Evening star., 1942-11-20
90,000-PIa Maroin
Over Axis Forecast
In 1o43 Production
Nelson Says Output
To Double Thot Of 1912,
Estimoted at $4,000
By JAMES Y. NEWTON.

Dy SANALo L. NEWION.
The United States now is sur
passing the combined Axis ma
tions in aircraft production and
next year, with our stepped-up
plane program, the margin will
be so overwhelming as to give us
probable air superiority on all
fronts, informed sources said
today.
: That forecast was made after
chairman Donald F.. Nelson of the
War Production Board disclosed
plans to double the United States
war plane production within a wear
Mr.. Nelson said at a press confer
ence yesterday that Charles E. Will
son, former General Electric Co.
president and vice chairman of the
war Production Board, had been
made administrator of the gigantic
program.
Mr. Nelson said Mr.. Wilson al
feady is forming new aircraft pro-
quctlon board to supervise produc-
tlon and procurement of both Army
and navy planes and parts. He
added that WPB's present aircraft
production division will be dissolved
ana It's more than 200 employees will
pe assigned to the Army and NAVY.
Already the United States is far
out in front of the combined plane
output OF Germany, Italy and
Japan, the sources of today's figures
SAID. Axis aircraft production was
placed at about 5000 month, mot
more than 5000" British plane fac
tories, it was said, are pulling ahead
ot Germany's in number of craft
produced. Japan's plane output was
said to be mot more than 1000
month"; 1taly's of far less impor-
tance.
Axis Production Dropping.
Officials referred to United States
plane production as gravy" the
margin of superiority which the
United Nations maintain over the
Axis. Production of Britain, Rus
sia and other Allies was held to
about offset the best the Axis can
do
The Axis countries were described
as having reached the peak of plane
output, with their production curve
leveled off and headed downward.
Increased bombing of factories is
expected to hasten this decline.
MIR. Nelson noted that the average
airplane will be larger and heavier
in 1943. Official estimates place the
United States 1912 plane production
at slightly over $4,000.
Assuming that the output Of Brit
ain and Russia will match the Axis,
Informed sources say that United
States production will give the
United Nations q 90,00O-plane
''bulge' over our enemies. They
say this margin will enable us to
'darken the sky" with planes on
nearly every front.
ManpoWer has replaced materials
as the limiting factor in American
plane production, officials said. The
manpoWer problem is increasing in
nearly every plant with thousands
of men being lost to the armed
forces weekly The critical situa-
tion is accentuated in that plane
factories now are employing a high
percentage of women, about as many
as they can possibly use.
To double plane production next
year, Mr.. Nelson said, will require
new facilities and new manpower,
but he said large new plants will not
be built until it is determined def
nitely that goals cannot be reached
with present facilities.
Wilson Heads Board.
II think it can be done. I don't
think we will have done a good job
unless we double aircraft produc-
ton"
Mr.. Nelson discussed plane pro-
duction in outlining briefly the new
reorganization of WPB. He said the
new aircraft board would be actu-
ally little WPB" for aircraft.
The board consists of Mr.. Wilson,
to whom Mr.. Nelson has delegated
"all Of my responsibility for pro-
duction of aircraft; Maj. Gen.
Oliver P. Echols, Army Air Forces;
Rear Admiral Ralph Dawson, Navy
Bureau of Aeronautics, and Harold
E. Talbot, chief of the WPB Air
craft Division.
The complete new organization
for plane production, Mr. Nelson
said, would be announced within a
few days by Mr.. Wilson. Mr.. Nelson
declared that it would unquestion-
ably result in more aircraft for our
armed forces, because it would CEN
ter definitely responsibility for the
program and end jurisdictional dis
putes between WPB and the serv-
ices.
Offensive Simplifies Problem.
Mr.. Nelson said the North African
offensive had simplified greatly the
production Of things our fighting
forces need. He described the job OF
producing armaments without an
offensive like shooting with shot
gun, trying to hit everything in
sight"
when you get on an offensive"
he continued, you begin shooting
with a rifle at the definite things
you need. We will know now just
what the Army needs to fight, as
well as what changes there must be
In the things we are making"
The tremendous place aircraft oc-
cupies in the Nations industrial
structure was emphasized by Mr.
Nelson when he declared 1t soon
would be "a 80 to 40 billion dollar
industry"
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