Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-04-11
Tx Award
Queried Anew
In Testimony
By CECIL HOLLAND
Star staff Writer

ny CECIL hOLLhND
Star staff writer
Defense Secretary McNa-
mara's justification Of his
a.. ard of the Tx warplane
contract to General Dynamics
Corp. Of Fort Worth, Tex, has
been challenged anew in the
testimony before the Senate In
vestigations subcommittee.
The testimony, received In a
closed hearing yesterday, raised
questions about Mr.. Nc
Namara's estimate Of a 81 bill
lion savings in the Tx pro-
gram and also his criticism OF
the use Of titanium in the
plane proposed by the Boeing
Aircraft Co.
The Secretary rejected unan-
imous military recommends
tons in favor Of the Boeing
design and awarded the con-
tract to General Dynamics. The
subcommittee Is seeking to find
out If political favoritism or
faulty judgment figured in the
decision.
From q Jet engine expert, the
subcommittee yesterday re-
ceived testimony that q brak-
ing device known as thrust re-
versers would cost ar extra
$446.7 million If they are in
stalled on the General Dynam-
les plane instead of the con-
ventional type which its design
calls for.
Reversers Held Desirable
All military witnesses have
described the thrust reversers,
used on big commercial Jets,
as a feature highly desirable
in the proposed new fighter
bomber intended for use by
both the Air Force and Navy.
Mr.. Mcnamara has contended
that his estimated 81 billion
saving in the Tx program
would be "out the window" If
the contract had been awarded
to Boeing on its low b. = for the
aircraft.
After hearing Donald j. Jor-
dan, chief engineer Of the Pratt
& Whitney division Of United
Aircraft Corp. Of East --Tartford,
Conn.,, Senator Mundt, Republic
can Of South Dakota, said:
Half Of Mr.. McNamara's
claimed saving is dissipated If
we give our fighting .orces the
thrust reverser they desire and
which Boeing included in its
low bid. And we still don't
know now much more 1t would
cost to adapt the General Dy-
namics design to permit inclu-
sion Of the device"
Increased Costs Cited
In his testimony Mr.. Jordan
told the subcommittee:
l. 1t would cost about $780,
900 per engine to manufacture
and install the thrust reversers
and would add to the overall
cost Of the General Dynamics
bid about $46.7 million for
1850 engines to be produced
for a fleet Of more than LOO
aircraft.
2. In addition, there would
be a cost of about $2i.7 million
for research and development
of the thrust reversers compar-
able to the one Boeing proposed
to include in its aircraft, and
1t would take nearly four years
to complete this work.
3. The reversers would add
about 1000 pounds to the
weight of the aircraft and
might require substantial
changes in the design of the
General Dynamics plane.
More Questions Planned
Subcommittee Counsel Je-
rome Alderman said testimony
had been received that Boeing
offered to produce the revers-
ers at a cost of $500 each, or
a total Of about 1851 million.
Senator Mundt said MI. Nc
Namara would be questioned
closely on these and other
points when he appears before
the subcommittee some time
later.
One c: the points will con-
Germ the use of titanium. The
Secretary has questioned Boe-
ing's proposed use Of this metal
in its aircraft. But Mr.. Jordan
and another expert, w. H
Sharp, a metallurgist, testified
they saw no problems in con-
nection with Beings proposed
use of the metal.
In another action. Subcom.
mittee Chairman Mcclellan
Democrat of Arkansas, asked
the General Accounting Office
to appraise the cost figure.
used by Mr.. Mcnamara ir
reaching his decision on the
award. This supplemented ar
earlier request after the Sena.
tor was informed by the Secre,
tary that Air Force estimates
we're not considered reliable
and we're not used In reachins