Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-08-11
Kenney Defends
B-36 as Safest
For Night Raids
General Tells Hearing
Bomber Is Product
Of Lucky Freak
By Chris Mothisen

DOmDeT WOulQ De dlIIlOSt peTleCI-
ly safe" on night bombing mis-
sion anywhere in the. world. Gen.
George c. Kenney. former chief
of the Strategic Air Command.
declared today before the House
Armed Services Committee.
Gen. Kenney. who now heads
the Air University at Maxwell Air
Force Base in Alabama. testified
as the committee continued its
inquiry into military aircraft pro-
curement. He said 1t was "a lucky
freak" that the B-36 developed
into an effective long-range,
high altitude bomber after early
tests proved disappointing.
He said the B-36, flying at 40
900 feet, would be virtually i'm
mune from interception at night
because nobody has anything
that can 60 up there and do any
thing at night"
Decision Was Based on Merit.
In response to a question by
Joseph B. keenan,, special coun-
sci of the committee, Gen. Ken
ney said he was not aware of any
political influence in the original
granting or in the decision to
continue in effect the contract
for 100 B-36s with Consolidated
Aircraft Corp. He added that
the decisions. were reached solely
on the merits of the design and
performance of the aircraft.
The current investigation was
touched of by a speech in the
House by Representative Van
zandt, Republican, of Pennsyl-
vania, who said he had heard
disturbing reports" that ConsoH-
dated had special influence and
was getting preferred treatment
in high defense circles.
Gen. Kenney, Gen. MacArthur's
air chief during the Pacific cam
paign of World War II, said he
first Endorsed the B-36 project
in 1941 when he headed Air Force
material procurement. When he
became head of the Strategic Air
Command in. 1916. however, he
told the committee, II was not
too happy about the information
I got.
Was Disappointed at First.
at didn't seem the airplane was
living up to our expectations"
Specifically. he said. tests re-
vealed trouble with the propellers..
wing flaps. visibility from the nose
of the ship and overheating of the
engines.
At this point. Gen. Kenney ad-
mitted. he was inclined to think
the B-36 contract should be can
celed, because I'p an operator
and I wanted something that
would operate"
BY June. 1913, he continued, he
changed his thinking on the basis
OF new performance reports which
showed the defects had been cor
rected.
Patterson Tells of Contract.
Former Secretary of War Robert
P. Patterson told the committee
earlier that the original contract
for 100 B-36s was given to Con-
solidated in 1943 Immediately
after Tom Girdler, steel executive
then heading the aircraft firm,
had complained to him he could
not get prompt deliveries from
subcontractors on the basis of the
commitment for two experimental
B-36s he then held.
Hes asked me, do you want
the B-36 in the ware" Mr.. Pat
terson recalled. II said we GER
tainly did"
Mr.. Patterson said the order
for 100 of the big planes was
worked out after Mr.. Girdler had
suggested:
why not give me an order for
100, and I'll beat the delivery
schedule?"
Van Zandt Questions Smith.
The former cabinet member
took the witness chair after the
committee had completed ques-
tioning of Mai. Gen. Frederic H.
Smith. jr., Air Force program
ming chief.
Mr.. Van Zandt, a member OF
the committee. took his first active
part in the hearing today when
he questioned Gen. Smith as to
whether his detailed history of
B-36 procurement had been sub
mitted to Secretary of Defense
johnson before being presented to
the committee. Gen. Smith pre-
viously had said it had not been
submitted to anyone outside the
Air Force.
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