davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1943-04-07
Seven-Day Miracle Bears Fruit

KANSAS CITY, Mo.-One year ago this
month, there was lonely abandoned speed
way near this city. Seven days later, it had
become the future home of the great Pratt
Whitney engine plant here. The Navy had
asked United Aircraft to create new engine
plant to be located somewhere west of the
Alleghenies, the site was chosen from the
thousands of locations available throughout
the vast midwest empire, options on the
land had been obtained and the searching
party had returned to East Hartford to speed
plans for construction and for the training
of thousands of new aircrafters.
Thanks to the miracle of the seven days,
this mammoth plant is now fast nearing COM
pletion. The last of the walls are rising as
concrete is poured into new type of move
able forms, applying assembly line technique
to construction. But of course, the greater
task of tooling and getting into production
still lies ahead.
Preparing for the day when they will be
building the Pratt & Whitney engines in this
plant are housewives, actors, school teachers,
a minister who returns to his pulpit on Sun.
day. They are being trained here in what has
been termed the largest airplane training
center in the nation as we'll IS 4 miniature
engine plant in itself.
Evening star., 1943-04-07
u.A.C.SefviCe Men
In Thick Of Fight
Risk Lives Daily Behind Scenes
Bringing Factory Skill
To Battle Fronts

ANY AMERICAN FIGHTING FRoNT-The
service men from United Aircraft Corpora
ton rank high among the unsung heroes of
this war. Working under fire. they are on
round-the-clock schedules to keep the Pratt &
Whitney engines roaring, the Hamilton
Standard propellers whiring and the Nought
Corsairs and Kinghshers flying.
Scores of these men are overseas but for
security reasons they must remain in the
background. But even if they are rarely mem
toned in dispatches, it can be said that hardly
an air operation could be carried out without
their expert aid.
AS highly specialized experts, they provide
liason between the manufacturer and the
Air Forces. Each change in engine, propeller
or arplane design brings new service prob
lens. The manufacturers representative
must be on hand to explain the changes, out
line new methods. At the same time, their
performance reports from the front give in
valuable data to engineers back home for con-
slant improvement.
The home office frequently doesn't know
where they are, what they are doing. Some
times they disappear, turn up thousands of
miles away. One Pratt & Whitney representa-
tive made last minute adjustments on a new
batch of airplanes en- route to fighting front.
On the way, one airplane was forced down,
remote from any service facilities. He
hoped into another airplane, fixed the trou-
Bile, found something new needing checking
on the Others He started off again, caught up
with them about 1000 miles away from his
original starting point
Adjustments made, he tried to come home,
found every airplane booked up for weeks
ahead. A radio expert as we'll, he signed on
returning plane as radio operator, got back
IN hurry, advanced the war effort several
weeks with his information
With proper machine shop facilities un-
available with tools and parts often missing,
the service representatives have become past
masters in improvisation. For overhaul, a
husky tree and block and tackle make a fine
substitute for an engine stand. For propeller
work, empty oil drums are almost as good as
movable scafolds. Their most important
equipment is the "know-how' developed in
their years with the Pratt & Whitney or
ganlzation.
Salvaged engine parts from destroyed air.
planes replace new parts lost in transit.
Thanks to the precision with which Pratt &
Whitney engines are made by it and its Ii
censces, it makes no difference whether part
has come from & W-bult, Ford, Buick,
Chevrolet or Nasl1-built engine-they all fit.
In spite of all difficulties, the P & w service
men keep the engines going.
Evening star., 1943-04-07
Goodyear Assembly Lines
Now Producing Corsairs

AKRON, O.-Another chapter in the story
of Americas war effort was written here
when the first Vought Corsair fighter was
completed by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber
Co. 1t is the story of voluntary teamwork
among Americas industries-the pooling of
hard-won knowledge and the trading of once
jealousy guarded skills.
Chance Vought Aircraft designed and put
into production its 400 mile-per-hour in
verted gull-winged fighter. The Navy needed
still more Goodyear had thirty years of
aeronautic experience. Together the two
companies designed the long mass produc-
ton lines on which thousands of Goodyear
alrcrafters are now building Corsars.
Evening star., 1943-04-07
Corsair Plant Expanded
To Match Growing Output

STAFFORD, CONN, March 16-"Corsairs
are the best Navy fighter planes in the world"
said Rear Admiral Ralf E. Dawson, assis-
tant chief of the Nays Bureau of Aero
nautics in dedicating the new final assembly
wing at the Chance Vought factory here.
The dedication of this building" said Ad-
miral Dawson, with the enormously in
creased production of Corsairs which it
promises is another step forward toward vic
tory. Without the assembly lines of industry
there would be no strategy to plan, and with
out the men and women at the machines there
would be no tactics to pursue. The job you
have done in speeding up production in the
past few months is concrete evidence of how
seriously you have taken your responsibility"
Production increased so rapidly that it
outgrew the plant Loyal workers were
finishing planes outdoors in below zero
weather.1
A pledge that Chance Vought and its en-
ployees will never let the Navy down" was
given BY Rex B. Beisel, acting general man.
ager of Chance Vought. Gall the Navy asks"
said Mr. Beisel, rs that we supply more Cor
sairs. They are depending on our plane and
have every confidence in our ability to build
~
Evening star., 1943-04-07
FIGHTER FACTS and FALLACIES

A simply written small book explaining
why every fighter plane is compromise, ex-
ceiling in some characteristics, lacking in 9TH
ers, has recently made its appearance.
Written by John G. Lee, Assistant Director
Of Research, United Aircraft Corporation,
FIGHTER FACTS AND PALACES
will help the reader understand why one air
plane whose performance is tops at high alti-
tude will be outperformed by another at low,
or why one airplane will climb faster than
another at sea level only to have the situation
reversed upstairs.
Mr.. Lee points out that any Crate can
win with no opposition, but the plane that
can win over strong opponent is the plane
designed for the job it has to do. The book
shows what each particular type of plane is
best equipped to do, why there is no ''best"
fighter airplane and why the specialist will
win when competition is close.
Beverley Hancock's illustrations highlight
the points made by Mr. Lee. He shows "At
low attitudes j.. the smaller plane with the
higher wing loading is faster and will also
outclimb the larger planes" but that "At the
highest attitudes, the plane with the lower
wing loading is faster and can outclimb the
spaller plane" and that "At any altitude there
& no substitute for power"
Published by William Morrow & Co.,
FIGHTER FACTS AND PALACES is
priced at bookstores at SIPS.
-1OV1E@.,1cS,-
Evening star., 1943-04-07

OF castings and forglngs which would be re-
quired.
Sensing the Japanese menace, several Aus
tralian industrialists proposed to create an
Australian aircraft industry. They met with
little public sympathy or encouragement, but
mission was sent to study aircraft of vari-
Gus countries
Two U.S. Companies Help
In the United States the mission met North
American Aviation in Calfor and United
Aircraft in Connecticut and discussed the
possibility of building in Australia, under
license, the Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine
and the Harvard trainer.
Back in Australia, the mission and it's SUD-
porting industrialists still got no official en-
couragement except from the Minister for
Defense. Nevertheless, acting entirely on
their own initiative and using their own
funds, the group in 1887 organized the Com
monwealth Aircraft Corporation Propri.
etary. Limited, with authorized capital of
il,O0O,OOO. North American and United Air
craft cooperated actively in plant layout, Sc
lection of machine tools and in the giving of
manufacturing "know-how".
Since then, Commonwealth Aircraft has
expanded rapidly. 1t has built large quanti-
ties of the single-row Wasp engine and of
the North American trainer, known here as
the Wirraway. 1t is in quantity production
on the 1,200horsepower Twin Wasp engine
under license to Pratt & Whitney, has pro-
duced large quantities of the Wackett
trainer with the Wasp engine and will soon
be producing the Boomerang fighter designed
by Commonwealth around the Twin Wasp.
Other Items Now Built
Many other aircraft items are now being
manufactured in conformity with the origi-
nal conception of making Australia inde-
pendent. Development of each was UNDER
taken by Commonwealth at its own expense,
then turned over to sub-contractor when
1t had reached the production stage.
There are now two additional aircraft
sources here-a subsidiary of DeHaviland
building light training planes and Hamilton
Standard propellers under license and a gov
ernment controlled factory building British
Beaufort bombers powered with Australian
built Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasps. 1t is
also producing the British Beau6ghter.
Evening star., 1943-04-07
Canada Building
Prope|Iers for US.
Hamilton Standard AirscreWs
Shipped Below Border
For Texans

MONTREAL, CANADA-Typical of the
worldwide operations of United Aircraft
Corporation and the teamwork between the
United Nations, Canada's two year old pro-
peller industry is shipping propellers to the
United States.
Building metal propellers is something new
for Canada. 1t began when the Canadian
Government turned to James Young, presi-
dent of Canadian Pratt & Whitney Aircraft
Co., already engaged in the building here of
the Pratt & Whitney engines. Would he build
propellers also? He would
Canadian Propellers, Ltd, was organized
April l, 1941, as a subsidiary of Canadian
Pratt & Whitney and licensed to build Ham.
1ton Standard propellers without royalties
or license fees. United Aircraft was follow
ing out its policy of making available its de-
signs without profit for the common good
On June ground was broken for a mod
ern propeller factory; on November 7 the
hrst employee started work. An entire Or
ganzation was created from people who had
never worked in propeller factory before.
PROMISING candidates were sent to East Hart
tord for training. The precision processes
were broken down into simple operations.
1t was decided to concentrate upon one
model for one type airplane This was the
North American Texan trainer, powered
with Pratt & Whitney Wasp.
With its employees working II hour shifts,
the new company finished its first propeller
February q, 1912. In March, the U. S. Gov
ernment boosted its requirements and by last
December the company celebrated completion
of its one thousandth propeller.
Evening star., 1943-04-07
WOUNDED PR0PELLERs FIGHT AGAIN

LONDON, ENcLAND-Approximately $50
of all Hamilton Standard propellers dam
aged in action or operational flights are
being repaired and sent back into action.
Most damage consists of blade bent in
crash or difficult landings. The solid dural
blades can be Strengthened without difficulty
while bullet holes can generally be smoothed
out without impairing the efficiency of the
blade. Ability to salvage such high percent
age of damaged blades relieves production
lines of an ra'burden, it is pointed out
Evening star., 1943-04-07

is ready to call on its Pratt IN>oA " Nh'0A'A
Whitney Twin Wasp engines and Hamil-
ton Standard propellers for that extra bit
of oomph needed when it steps out of
character and slams into Jap planes as
fighter. Or when it comes in low to slug a
torpedo into the vltals of a Jap warship. Or
when it pretends it's dive bomber and
rockets out of the overcast to wham bomb
on enemy installations.
Saga of The Catalina
1t was the Catalina, its nerveless crews
and devoted service men that held the thin
line in the Aleutans until help could come.
Its adventures are furnishing the background
tor one of the great sagas of the war. Fly
ing in the worst weather in the world, with
the soup so thick that patrols were carried out
htty teet over stormy waves, so thick that
surface observers were unable to see the
great flying boats as they landed, Catalinas
harassed the invading Japs.
Pilots stayed out until gas tanks ran dry.
Some were picked up, more often they dis
appeared. There was no ei ght hour day for
them. One pilot flew 1917 hours out of "a
on bombing missions to Kiska, another ac-
cumulated 17S flying hours in less than three
weeks many averaged over 200 combat hours
in one month. They dubbed their outfit the
"PBY Interceptor Command" the "Kiska
Shuttle Service" and called Dutch Harbor
the "PBY Elimination Base"
Reports state that the sturdiness of the
ply Catalina, its ability to operate in over
loaded conditions and the reliability of its
engines was little short of amazing. Engines
remained in service up to 700 and 300 hours
prior to major overhaul.
Outmaneuvers Zeros
But it was in combat that the Cat shone.
One was hit by Zero, had its rudder wires
severed. The pilot had only aileron and eleva-
tor control. Under constant attack, he made
~ degree turns with ailerons alone, shook
off each Zero climbed into the safety of
cloud bank, iced up, ran out of gas and made
safe landing at sea. Another Catalina res
cued the entire crew.
One bombed submarine at such low a1ti-
tude the bomb blast blew big hole in the
port wing, severed fuel and oil lines, set the
port engine on fire, severed the carbon-diox-
ide fire extinguisher line which put the fire
out 1t flew 800 miles home where the
treless service crews had it ready for another
bombing mission in 36 hours!
ply bombing attacks were invariably
made by diving through overcast coming out
into the clear at the unheard of speed for
Phys of ESQ knots. 1t took the combined
strength of the pilot and co-pilot tugging at
the controls to pull the plunging juggernauts
out of the dive. The big boats would recover
with their long wings tapping like seagull.
No one yet quite knows how they hung to-
gether. That is the Catalina's own secretl
Evening star., 1943-04-07
Can You Answer These?

Q. How many trans-ocean flights week
are made by transport planes?
A. Probably more than 500 week.
Q. What is the trans: Pacific record?
A. 80 hours, y minutes by an Army Air
Transport Command Consolidated Liberator
reported March 18th.
Q. What is the transatlantic record?
A. An Army Air Transport Command
Consolidated Liberator Express flew over and
back in less than "a hours.
Q. What is the diameter of 2,O0O-horse-
power Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp en-
gine!
A. 50 inches-only 2A inches greater than
the diameter of the original 4l0-horsepower
Wasp of 1925.
Evening star., 1943-04-07
American Flyers Find Australia Ready
With Modern Aircraft Industry Operating

MELBOURNE AuRALWhen the Australia they
found ready aircraft industry
factories ready
upon which maintenance and modification could
aircraft industry They United Aircraft
Corporation The far gtedes
these of
brewing tea bitter to the japanese etaste
Up 1885 Australia
had virtually machine tool
alloys needed TOR aircraft little
Evening star., 1943-04-07

Flying Field it is to which faithful old air.
planes go. All the Catalina knows is that
there is a job to be done.
1t is safe bet that Cat or two will
be found wherever the going is rough
est. 1t spotted the mighty German bat
tleship Bismarck and guided air and surface
craft to the kill. 1t has seen action in the
Aleutians, in the Atlantic, Mediterranean
and South Pacific where it was credited with
detecting the Japanese fleet approaching Mid
way Island, leading to a decisive Japanese
defeat. According to a company announce.
ment, it appears that its production will con-
Evening star., 1943-04-07

tllluC lOI lIlc Jul dllO1l.
lin appreciation of his
services in keeping air
planes in the air, Escort
Scouting Squadron-desig-
mated Enrol G.. Treggett,
field service representative
for Pratt & Whitney en-
gines, an honorary member
of the squadron.]
Designed in 1888 as {
patrol bomber, the l5-ton
1S5-mile-per-hour Catalina
Evening star., 1943-04-07
Catalina, Built For Long Range Patrol,
Stars as Fighter, Torpedo, Dive Bomber

SAN DIEGO CIhe United States Navy g having
finest aane has placed s3ooooo order apane eight
today after being fiery
Consolidated Arcrafts boat
lhe Catalina the
that by ordinary Standards should have
Evening star., 1943-04-07
THIS MONTHS PRODUCTION NERO

EAST HARTFORD,
CoNN.-Bernard w.
(Barney) Rogers set
a record when he
completed 9 full years
before missing a day
at the Hamilton
Standard Propellers
Division of United
Aircraft Corpora
ton. Rogers record,
company officials
pointed out, would
not be possible for
Evening star., 1943-04-07

BERNARD W. 1>e'AS' the great bulk of en-
ployees, whose service dates only from the
beginning of the emergency. Nevertheless
there are thousands of them who have
never missed a day.
Evening star., 1943-04-07
Each star represents American warplanes
smashing at the Axis on March 18, 1o43.

March l8
Outstanding the Goth attack Mnda
uesoed daylight raid
Tunisa Planes reported in these included
Aracobra ConsoHdt ted Libertors
0oeng Gumnan Wildcats
Consolidated ctalnas 1ockheed Ventures
Other American bomb fighters
the check Over all the
as the Transport Command carried supplies fighting
Evening star., 1943-04-07

ADVERTISEMENT
The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-06-14

'Wolter. Clark Woolsey. and J. T,
Wynn
Managers Robert Johnston,
Mike O'Hara, Kenneth Reas, Nick
Vourlitis The Reserve football
John Bell Edward Brown, Richard
Buccos. George Dawson. John
Drake. William Elliot, Jack Fox
George Gaudy, James Maynard
and Dan Quirk.
Swimming varsity - William
Briggs (co-captain). Lawrence Kop-
pin tco-captain). Preston Tucker
(co-captain-elect, Duane Drake
(co-captain-elecD, Don Campbell,
Richard Cazier, Bernard Cosgroye,
Donald Easing Claude HIT. Rob
ert Houck. Phillip Purcell, William
Seaton, Robert Schlief, Arthur
Smith. Paul Tower. Frederick VOL.
ter. Reserye-Dan Quirk, mana
ger-Robert Westman
Cross Country Donald Gill,
Claude Hit. Hans Jens, Arthur
Porterfield. William Seaton. Don
aid Wesenberg. John Wills and
Lawrence Porter manager.
The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-06-14
Athletic Awards Presented at High School

Ypsilanti High School in the an
nual senior assembly presented to
Bob Moffett the cup indicating
greatest participation in athletic
events.
Bob played four years OF varsity
football and was this years cap
tain. He won three varsity let
tiers and one reserve letter In foot
ball and this year was elected co
captain Of the team For the
past two years Bob has been out
standing on the basketball court
where he garnered two varsity and
two reserve letters.
The awards:
Tennis Varsity Harold Camp
bell (captain). James Miller, Bob
Houck. Bob Johnston. and Henry
Herbst Reserve-Bill Briggs, Bob
Colts. Bill Schultz, John Hockrein,
Warren Bennett, Lynn Schafer,
Jack Drake. and Ron Davis.
Golf-Thomas Dixon. Jess Gam
bill. Bill Kindshoven. Bob Kuster.
and Mike O'Hara
Baseball tvarsity)-Bob Moffett
Captain Jim Burrell. Bob Bower,
James Bell, Duane Drake, Arthur
Herbst Jim Garfield. George Hell
vey, Clyde King, John Kelly. War
rem Kidder, Pat O'Hara. Lester
Pho. and John Wynn; Reserve
Dick Binder. Wayne Brodd. Arthur
Porterfield. Nick Vourlitis. Phillip
Stokes. Calvin Peterson. and Clay
ton Hopp. The managers are
George Gaudy and Richard Ruccos
Track varsitv)-John Bell Mel
son Boik, Bernard Cosgrove
James Davis. Donald Gill. Richard
Lee. James Moore Ewart Meyer.
Douglas Nowling. William Seaton,
Bob Tibbits John Wills and Fred.
erick Wolter: Reserve-Harrv Cur
tbs. Fred Dixon. Joe Holland Guy
Hubbard. Pierce Johnston Harry
Littlefield, Billy Robertson. George
Tackman. Lyman Tower. and Nor
man Wilson The manager was
Robert Lamkin
asketball-Ewart Mover leap.
tain). Robert Bower. Ralph Bul-
lis. Clyde King. John Kelly Rob
ert Kuster. James Miller. Robert
Moffett, Patrick O'Hara. Kenneth
Stroll. and John Wills Bob Cha
pele was manager. The Reserve
BASKETBALL Bell Warren
Bennett. James Burrell, George
Dawson, George Gaudy. George
Helvey, Arthur Herbst. Lynn Nc
Allister. Michael O'Hara Richard
Onon. Lester Pho. Richard Powers
William Powers Lynn Schafer, Ly-
man Tower, Nick Vourlitis, and
John Wynn.
Football varsity Nelson Boik
(co-captain). Robert Moffetr Cco-
captain Bernard Cosgrove. George
Curtis. Duane Drake. Donald Fas.
ing. George Hayes. Arthur Herbst.
Robert Houck. John Kelly. War
rem Kidder. Clvdo King tcaptair.
elecO. Richard Lee. James Miller
Ewart Mover. PAT O-Hara. Calvin
/ Peterson Dan Rankin. Elmer Rob.
erson. Preston Tucker Robert Tib
bits. Norman Wilson. Fredericl,
The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-06-14
The Blind Man, Secret

Still the hands Of the blind stu
dent pulled at the knots.
The approaching man halted and
set something hard and heavy on
the unseen fable. There! A gallon
bottle of nitric acid. might have
stumbled and dropped 1t. Luckily
I know every inch Of this building.
There is a porcelain hand basin on
a shelf. All, here 1t is. Now
to prepare your footbath!"
Liquid gurgled out Of the bottle
into the basin.
Agatha felt the ropes loosen.
Sure you won't change your
mind ?" asked the devil who
threatened her.
IT have nothing to say"
You will soon talk"
The gurgling ceased and the
empty bottle was set down. Some
thing scraped again. 1t sounded like
wooden board. The man moved
across the room. For q moment he
was dimly visible in trent Of the
ventilator, then the ventilator went
black He had covered 1t with the
board.
Now for the light" he an
nounced. Il do not care to handle
that basin in the dark"
Agatha gasped. Look OUT"
The unseen man In front Of her
sounded surprised. Look out ?
Why should I look out?"
II thought you were going to
stumble against the table. You
don't need the light. I'll TALK"
"Oh. you will? Why this sudden
change OF heart? There is some
thing in this room you do not want
me to see"
mo, no."
An electric light overhead flashed
on. 1t was binding. Agatha had to
close her eyes.
"so-o!" said the kidnaper, You
are not alonew
stand back. cried the blind
boy. "I'll throw this knife"
The man laughed. What a pity
you cannot see where you are aim
ing. Do you think l don't know
you! have nothing 70 fear-ugh!"
Agatha opened her eyes in time
to see the man duck. A knife
struck the wall behind him and
clattered 10 the cement floor.
You missed him."
The man Strengthened up. Most
Of the lower part OF his face was
covered by a handkerchief. His
eyes narrowed as he looked at Will
lard Bacon, the blind boy. For a
blind man that was an excellent
shot"
Il do not need sight to guide me.
I warn you, let Miss Brown go!"