. in
dictate that the new engine will
set a new low in the ratio of
weight to horsepower. The Ford
engine is expected TO develop from
800 to 1900 horsepower and to-
maintain this high output of
power to the altitude OF $500
feet.
AIR CRAFT APPRENTICE
SCHOOL - To supply the skilled
workers required for fabricating
eirplane parts, an aircraft ap--
prentice school, equipped to train
1000 students at one time, is be-
ing established in the new air. /
plane engine plant. Instructors
have already taken up their places
In the new building. equipment
for the school Is now being in
stalled. and pupils now in tenn
porary trade school quarters will
soon move into the new building.
MAGNESIUM FOUND Dry
Ford is building a large mag
nesium alloy foundry to supply
lightweight castings for the new
airplane engine and for other
aviation factories throughout the
country. The lightness and
strength of magnesium alloy - 1t
Is as strong as cast iron but
weighs only one-quarter as much
make it vital In airplane con-
struction. The 100000 Ford
foundry, one OF the few in this
country, has begun limited pro-
duction. and when the engine
plant opens the foundry will sup
ply 10000 pounds lightweight I
castings a month. 1t is already
supplying 1000 pounds of castings
month to the Pratt G. Whitney
plant at East Hartford. Conn.
NAVY SERVICE SCHOOL =
A complete United States Navy
Service School to train navy
recruits in mechanical trades Is
In operation In the heart Of the
Rouge plant. The school was dedi-
Gated on January Is and 1000
sailor recruits are now being
trained there.
The school was provided and
equipped by Henry Ford through
the Ford Motor Company. at no
expense TO the government. and
was erected in the record time of
40 days. Rear Admiral John
Downes, commander Of the ninth
naval district, calls the school the
most important training center
the navy has for schooling its
newly enlisted men in the mechan-
ical duties they will be called upon
to perform" The school is stated
by Ford Trade and Apprentice
School instructors and the $1,000
600 equipment of the Ford indus
trial schools is at the disposal OF
the navy students.
ARMY MOBILE UNITS - The
Ford Company, which has dellv-
cred 100 army staff cars. is now
completing production OF an order
of 100 "Blitz Buggies small
four-w h l-dFIye reconnaissance +
and command cars.
Specially designed bomb service
trucks which have cranes for
hosting bombs INTO place under
the wings Of hig army planes. are
another Ford contribution 10 de-
Tense
ARMY SERVICE SCHOOL -
Two educational projects have
heen SDgnSofpd bv tho FoYd Cora.