| Show BUILDING OF PULLMANS EASIER THAN MAKING FL FLIERS RS i Editors Editor's Note Note Ctrl Carl G G. G Fisher presIdent president president dent of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway company and for many years actively Identified with aeronautic sets forth herewith Ideas on the production of airplanes air air- airplanes planes and the handicap now being Imposed Imposed Im Im- posed on th signal corps because of the thep p present sent criticism and Investigation of or their aviation program By Carl G. G Fisher INDIA INDIANAPOLIS Ind and May 25 The The building of or airplanes In America was not nota a new competitive industry to meet English English En En- glish French or 01 German prices on a commodity for profit but the first or order er and final Cinal or order er to American engineers was to create a n better engine and plane than anything existing sling sling- and to build In larger quantities than had ever been dreamed of oC Few rew people realized the gi gigantic gigantic ri- ri gantic tasks set before the American engineers by the signal sig-nal corp corps corps' require require- ments The building of Pullman n ns cars would have bc been bean n childs child's play pIa a a s compared with the building of OOOO airplanes air air- planes The Time building of or smalltown smalltown small small- air I town el electric light plants would likewise have been childs child's play playas as compare compared with l I Ithe the tasks put before the signal corps The task of the engineers of the shipping shipping ship ship- ping pinS board boar Is small b by comparison as ic ie the th actual task of or production b by the shipping board producing department To actually copy cop an any one ole plane offered by the th allies to the American engineers would woud have ha meant disaster to the signal corps corps' program er E Every engine and e cr every plane submitted b by the allies had hall Inherent Inherent ent ont weaknesses es that had to be eliminated Every ten days ays brou brought ht nd additional addi l- l Information of or new de developments and requests for new additions subtractions subtractions or chan changes es for the betterment of the tho planes In a great reat man many many- cases It was possible with minor changes chanles to greatly aU Improve e the tho American prod product Other changes were so 50 vital that it was necessary necessary sary 1 to redesign to meet the conditions There are arc only two or three m men n In America who arc are capable of oC designing and tailoring a complete airplane and even these few American en engineers are arc not capable of ot making makins successful designs of the different types of or machines wanted wante wanted want want- e ed The aircraft board has hal been almost entirely composed of civilians and officers officers cers either entire entirely without ex experience experience tX ex- of an any kind or with a aver very lim him limited Ilc l knowledge of or it it and the information supplied by officers of oC th the tho allies was In InI Ina ina a a. great man many cases confusing It was I necessary to shift rapidly from front one ono type of construction and from rom one ono apparently most important design to varied types and several designs ns Yer Very few people connected with the aircraft program If the they did realize the immensity of or the task placed before UI them m had hind the authority author author- authority It ity or the appropriations to properly equip and the program CRITICISM COSTS MILLIONS The present publicity and anti unfavorable comment on airplane work wod Is 18 costing this government millions dally aB Much valuable valuable alua ble working time is now being wasted in comment nt an and arguments of or newspaper r articles on the airplane program tho the range of oC comment continent running from the tho molder to th the chief signal nal officer The tremendous work of creation and organization could coul only be proper properly In Investigated In- In an and reported on to the president president dent h by a L committee of gib men who ho hohne have hn been en big m o of special specialized and intricate mechanism The statement statement state state- ment of oC one senator that airplanes of a type such as S used the tho J liberty ibert motor I could be Le made at a hi big profit for each Is 15 certainly ridiculous Under present present pres pre ent wage scales nd a-nd d manufacturing conditions conditions con con- I Liberty lbert motors cannot be bc built and installed rJ at this price e cn if it the they were built buill in hundred d thousand lots MAIL ROUTE BY AIR To add alM to the general trouble and confusion confusion confusion con con- fusion of the signal corps officials officials officials In Washington and anti r New ew York have ha started a mail route between New York and Washington at this time when a aI trained aviator capable of or flying such a I route has cost the United States government government gov- gov at least The Tito English lIsh government gO has hns made estimates that the average a price a mile for airplane service I is 3 35 Jr These costs costi of course must take tale into good and bad buI aviators aviator I enormous breakage and preparatory preparatory- ex fX- fX p Some Somo officials high hh in III authority wh who are able to make strong recommendations recommendations recommendations are aro suggesting an and amI In insisting on the continuation o of the mall route by airplane between Now New York and Wash rash I In ington ton Other enthusiastic officials have laid out an airplane route from New York Vork to San Francisco tal taking a map maJl and as a Inthe in ht inthe the olden days drawing rim a n straight L 1 line lino ne between Now New York ant and San Francisco and saying this shall be a route to be beI I traversed tra by our American aviators de delivering de- de livering- livering mall mail seeds and mail order patent patent patent pat pat- ent chairs along the route mute When Vilen the Western Eastern route was laid out b by these officials the tho fact that the route covered almost the tho cotter center of Lake Lale Erie Erlo and ran tan across the southern end of of Lake Michigan where rl the tic lake Is ls sl miles wide directly over oer th the city of Chicago o. o which Is ls thirty miles s square made no difference II It also tray traversed the tho Great Western desert where there are no stations wa aa water 1 ter to supplies supplier food supplies or any t other ther supplies Some ome officials hl high h In authority In government government gov gov- o ha have 14 hamade made the statement that all the machines should bo ho t taken acrO across R I the 1 Ol ocean an In III tho thin air If we did not havo o enough ships wh why hy take th the trouble to Lox box them when we could fill them up with gasoline casoline and fly them over Some other oilier officials ha have haIn In Insisted that the tho machines be delivered from the factOr factory factory fac fac- tOr tory to the shipping point b by air route Such statements can conic come on only from people people people peo peo- who have no actual conception of or the difficulties encountered in the handling of oC an airplane In the short life liCe of oC the tho plane piano and the absolute necessity of suItable suitable suitable suit suIt- able landing fields practically fields practically to built order billiard tables Building and traInIng trainIng training train- train Ing aviators and sending acrO across 8 the seas machines in the next eighteen months will twill require more than titan has been appropriated d for fortune tune I. I job in and If if th h n h hl r t i. i h. h e e ese mac na y are o b built ilC and delivered v d' d on oA the other Sid side durin during the year ear 1919 we must immediately immediately immedi immedi- atel have ha more flying fields and a big part port o of these flying fields must be e where continuous year around flying can be practiced Practically every flying field north of the Mississippi river was frozen In tight for r more than three months this last whited and this same me condition will wil present Itself next winter inter unless authorIty authority author author- It ity I is Invested In some one olle to create these fields in the extreme south Immediately LIBERTY MOTOR WONDER The Liberty motor Is the best engine ever constructed up to the present time for heavy continuous work for service and reliability for horsepower a pound and a dollar cost lOst to the United States State government Dozens of the time b best st Informed mechanics and automobile engineers in America have examined this product have hav found that It compared favorably wit with the tho best r English n lIsh French and German machines and this only makes snakes more de deplorable deplorable de- de the publicity an and criticism which Is delaying by br weeks the airplane program program pro pro- gram and Is 18 Injuring severely the morale morale morale mo mo- rale of tho the entire airplane division from the time oller to the chief signal corps heads An n Investigation of oC profiteering will U un unquestionably up- up 1 questionably show great waste and great grea eat losses In the airplane production department department depart depart- ment Just as ns It would show great wastes I 1 and great losses In any other department of the United States government or In any I automobile manufacturing m. plant or In an any gun un carriage e plant In an any harness making makIng making mak mak- ing Ing- plant In any wood working plant orin or orIn orIn In an any chewing gum gun plant for that matter mat mat- ter in the tho United States The writer of this article in talking to a prominent manufacturer a few Cew days das ago 30 of mistakes es and wastes In creating under high pressure pressure pres pres- sure sun new nc designs and new equipment said that In his own experience covering co the last fifteen years earB his wastes account his mistake and loss account through haste through accident through Incompetence of subordinates and through the I necessity of quick changes to 10 meet emergency emergency emer omer- gency ency cases case all added ed from 15 to 20 O per vcr cent to his cost of production and this was caRli easily double his net profit It will not bo lie h a great reat task for Cor an investigating in investigating In- In aUng committee to audit th the bills billsby billsby billsby by millions of dollars already spent sonic some good ma may come from rom this investigation In but I doubt It Yer very much If tho time aviation Is delayed thirty days duy b by these Investigations arl and by the tho disorganizing of tho the present organization the result willbe will willbe be he the lo loss s of oC thousands of oC lies ll and ten times limes the amount of oC money that the In Investigation Investigation Iii In- might save It will be Just as j I department nt of cas easy to investigate er e every the airplane corps corpa after arter the tho war as It Is Isnow now now now-In in fact It will be much better to do doso doso so 90 and we will have plenty of laws on our statute books book to take care of or grafters and aua profiteers Some SOllie of the greatest mechanical mechanical mechanical me me- brains In the tho nation have been under high pressure on the aviation lation program program pro pro- gram ram for fOI months month Some of or these men men h have nf I left EH positions of OOOO an and I 5 a year to give their the services to I Ithe the government o for Cor nothing even e paying i their own expenses In addition to worl jing j I lag inK ni night ht and da day thc they have haxe through l their lar large e acquaintances with other engineers en en- and men of or their own ability reached d out in all aU directions and called caned for Cor assistance and this assistance ha has been lIcen given I en freely and In lit thousands or cases to tho the government o The Time American people cannot c. help but realize I that It Is unfair to have this class of men attacked and accused of oC petty pett graft petty waste by mistakes of e ana aim I In individuals l who in a great without technical entirely man many Cl cases rases CS are entirely cal calor or mechanical knowledge and who wino Inmost in inmost inmost most C cases are ro without adequate t un understanding tin un- r of the enormous ta task k that has hafl been attempted and that thaL Is being rap idl idly worked Into slap shape RED TAPE HAMPERS The Time members of oC the present tn engineering and manufacturing organization of the IheI signal I nal corps If taken front from the re red tape I and pei milted to proceed as they have havo been accustomed to work In positions they has n formerly held can deliver r the airplanes needed as Hi quickly or more quickly than the they could coul be he delivered dell d with witha n a ne new start lJ by the Iho combined U nations of or orthe the tho earth Unquestionably a reorganization aniza- aniza tion of the dictating heads of oC the department department depart depart- ment should be he m nude de and each department depart depart- department ment should have ha full and amI complete authority authority au au- la to l definite pro program ram to be do- do at once This pro program should he e to so planned that e every r thirty days ay each of these departments would have full and complete Information on tho the pro progress e or of orver every ver other department There should be one real executive at the entire re head hall of ho the airplane program who can cau on receivIng Ing ng definite reports report and definite requests say Immediately yes yes res or no no or go go o oah ah ahead ad These changes chan In directing the present present pres press ent organization are needed just as tho they would be needed If the task were that o of making Pullman cars car to m meet meeta ct a i special or unique service ser or newly newy new- new I ly y d designed railway t engines with Ith a new and ind complicated set of requirement At pre present ent we have hac possibly square miles o of a aviation Ion fields and hangars stu- stu u- u lents dents quarters training quarters officers officers' quarters machine shops chops experimental shops r repair shops hops hu hundreds of or carloads of oC material delivered dally Jail to manufacturing manufacturing turing plants At I least at OOOO men and women are working In the various arlou plants making Ottin fitting trying the various parts partE that thal will he be a assembled t Into Liberty air- air planes They will be he the b best st planes for their work that have ha ever er been produced and this organization up to the present moment In spite p of the tho red tape profiteering profIteering prof- prof dela delay graft mistakes es and wa waste le never lever has been equaled and could not now be e duplicated by an any nation on earth J If the tho present organization under Immediate Imme diate competent direction Is permitted d to proceed more airplanes airplane can be delivered to o our government In the next two years than han have been built altogether by the time English French German and Italian countries It Is a absolute solute foIl folly to discourage our our- age ige the tho present Jre tnt workers or to hara harass a large arge majority of or them Sure the incompetence in In- competence should be bo weeded out as quickly as aH possible surely aurely the organization organization organization which Is now sadly demoralized should be welded together and some orne big competent man should have havo full authority to go o ahead A complaint board should bo be created immediately with a a. high highly trained and ind complete personnel l of oC efficient mechanical mechanical mechanical me me- technical practical men to receive re receive re- re complaints a and nd from anybody connected connected connected con con- with the airplanes In an any department department department depart depart- |
