What would you like to see in a book on Aircraft Production?

I find the in depth articles in contemporary journals like ‘Aircraft Production” and “Aircraft Engineering” fascinating, especially the ones that focus on a particular type, with just the right level of technical detail (for me personally) in descriptions of process, materials etc – coupled with lovely detailed photography. If this book could capture that then I personally would be in reader heaven!

The construction number tie-ups to the RAF/RN serials for the Spitfires and Seafires would command a ‘Knighthood’. 🙂

Mark

Part of the stash of material I obtained that started this thread has yielded some real gems. There are a number of files and folders, including this that was an envelope, a single picture and three pages of typewritten material, obviously an article.

I shows something that frankly I did not know about – UK companies were using German locations as soon as the war in Europe had finished. I knew that some material was taken to Thurleigh and used there for aerodynamic research, but not that before that, we were taking material over there. Sadly, I do not know who wrote the article, or who took the picture.

During the war, Munich and its surroundings were several times heavily bombed. The Bayerische Motoren Werke at Oberweisenfeld in the locality suffered considerable damage during these operations, but when this area was overrun by the Allied armies in 1945 it was found that the special high-altitude test plant for aircraft engines situated on the northern boundary of the B.M.W. factory was still in use.

Building had been commenced in May, 1940, and heavy bomb damage had been sustained in May, 1944. It had, however, been repaired by October of that year and from then until the collapse of Germany in 1945 the plant had been in regular service.

This plant is in the American occupation zone, but arrangements were made by the Ministry of Aircraft Production for its use by British manufacturers, and both the de Havilland Engine Co., Ltd., and Rolls-Royce, Ltd., were given facilities for testing engines there.

The de Havilland Company were approached by the Ministry of Aircraft Production in July, 1945, and after a preliminary survey of the plant by one of the company’s engineers, arrangements were at once made to test the Goblin I jet unit in the plant.

At present no other facilities exist for testing engines under conditions comparable with those obtainable at Oberweisenfeld. The test cell has a diameter of 12ft and can be evacuated to pressures simulating conditions at a height of 50,000 ft. Air can be supplied to the intakes at a speed of 550 m.p.h. and temperatures as low as —65 deg C can be maintained.

A special mounting for the Goblin engine was necessary but all the essential equipment and arrangements for the test were completed within twenty-one days. Another period of fourteen days was required for installation at the plant. A series of tests was then made at different speeds and under conditions corresponding to altitudes ranging from ground level to 43,000ft. The tests were completely free from trouble of any kind, though, owing to the very heavy power consumption of the plant, it was possible to operate it only at night.

The complete series of tests on the Goblin I required a total of 42 hours’ running and the engine was not examined until the tests had been completed. After being returned to England, the unit was re-calibrated and the output was found to be substantially the same as before. When it was stripped, however, inspection showed that a great deal of dust had been drawn in from the heavily bombed area which surrounded the test plant and a certain amount of superficial damage thereby caused.

The success of the tests and the value of the information obtained led to the decision on the part of the de Havilland Company to undertake a second series, this time on a Goblin II engine. These tests included observations of combustion and flame stability at altitude, and engineers from Joseph Lucas, Ltd., took part.

Normally, the method of observing the engine during test was through a periscope in the side walls of the cell, but for the purpose of these special combustion tests quartz windows were inserted in a flame tube of the engine and windows were cut in one of the explosion doors at the top of the test cell. Gas samples were also taken from the exhaust by the Lucas engineers. During the tests the inside of the cell was brilliantly illuminated and formations of fog and ice under high-altitude conditions could be readily observed. In taking measurements of the engine thrust it was found necessary to supply glycol to the sliding joints to prevent them from freezing up.

The plant itself ran extremely well and was remarkable for flexibility steadiness and stability under all operating conditions. The Siemens automatic control system, housed in a separate room, is of outstanding interest. In spite of its complexity it is surprisingly reliable. Constant altitude conditions are maintained irrespective of the air consumption and the test engineer is therefore relieved of all anxiety on this score.

For me, first the construction and use of the jigs, then the use of presses to make formers.
But really the whole technology to the greatest level of detail you can manage.

I do think that the market is ready for an indepth and well put across study on this subject, make a change from some of the single type books which some types seem to have been overly exposed.
I quite agree with AllanK, there is a perfect opportunity here to cover the economic, political, & social aspects of British Aero industry, rather than just concentraing on the actual tin bashing – covering these important facets should prevent eyes glazing over and create a rare chance for these subjects to creep into an aircraft book.
Even the organisation and hierachy of the Aero companies themselves would make fascinating reading, as would the linked subject to dispersed production, that of the planned dispersed mass storage and quick erection of aircraft when needed for front-line use by the AM/RAF.
My point is that AlertKen, and indeed Allen, often manage to put these points across very well here without being too ‘rose tinted’ or disparaging.

This could be a fantastic book but it would have to be a very large volume to cover all the excellent suggestions above. I do wonder about its large scale saleability, too.

I’d like to see a book that shows every stage, from the selecting proccess of the timber/metal, to the assembly of the finished parts/aircraft, also showing the different ways parts were made, from parts totaly made by hand from start to finish, to those which were mostly mass produced by machinery.
Chapters on parts made by small organisations, through to those made by big companies, as well as a possible list of companies who made components for aircraft.

Bob T.

I’d like to see a description of the time taken to organise, set up and establish production lines for a new type. From deciding on a change, how long before the aircraft with the modification appeared off the line. What the cost was (in production time and numbers, rather than money) in changing a production line from one type to another. I think this would justify an individual chapter, which could be used as a hook to support some of your photographs.

More generally, as others have said above, I’d like to see a storyline not just a collection of photos. Where you have a picture of someone bashing metal, describe it in context.

All great suggestions. Sign me up for a copy!:)

Re Resmoroh’s comment about dispersed production, the Sharp/Bowyer Mosquito book has a six page detailed list of sub-contractors and notes that it is only part of the total of more than 600. It was no doubt similar for other aircraft types, although the same small firms probably supplied parts for a number of parent companies. About 30 years ago, the former production manager at Vickers, Chester told me that in 1940 he used to go round the local area paying cheques to small suppliers. This was for Wellington production. It was, in a lot of cases, literally a cottage industry.

Interesting, there is a proven market for it but, like anything, keeping a clear thought for who you want to read it will work best.

I too would be keen to see a good understanding of the politics behind what happened to be included alongside good photos.

I’m also a fan of the social impact of aircraft factories at that time – a few interviews with workers makes the world of difference in bringing these sort of photos to life – but I appreciate it adds considerably to the research needed.

Glazed eye syndrome is usually alleviated by variety. The better story tellers intersperse the details (politics – production – engineering) with the memories of those who were there. Now that to me would be worth reading.

I’ve just been reading an interesting example. Guy Halford MacLeod’s books “Britain’s Airlines” sets the various post war airlines in the context of the political decisions – and how those were in turn dictated by economics (shortage of dollars) and other factors. He dumps descriptions of the aircraft, biographies of key players and airline descriptions in the appendices. Very readable and good introduction to the subject – even without showing what it was like to fly for or to fly in those airlines.

Good luck:)

AllanK

Address some of the (very) basics…where did the raw material come from during the war. Explain different grades (though I think there is a different name for it) of aluminum and were UK standards any different from US or German. If the US eventualy supplied it, did UK firms have to make do with those different grades?

As Resmoroh suggests, We always hear about “shadow factories” and how the automotive industry (and “piano factories” in the case of the Mosquito) contributed to aircraft production..please go into some detail of that. Where did they get tooling? Tell us about training of workers, and something I’ve always wondered about, the transportation of completed assemblies to the final assembly centers. That must have been a time (and petrol, trucks, packaging) intensive operation.

Anyone who has ever helped restore a aircraft is amazed at all the aircraft grade (i.e. special) bits required….cables, electrical wires, hydraulic and pnumatic lines, bolts, countless rivet grades and sizes. Telll us about specialist suppliers who made thaose. Also, how radios, perspex and plastics were built.

Everytime I see inside a WWII aircraft, I imagine some fellow’s (or woman’s) sole contribution to the war effort was making thousands of map cases, seat cushions, navigators tables, chairs, stools, ash trays, relief tubes, thermos holders, or toilets. All the little items made far away from the “glamour” of the busy final assembly halls where aeroplanes rolled out the doors.
Tell us how all those incidentals were produced….as an example, was there one company that did all the the toilets for all the manufacturers?

I think it would be a great book with the right author for the job, given your past writing experience and tool-makers training. The very best of luck with it!

I’d agree with Creaking Door in that it would be good to see the book written as a general reference on production, ie. how and why things were being built rather than if it was a fighter or bomber etc. I think splitting it up like that would be too simplistic, but what do I know!

If possible, I would like to see some emphasis and detail placed on logistics and material supplies. The amount of metals and specialist aviation grade woods and plastics etc was simply staggering and it would be great to see something written on how government and industry sorted out the supply difficulties. Even aircraft like the Mosquito, which were supposed to be made of non-strategic materials, were made of imported wood. How did that work out as a good idea?? It’s that sort of question I’d love to see the answer to.

To waffle further, it would also be good to see some explanation of production techniques and materials in layman’s terms. The engineering IS interesting to alot of people, but it needs fleshing out and explaining a bit.

Just my thoughts, as requested.

What about publishing a CD with the images on to bring in some cash and act as a trailer for the book?

I would like to see the production effort split into where it was produced rather than what was being produced; that way the book may act as a catalyst for local interest and research before everything finally fades from living memory. There must be wartime or post-war aerial photographs of the factories; why not go into real detail with street names and ‘then-and-now’ type photographs rather than just ‘22,000 Spitfires built’.

I drive past one ‘shadow factory’ for Lodge Sparkplugs every week; a former mill, it has been converted to flats but I’m pleased to say that it still proudly wears a large ‘Lodge Plugs’ banner across one wall.

You couldn’t go into too much detail with engine manufacture as far as I am concerned. 🙂

A section on ‘dispersed production’ – i.e. where coach-builders, garages, etc, etc, in towns (not factories) made single panels and/or wiring looms…

Point taken, and a good one – that is not hard to do at all!

Be Reithian with giving people data that may stretch them, rather than telling them stuff they already know –

I trained as a Tool Designer/Toolmaker so from my own point of view I understand what I’m looking at. It would not bother me in the slightest explaining how metal drop-tanks were made as half-shell single pressings on a 1500-ton hydraulic press from 23 SWG steel sheet – and showing both the production line process that allowed for both spot-welding of the internal baffles and continuous welding that was done automatically at a rate of 60 inches a minute.

I got all the pictures to do this – probably about a thousand – but yesterday I had John Hamlin from Air Britain and ARG over and was showing him some – John knows his aircraft, but the glazed eyeball syndrome soon struck!

This is why I made the enquiry to attempt to strike the right balance!

A section on ‘dispersed production’ – i.e. where coach-builders, garages, etc, etc, in towns (not factories) made single panels and/or wiring looms which were assembled somewhere else (as in Spitfire). Don’t know if this was done to any great extent for other aircraft?
HTH
Resmoroh

A chapter by Alertken…

Otherwise, it sounds like a great project, Graham, best of luck.

My comment would be not to be shy of being heavy with the detail, either in pics or commentary / captions. Be Reithian with giving people data that may stretch them, rather than telling them stuff they already know – we found at Warbirds Worldwide that the feedback we got on more technical articles was overwhelmingly positive.

The more minutiae, the more value the book would have as a source (provided the statements are well referenced, with footnoting biblio etc.) for furture researchers. When your publisher gets the twitches over that approach, tell them we don’t need another “Here’s how happy girlie workers built Spitfires” instant-coffee table potboiler.

Keep us posted!

HTH!

Love to see that all put in a book, but would request that AlertKen writes it or is asked for significant contribution to it, it will be the definitive book on the subject then!:)