Convairiety, Volume 11, Number 4, February 19, 1958 Page: 1 of 6
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Salt It Away' Campaign Starts March
3 to Boost Bond Buying
Each Convair Fort Worth em-
ployee will be solicited next
month during the county-wide
campaign to increase the dollars
going into U. S. Savings Bonds.
This year’s drive will be held
two months earlier than usual to
conform to the local Tarrant
County bond drive.
Convair Fort Worth will kick
off its drive with the theme,
“Salt It Away — the Easiest
Way.” The campaign begins
March 3.
Each employee will be urged
to sign up for bonds if he does
not already participate, or to in-
crease amount of his payroll de-
ductions if he already purchases
bonds.
“Payroll deduction purchase of
bonds is an easy way for each of
us to save and—at the same time
—to build up our holdings as
shareholders in America,” said
August C. Esenwein, division
manager.
“You need never see the money
until you need it. The amount
quickly grows to a big nest egg.”
Employees at close of last
year’s drive were using payroll
deductions to purchase over three-
quarters of a million dollars’
worth of bonds each month. Par-
ticipation reached 69 per cent of
all employees.
The bonds are more attractive
now than in earlier years. Con-
gress last year upped interest
rates from 3 to the present 3%
per cent annual interest rate.
As an example, a $25 bond
costs $18.75. It becomes worth
the full $25 at maturity—eight
years and 11 months later. Ma-
turity formerly was reached nine
years and 11 months after pur-
chase.
And, if a vital heed arises be-
forehand, bonds can be cashed
for purchase value plus interest
earned.
Some 13,000 employees are now
saving the U. S. Savings Bond
way—and earning the 314 per
cent interest each year.
Plant-wide solicitation begins
March 3, when supervisors will
contact each employee and give
him an opportunity to “salt it
away the savings bond way.”
U. S. Treasury Department
posters will go up on bulletin
boards throughout the plant, and
the word will be further spread
by newsletter and time-clock no-
tices.
Employees not present during
the week March 3-7 will be con-
tacted either by mail or by their
supervisors when they return to
work.
A decision to save merely takes
the signing of an authorization.
Fort Worth and
Daingerfield
EDITION
Fort Worth news office:
ext. 8245; Daingerfield news
office: ext. 424
SAN DIEGO, POMONA AND ANTELOPE VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
DAINGERFIELD AND FORT WORTH, TEXAS
NEW FLIGHT PROJECT—FW employees in hangar ready a B-58 for new flight test project in
which Hustler's capabilities for performing various types of military missions of varying range will be
demonstrated. Nickname is "Operation Seven-Up."
Senators Told Convairs
Production Capability
Hustler Visits
West Coast
Sharp-eyed skywatchers in San Diego may have gleaned
their first look at the Convair B-58 during the Hustler’s
recent two-week stint of non-stop round trips between
Fort Worth and the west coast.
The west coast flights were a part of “Operation Whirl-
wind,” in which one of Convair’s delta-wing Hustlers flew
Convair could deliver more
weapon systems and deliver them
quicker “if the national attitude
were more appropriate to the
threat,” T. G. Lanphier Jr., Con-
vair vice president, told the Pre-
paredness Subcommittee of the
U. S. Senate Armed Services
Committee in Washington, D. C.
last month.
Stating that in his opinion the
general public is uneasy but not
fully aware of the extent of the
threat to national security, Lan-
phier stated, “It is not enough
for (a comparative few) to know
(the threat) . . . All the people
should know . . .”
The senators, inquiring into
the state of the nation’s defenses,
questioned many of the top avia-
tion figures in the country. Ap-
pearing with Lanphier for ques-
tioning were J. R. Dempsey,
manager of the Astronautics Di-
vision, and Krafft Ehricke, assis-
tant to Astronautics’ technical di-
rector. Comment from senators
indicated that the Convair wit-
nesses made excellent impres-
sions on the subcommittee.
The complete text of Lan-
phier’s prepared statement, de-
livered prior to extensive ques-
tions and answers in both closed
and open sessions, follows:
“In a recent analysis of testi-
mony to date during this signifi-
cant hearing, your chairman ob-
served that, among other things,
it is apparent that ‘our national
potential exceeds our national
performance.’
“On behalf of the Convair Di-
vision of General Dynamics Cor-
poration, it is my privilege to
respond to such questions as you
may have regarding the capabili-
ties of my company, as a part of
that national potential, to exceed
the performance currently being
asked of it as a producer of wea-
pons and weapon systems for the
Defense Department.
“In general terms, Convair and
its sister divisions in the General
Dynamics Corporation are en-
gaged in basic research, or in
the development, or in the produc-
tion of manned and unmanned
weapons and weapon systems for
the defense of this country and
its allies against attack from the
air, from on or under the sea, or
from outer space.
“In all these fields, we could
produce many more weapon
systems than we are presently
being asked to deliver. And,
(Continued on Page 2)
Plant-wide Dance
Set For Saturday
Sandy Sandifer’s orchestra
will play for a free plant-wide
dance in the ballroom of the
CRA Clubhouse Saturday night
(Feb. 22).
Dancing begins at 8 p.m. and
continues until midnight. A
previous “experimental” plant-
wide dance was highly success-
ful, according to Ike Pember-
ton, commissioner.
Pemberton said he hopes the
Saturday night affairs eventu-
ally can be held on a regular
schedule. Meanwhile everyone’s
invited this Saturday!
B-58 Slated For
’Military Ops'
Special teams are at work on
an around-the-clock basis at Con-
vair Fort Worth to prepare a
Convair B-58 for “Operation Sev-
en-Up,” a further demonstration
of the supersonic bomber’s opera-
tional capabilities.
In “Seven-Up,” the B-58 will
perform a variety of mock mili-
tary missions of varying ranges
and speeds.
R. W. Dodd, superintendent of
development field operations, is
responsible for the overall task
of preparing the plane.
“This operation, in many ways,
is more important than the first
flight of the No. 1 airplane,”
Dodd said. “The demonstration
will go a long way toward fur-
ther demonstrating the capabili-
ties of the Hustler.”
Convair’s delta-winged bomber
already has demonstrated its ver-
satility in both subsonic and sup-
ersonic flights.
Missions will include subsonic
speeds en route, dash supersonic
over target areas, and supersonic
spurts as required.
E. D. Mathis and C. F. Crab-
tree will serve as team captains
of the “Seven-Up” preparation.
Control engineers who will
“stay with the airplane” to direct
engineering activities assigned by
team captains are, first shift, H.
N. Nesbitt; second shift, D. B.
Lenderman; and third shift, D. L.
Lively.
Mathis explained that the “Sev-
en-Up” test airplane is the “latest
configuration approaching a tac-
tical aircraft.”
(Continued on Page 6)
on ten consecutive days from its
Fort Worth base.
During the “Whirlwind” opera-
tion, the Hustler flew faster-than-
sound for more than an hour and
a half—probably the longest sus-
tained flight at supersonic speeds
ever made by a manned airplane.
Maximum speed of the Hustler
never has been announced, but the
Air Force has stated that it has
flown at more than twice the
speed of a .45-caliber bullet.
On the west coast flights, the
B-58 appeared over San Diego
briefly. Though the ship flew
over several states en route, it is
doubtful if people on the ground
recognized the Hustler.
The B-58, on one of the “Whirl-
wind” missions, also flew non-stop
for nearly six hours at speeds
beyond the maximum capabilities
of any other known bomber.
“Everything went very well,”
Said E. D. Mathis, team captain.
“We had no major problems.”
“Whirlwind” was a demonstra-
tion of the capability of the B-58
and an evaluation of support re-
quired to accomplish frequent
flights/
“At the outset,” Mathis said,
“we thought we could get the
ship in the air every other day.
We did a lot better . . .
“Success of ‘Whirlwind’ is a
tribute to the wonderful coopera-
tion of everyone concerned—plus
the fact that we have a damn
good airplane.
“The Hustler is far more re-
liable at this stage in its develop-
ment than any other airplane with
which I have been associated.”
Flight plans called for both day
and night operations of the ship.
It was flown both with and with-
out pod.
When the ship touched down
(Continued on Page 6)
A 20 per cent improvement in
the average quality level of work
employees perform in production
departments was announced this
week as the quality target for
Convair Fort Worth in 1958.
J. Y. McClure, manager of
quality control, also announced a
new quality award plaque which
will be used to recognize out-
standing department quality ac-
complishment.
A second quality assist is the
improvement of quality control
charts used to keep production
department employees informed
of the quality levels of their work
on a current basis, according to
Earl Hoffman, chief of inspec-
tion for production.
FW to Modify
C-54s For AF
Rescue Tasks
Modernization forces at Con-
vair Fort Worth this week geared
up to push work on high priority
conversion and modernization of
five Air Force C-54 aircraft.
Four of the ships will be con-
verted to air-sea rescue planes.
The fifth will get a complete
IRAN inspection and rehabilita-
tion but will remain a cargo-type
airplane.
“We have a tight delivery
schedule on this high priority
job,” said E. E. Finch, moderni-
zation manager. Finch announced
the new work this month.
Convair Fort Worth accom-
plished similar conversions on a
number of C-54s in 1956. The
new planes are arriving at the
plant from European stations.
Conversion includes major
changes in the planes’ interiors,
including a complete reworking
of the cockpit and relocation of
instruments. The navigator’s sta-
tion will be relocated, fuel and
reserve oil tanks added, and
crew bunks installed.
New stations for scanners will
be “bubble-type.” The planes will
get a new galley and special stor-
age for air-rescue equipment. A
special door will be installed to
allow equipment to be dropped
during rescue operations.
Most parts required for the
conversion work will be manu-
factured at Convair Fort Worth.
Finch said the five planes will
be located in the 200-foot bay at
(Continued on Page 6)
“Seventy-five per cent of these
charts have been completely re-
worked to do a better job of giv-
ing employees the picture quickly
and accurately,” said Hoffman.
“When production covered on
the chart is meeting the goals, a
green light burns.
“And we’re hoping to use a lot
of green light bulbs this year!”
The charts show the amount of
scrap and rework, as well as dol-
lar costs of these items.
The new quality control plaque
was won first by employees of
Dept. 57 (B-58 wing primary and
major mating). It was presented
by August C. Esenwein, division
manager, and received on behalf
(Continued on Page 6)
Quality Improvement
Of 20% is FW's Goal
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General Dynamics Corporation. Convair Division. Convairiety, Volume 11, Number 4, February 19, 1958, periodical, February 19, 1958; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1118048/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Fort Worth.