Evening star., 1949-01-02
Plane-Makers
Start New Era
West Coast Plants Are
Working Out Bugs in
Modern Models
Rv lonee Sfvehio
By jones J. Strebiq

LOS ANGELES. - Wings that
change shape in flight. fighters
that can fly straight up, engines
that can double their push In
emergencies.
The West Coast aviation industry
is being revived from a postwar
coma into q new era of the age
of fight.
Outwardly, the scene is familiar
to wartime visitors: Help-wanted
signs, filled parking lots, shiny air
planes on factory ramps, executives
complaining about shortages.
The inner scene reflects the great
strides in technical phases of avia-
ton, with designers reaching for
speeds, attitudes and ranges not
dreamed of before World War II.
Not Up to War Peak
The expansion in activity is rela
lively small in volume, out repre-
sents a IS per cent increase over
postwar lows. Employment still is
only one-fifth of the war peak
Plant area, however, is half the
peak, sufficient for quick emergency
expansion.
The West Coast is more than
ever the Matching ground of war.
planes. Seventy per cent of all All
Force planes on order will be built
by the seven companies on the
coast. During the war, Al per cent
Of all military planes were built
out here. OF the 5000 planes or
order by all the services, just owe,
so per cent are scheduled in Cali.
fornia and Washington plants.
Coast production measured by
airframe weight will reach about
100000 pounds this year. The
present expansion program is ex-
pected to carry 1T to 51000,O0G
pounds in 1851, equal to four pc,
cent of the wartime high.
The biggest things in the business
today are problems, largely because
jet power has outmoded in the past
five years much of what was learned
in the previous 40 years of flying.
Big Backlod of Orders
The jet age, which includes rocket
motors, brought with it missiles and
pilotless aircraft and planes that
must be able to fly at speeds both
above and below the speed of sound
1t forces designers to make air.
planes smaller and put more fuel
and equipment in them. The same
problems are faced by plane makers
back East and in the Middlewest
but in a somewhat different way
because at the moment all bombers
are West Coast products.
Every airplane builder out here
has important missile and pilotless
aircraft projects under security
wraps. Company officials generally
appear to be satisfied with progress
but they differ in estimates of the
eventual scale of nonpiloted wea-
pons in war and on the date at
which performances goals can be
achieved.
Among the nontechnical problems
of particular concern on the West
Coast are the need for engineers
and skilled workers, obtaining ma
terjals without help of priorities,
holding down costs while dealing in
small volume production and SUBJ
contracting work in the face Of re-
negotiation uncertainties.
All in all, West Coast plane build
ers have a backlog Of $1,149,215, 600
of military orders, or nearly two
fifths of the $4,000, 100000 total for
aircraft, engines, propellers and
equipment. Since all propellers and
engines are now made in the East,
the West Coast proportion is larger
in terms Of aircraft dollars than
might appear at first glance.
(Distributed bx the Assoeists6 p,ssh