WARTIME AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION STORY OF BRITAIN'S HUGE OUTPUT UNFOLDED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 1 December 1945, Page 6

WARTIME AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION STORY OF BRITAIN'S HUGE OUTPUT UNFOLDED

AN IMPRESSIVE RECORD

BUILDING AN AIR ARMADA,

Gradually the story of the phenomenal gro*wth in output of the British aircraft industry is being unfolded. It is now revealed that from September, 1939, until the cessation of hostilities m Europe, the total production of British factories was 125,00*) aeroplanes, of 220 different marks. EXPANSION OF INDUSTRY More impressive than this figure is that relating to the outstanding expansion of the industry—from an average of 730 planes a month in the first four months of the war, to 2,435 aircraft a month in 1944. More impressive still is the fact that the output shown by numbers does not reflect the tremendous expansion, because in 1940 the production of small trainer aircraft constituted no less than 3‘ per cent of the entire output while in 1944 these types only made up 14 per cent of the total figure. The production of heavy bombers, which was nil in 1939 and only 0.27 per cent in 1940, accounted for no less than 9.7 per cent of the 1944 total output. At the peak period in 1944, the total number of persons employed in the aircraft industry was near the 2,000,000 mark. This figure includes those employed on all types of accessories and spares and on the repair side. The importance of the manufacture of spares was pointed out by Sir Stafford Cripps, then Minister of Aircraft Production, when he said in June, 1944, that the output was equivalent to 50 or 60 aircraft for every 100 aeroplanes completed. Taking the lower figure announced by the Minister as the mean, this adds the equivalent of 62,500 aircraft produced in addition to the 125,000 referred to above, and makes a total of 187,500. ENGINE OUTPUT INCREASES NINEFOLD Figures for engine production have not yet been disclosed. However, Sir Stafford Cripps stated last year that measuring production by horsepower, output was five-and-a-half times greater than in the first 12 months of the war. Recently the Rolls-Royce company revealed that during the war years no fewer than 150,000 Merlin engines had been produced and that production in 1943 was nine times greater than that of 1939. EXTENSIVE REPAIR WORK DONE It can now be stated that 80,000 aeroplanes w,ere repaired and put back into service; four for every six new aircraft produced. In one year 18,000 planes underwent major repair and were returned to the combat lists in

the average time of eight weeks per casualty. One Spitfire was repaired th v ee times and during the Battle of Britain twelve “recovered” fighters were being rushed into the air every week by one unit. PRODUCTION FIGURES BY TYPE Interesting and impressive are the individual figures of the various types of combat aircraft. They are as follows: SPITFIRE—2I,OOO (including Seafires for the Navy and 305 Spitfires built before the war). HURRICANE—I4,OOO (including 1500 built in Canada). WELLINGTON—II,39I ANSON—IO,OOO LANCASTER—9,OOO HALIFAX—6,OOO MOSQUITO—6.OOO BEAUFIGHTER—S,6SO (including 250 built in Australia). BLENHEIM—S,4OO OXFORD—S,OOO SWORDFISH—2,399 BEAUFORT—2,2OO (including 700 built in Australia). BATTLE—I,I6O BOLINGBROKE—7OO (all built in Canada). FULMAR—6SO MASS PRODUCTION OF LARGE BOMBERS | Sir Stafford Cripps gave some interesting facts and figures regarding the mass production of large aircraft in Great Britain. He stated that at peak output, the Handley Page Halifax four-engined bomber was made in no fewer, than 41 factories and dispersal units, aggregating 7£ million square feet of productive area and employing 51,000 men and women workers. The production of Halifaxes averaged 200 a month. Moreover, to produce one complete aircraft, every working hour involved the making, fitting and inspection of 254,000 parts, excluding rivets; the cutting, forming and fitting of nearly three acres of* light alloy sheet, weighing seven tons; the production of three miles of rolled or drawn sheet metal sections; the cutting, drilling and fitting of five miles of extruded sections; the closing of nearly 700,000 rivets; the fitting of nearly four miles of electrical cable; and the installation of one mile of pipes. Such is the record of the British aircraft industry in war. Now it turns to the aircraft of peace, determined to prove its ability as • it has done for the past six years.