The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-02-19
PLANE PROGRESS


The Truman Committee. visiting
the Bomber Plant here today. will
find, as Navy experts found. after
Inspecting aircraft production in
the East, that America is going
ahead rapidly in the development OF
planes. which soon will be doing a
smashing job against the Axis
Fifty specialists-"the engineer.
ing brains" OF the Navy-and a
group OF newspaper men were few
days ago given a private preview
OF what this industry is doing in
the war effort. Colonel Charles A.
Lindbergh. consultsnt engineer. was
among the visitors. and others in
Guided Rear Admiral John :. No
Cain, chief Of the Bureau OF Aero
nautics; Robert Lovett. assistant
Secretary OF War. Artemus l..
Gates. assistant Secretary OF the
Navy for air; Rear Admiral Ernest
VI. Pace. OF the Nays procurement
department.
They saw a demonstration OF the
Nays new high performance ship
board fighter. the Corsair which
only this week made its debut in
battle in the Solomon Islands area.
This fighter Is designed Specifical-
ly for operation by the Navy as a
carrier based plane.
Built around the big, sir-cooled
double Wasp engine, the Corsair is
not only the Nays first 1000
horsepower fighter. it is also the
first Navy fighter in the world with
such horsepower. II is OF rugged
construction throughout and il
should give = good account OF IL
self in battle.
Many achievements cannot he
publicized, for military reasons, but
it is revealing no secret TO say
that great engineering advances
are being made by private indus
Try. working in close cooperation
with the Army and Navy. Among
the more spectacular comes the hell
copter which can take to the air
straight up. II maneuvers in fancy
style and finally alights ON a
dime" This type OF plane will be
used extensively in a commercial
way after the war, due TO its appar-
ent safety.
While these are interesting and
essential developments. it was far
different sight that awaited the
Washington investigators OF the
Truman Committee here today.
Here are long lines Of huge bomb
ers. and when the senators have
finished asking all the questions
they can think OF they will find thai
The Ford production record has
been good.
They will also find thsre are
some corrections that can be made
right in Washington that will help
TO speed up production. They can
help by standardizing design. Ne
production line can run a top speed
IL changes are frequent.
They can also help by institutinE
more uniform inspection rules. In.
spectors must be agreed upon what
is acceptable and what IS not II
one rejects while another accepts
there is resultant delay.
And inspectors should work III
der the same rules as factory EN-.
ployes.
Inspection. Ike other phases Of
Bomber Plant production, has i'm
proved with experience. II has been
a tremendous task 10 create
smooth running production line on
q huge scale with men and women
unfamiliar with the product they
are assigned TO produce. The TrI-
man Committee. OF course, know
this. They also know that the Ford
organization knows how 10 produce
on huge scale II given proper
support. They will render inyslua-
BILE service IL they will consider
Ford ability and clear the way for
full speed ahead as quickly a. pos
sible.
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