Evening star., 1941-07-05
Aviation Plants Pool
Reserves 10 Increase
Output Of Bombers
Production of Larger
Type Expected tc
Reuch 500 q Month

precedented scale to speed fleets of
long-range four-engined lombard
ment airplaneS to United States and
British forces were described to-
day by officials of the Aeronautical
Chamber of Commerce.
The importance Of the long-range.
four -engined bombed, regarded as
among the most potent of all aerial
weapons yet devised, has been en-
phaSized by Col. John H. Jouett,
president of the chamber, who
pointed out that the big planes,
produced in sufficient numbers,
could successfully convoy shipping
over the entire route from the
United States to Britain.
Most recent development in the
hGaVy-bomber program. the cham
ber reported, is the agreement under
which three leading Pacific Coast
airplane manufacturers will embark
on a cooperative program for the
production OF the famous Boeing
FLYING Fortress bombers. These
companies are the Boeing Aircraft
Co. Of Seattle. Douglas Aircraft Co.
Of Santa Monica, Calf, and the
Vega Airplane Co. of Burbank,
Calf
500 Per Month Expected.
AS a result Of an earlier Coop
erative move, Consolidated Aircraft
Corp of San DIEGO and the Douglas
Co. operating Government-owned
plants in the Middle West, will
speed production of the other Amer
lean fOW-engine bomber type. the
Consolidated B-24. These two S22,-
100000 plants, one located at
Tulsa, Okla, the other at Fort
Worth, Tex, are scheduled to be in
operation by the end of 194l. The
Tulsa plant will be operated by
Douglas, the Fort Worth plant by
Consolidated each factory build
ing the B-24 bombers. with sub
assemblies produced by the automo-
bile manufacturing industry.
Output of these plants is expected
to increase current production OF
this type of bomber, by Consolidated
and Boeing. to 200 planes per month.
When the pooled resources of BOelng.
Douglas and Vega. backed by the
automotive production of sub
assemblies. are brought into full
production in 1912, the rate is eX-
pected to increase to 500 planes
month.
These figures, it was pointed out,
cover only the heavy bomber pro-
gram and do not include another
similar cooperative program for the
production of medium bOmberS.
under which fast two-engine bomb
ers of the Martin BPS and North
American BPS type will be pro-
duced. These smaller bombers will
be produced by the Glenn L. Martin
Co. of Baltimore and North Amer
iCan Aviation at Government plants
in Omaha, Nebr., and Kansas City.
Mo, with automobile and other
manufacturers supplying subas-
semblies,
interchangeable Parts
Under the BOelng-Douglas-V Vega .
cooperative program, each organ
ization will turn out completely as
sembled BITE Flying Fortresses |
which will be identical even TO the
interchangeability of parts. Several /
other aircraft manufacturers will
contribute to this program through
subContraCting.
The Boeing Co. will begin imme-
diately the construction Of a huge
addition to the new plant No. 2 of
its Stearman Division at Wichita,
Kans.. to augment the program.
Douglas will use its new "blackout"
plant at Long Beach, Calf, for
Flying Fortress production. The
Vega Co, an affiliate of Lockheed
Aircraft Corp, will produce the
bombers at its newly completed
factory at Burbank, Calf.
The long range bomber program,
1t was pointed out. is long step
toward the Standardization of types
urgently needed by both the United
directs the production facilities of a
large section of the aircraft in
duStry to two models.
Won't Freeze" Designs.
1t was emphasized. however. that
the program will not result in the
freezing" of design or limitation of
production by the cooperating COM
panies of other types of WarplaneS.
The participating companies, in ad-
dition to the bombers, will continue
producing such planes as the Con-
solidated ply and PB2Y naval
patrol bombers, the Douglas APO
and Dbl light attack-bombers, and
the Lockheed P-28 interceptor pur-
suits and Hudson reconnaissance
bombers.
Another recent cooperative move
on the part Of the aviation industry,
the chamber reported, was the an
rounCement that Vultee Aircraft,
Inc, and Northrop Aircraft, Inc,
are pooling tool designs and other
designs for production of the Vultee
Vengeance dive bomber for the
British.
An undisclosed number of the
Boeing Bit bombers, known to the
British as simply the Fortress, al
ready have been flown across the