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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 0135.PDF
JANUARY 15TH, 1942 «e a lot ot punishment Some 0/ the Difficulties and Problems which Face Jjdpection and Planning Departments : Good Work by Semi-skill^rMen and Women ' I tHE tremendous strides in aircraft production origin ally created problems on jjne servicing and repair -*• side. With thousands of aiffcraft, both of ouf ow and from overseas, it became apparent that a, new ipdus would have to be created in order that these pac might be overhauled and repaired by a specialisejflj^etiori, thus releasing the aircraft construction firms to concen trate on production. The task was no easy one, but it has been accomplished, as Lt.-Col. Moore-Brabazon announced in his speech on air affairs to the House of Commons on July 10th. Lord Beaverbrook, th^Minister for Aircraft Production, said, had introduced a wonderful system of organisation for repairs, of which there were three types: one done by the squadrons, a second done where the ma'chine had crashed, by civil gangs who dealt with it on the spot; and the third when the machine had to be taken back to the works. Overcoming Handicaps The repair of a damaged aircraft presents many difficulties. In the aircraft factories the type of aircraft being produced has all the modern organisation and plant layout behind it. The repairers have their organisation too, but to a very great extent th/y have to rely upon the aircraft manufac turers for spares, as obviously it is not practicable to give a repair depdt a fully equipped machine shop, In the aircraft factory the parts for the sub-assemblies and installations are for the most part manufactured on the spot, with the result that thousands of parts are at hand to be immediately absorbed in the planned production pro gramme. Repetition is the password, and everything,, more or less, travels on oiled wheels. The aircraft is processed in easy stages; the sub-assemblies are built up in opera- al sequence; planned work-statidhs are to be s bw-line throughout the factory; a system of in vogue whereby can be seen at a glance any st or hold-ups that are occurring in any stage of^^Tprocess, and steps can be taken immediately toejj/tmnkiQ them. An aircraft may-bear a charmet^rflstence for the dura tion of its operational career. It jji^never incur scars which can be classified» as damage, bu) this does n< mean that for the duration of its career it will con tinue to fly, day in and day out, for months on end. After a cer tain number of hours the machine will be, f The repair of a stressed-skin fuse lage, such as that of the Spitfire, en tails patching with sheet of the same gauge and speci fication as the original material.
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