Evening star., 1941-02-15
Army Plane Buying
lin Il Months Totals
|$1,629,231,331
Wright Field Activities
Include Standardization
Of Air Equipment

VI Hi IHotHHfSht
Airplane and equipment pur-
chases totahng s1,629, ,231 ,331 were
made during the first IL months of
1910 by the contract section of the
Materiel Division of the Army Air
Corps, Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio,
according to report of Wright
Field activities for the calendar year
made public here yesterday. The
total exceeded combined purchases
for a number of years preceding
1910, 1t was announced.
Prompt launching of the great
Army air defense program was made
possible only because of the antici-
patton by the Materiel Division of
the expansion program and the lay
ing of groundwork by comforting
with manufacturers, determining
their ability to supply articles de-
sired within the delivery dates spe-
Gifted and otherwise clearing the
way for placing of orders as rapidly
as funds became available, it was
reported.
IIlC bCb JlloO q Rlo
gram has been put into effect to
modernize and simplify warplane
design, in connection with which
armor-plate protection has been pro-
vided. leakproof fuel tanks and
fuel systems have been developed,
additional guns Of larger caliber and
increased rapidity Of fire have been
installed, and power turrets have
been adopted for bombardment air
planes.
Great progress has been made In
high altitude flying through i'm
provement of fuel systems, with
booster pumps attached, special
superchargers, lighter and more eff
f1cient oxygen masks, and newly de-
veloped low pressure oxygen tanks
which reduce danger of explosion
during combat.
Equipment Standardized.
Standardization of Army and
Navy specifications and equipment
has been accomplished through prep
aration and PRONUNCIATION of single
specifications, usable by both serv-
iceI without modification, 1t was
reported Additional progress is
being made which will further tend
to standardize all Army Navy pro-
curement and inspection activities" :"
To expedite delivery of airplane
accessories and parts. the division
is establishing q special branch to
allocate materials and equipment to
the proper manufacturers, 1t was
reported Production control plans
also are under way to place a repre-
production engineering section in
each manufacturing plant filling
Government contracts on a cost
plus fixed-fee basis.
Outstanding developments in the
field of aircraft armament have
been made during the past year to
keep American defense abreast of
world developments, according to
the report.
There has been a general trend
toward the adoption of larger caliber
guns for fighting aircraft and the
mounting of an increased number
OF machine guns and aircraft can
non for both offensive and defensive
purposes.
New gun installations have been
planned for both bombardment and
pursuit airplanes TO provide in
creased ammunition allowances,
charging devices and other appara-
tus necessary to increase the gun
merry efficiency of our warplanes.
Recoil Devices Developed.
Decided progress also has been
made in the designing of machine
gun installations in power operated
turrets for bombers.
Extensive research is being carried
on to develop recoil absorption de-
vices for both fixed and flexible
machine guns and cannon which
can be installed practically in fu-
ture WarplaneS
Developments in bombing equip
ment have brought about new de-
signs for bomb racks for carrying
and releasing quantities of small
augmentation and incendiary bombs
from bombardment airplanes which
formerly were equipped only to car
ry demolition bombs
There has been continued devel-
orment of devices for releasing
bombs automatically with proper
spacing for bombardment in train"
across a target Improvements in
bomb 'shackle designs have been
made with a view to the carrying
of bombs of larger sizes than those
now in use
The Material Division reported a
continued demand from manufac-
turers of warplanes for more power
ful engines and said that work is
under way to provide both liquid
and air cooled engines of higher
horsepowers
New propeller designs are re-
Quired for each radical change in
airplane or engine design. Out
standing features of new propeller
designs are full-feathering, constant
speed controls, hollow hubs which
permit an aircraft cannon to fire
through the center and improved
speed governors.
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