Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-05-19
Auto Men
Deny Lag
lin Planes
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- In - Ao h&S
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and high praise from Lieut. Cen
b. q. Somervell. commander of
the army's service of supply, the
sircraft engineers remarks
stunned industrial leaders.
I'VE have been producing air
graft parts for more than a
year." said w. p. Brown. head
of the Briggs Manufacturing
Company "In most cases we
have been ahead of schedule on
wing sections and assemblies. In
fact, In certain instances, we
had to cut down until the air
craft assembly plants could
catch mp"
Briggs manufactures for Doug
las and Martin.
OPM QUOTED
The Automotive Manufacturers
Association cited a December
OPM announcement that said the
first airplane produced from parts
fabricated in automobile plants
will be built in January
"Kindelberger knows better
than that" said Murray. Cor
poration OF America executive.
I'VE delivered our first wing sec
ton October 81 and are cur
Tently running ahead of sched-
ule."
In Washington. General Somer-
veil had said a few hours earlier
when Hitler took this war 20
tho skies, he rose into our own
element. When he fixed his
chariot to an internal combus-
ton engine, he opened up new
battle front, front that we
know well: It's called Detroit"
COSTLY DIES"
Kindelberger raped the auto
industry for spending time IN MAX
/ ing costly dies that probably will
have TO be thrown away because
of changing aircraft design.
An example. he said. is a recent
die that he happened TO see in an
automobile plant, In this particu-
lar instance, he declared. the COM
Nany wasted time and spent
\. 900 in making tools that the air
Icraft industry would make in much
less time for $40"
FINE FOR AUTOS
THE methods that the auto
mobile industry II following"
he insisted, would be fine for
making automobiles, but not
airplanes.
eff plane designs could be
frozen for a year. a. used to be
the case with automobiles, some
thing might be gained by taking
time TO make costly dies and
tools that would run stuff off
rapidly and In large quantities.
"But the airplane must remain
fluid. II has not been possible
to freeze designs for any length
Of time. There IL no point In
spending weeks TO make expen-
sive tools for aircraft manufac-
ture that may have TO be thrown
away next day"
Thus far. Kindelberger declared
North American has received from
the automobile industry at rs
plant near Kansas City only sub.
assemblies made from parts which
it manufactured and furnished e
the automobile industry.
81 think this thing will
straighten itself out all right"
he said but, after all, l6
months have been lost"
He said the automobile industry
is now coming into production oI
parts for bombers. and will be
making them in quantity soon.
PLANE PLANTS AHEAD
Because North American sup.
piled parts 10 the industry TO make
into subaSsemblies and return tC
it. he said, the plant near Kansas
City is eight or 10 months aheac
of what it otherwise would have
been in bomber production.
Asked whether IL would hav,
been better if the manufacture O
Rwarplanes had been left 20 IN,
aircraft industry, he replied:
"Why, certainly. The aircraft
production program will cost
twice as much and take twice
rs long as would have been the
case II the whole thing had been
left 10 the aircraft industry"
Kindelberger's remarks were ad
dressed to newspapermen on
tour of war plants conducted b.
the National Association of Manu-
farfttrorc