Convairiety, Volume 6, Number 13, July 1, 1953 Page: 3 of 8
This periodical is part of the collection entitled: Convair/General Dynamics Newsletters and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Fort Worth.
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July I, 1953
CONVAIRIETY
Page 3
Months of Preparation Bear Fruit as Million-Pound Press Ready to Go
MIGHTY MACHINE—Convair FW puts finishing touches on installation of
new Hi-draw press. Picture sequence made over period of months shows from left
to right: girders and pulleys necessary for erecting huge press; bed of press aboard
truck prior to being lowered into 22-foot foundation; press bed in place below
floor level with main ram in position; main head of press in place with 3,300-g.allon
tank atop containing hydraulic oil; and press nearly completed with pumps and
guard rails in place.
Giant, Half Million Dollar
Press Installed For FW
(Continued from Page 1)
parts larger than were previously
possible on Hi-Draw metal-form-
ing machines.
“Its capacity for handling of
larger parts,” said W. E. Mag-
nuson, fabrication superintendent,
“will enable us to produce those
parts at a higher level of quality,
and at the same time do it quicker
and more economically.
Secret Project
Work Lauded
Special commendation for Con-
vair FW employees who success-
fully completed the highly classi-
fied “Lenrush” project came this
week from Headquarters, Wright
Air Development Center at
Wright-Patterson AF Base, Ohio.
In a letter to August C. Esen-
wein, the commendation from Col.
M. D. Dernier, vice commander,
said in part:
“The handling of the tremen-
dous amount of engineering, fab-
rication, disassembly and reas-
sembly, a major inspection and
the pre-flights to meet a deadline
directed by Headquarters, USAF,
reflects credit to your organiza-
tion. . . .
“It is difficult to single out
individuals for special mention,
but Mr. Robert L. Lemmon of the
engineering department deserves
credit for the splendid manner in
which he coordinated all phases
of engineering, parts fabrication,
and final assembly. . . .
“The personnel of the Adminis-
trative, Contracts, Engineering
and Development departments de-
serve the highest praise.
“The personnel of the engineer-
ing pneumatic and hydraulics
groups also deserve praise for
their excellent work.”
“In addition, the larger single
parts (as compared to smaller
parts which must be joined to-
gether with rivets or by some
other method) also give us a finer
end product—and thus ultimately
a better aircraft.”
Purchase of the new machine—
largest single machine at FW
Division—was arranged by the
equipment engineering section of
plant engineering.
R. C. Rudell, equipment engi-
neering supervisor, said total cost
of the machine was in the neigh-
borhood of $430,000.
“But if ordered today,” he said,
“it would cost us about $695,000.
That’s how much costs have gone
up since we ordered it.”
It was built by the Hydraulic
Press Manufacturing Co. of Mt.
Gilead, Ohio.
Installation of the machine,
supervised by plant engineering
personnel, took more than six
weeks. It required eight freight
cars to bring it to Fort Worth.
Total weight is in the neighbor-
hood of 1,000,000 pounds. The
press bed weighs 190,000 pounds;
the booster plate 46,000 pounds;
the main ram (the hydraulic
“hammer” that puts on the pres-
sure) 622,000 pounds; and the
head 157,000 pounds.
To hold the machine while it is
producing pressures up to 10,000
pounds per square inch, plant
engineering built a foundation of
reinforced concrete extending 19
feet below floor level.
Magnuson said that when tests
and all adjustments are complete,
the new press will be operated by
employees of Dept. 31, headed by
General Foreman E. G. Hender-
son.
In the meantime, tooling people
! are completing the advance work
j necessary to put the machine into
j production.
Children Missing as
Flames Raze Home
When fire awakened Joseph
H. Harris (Dept. 27 FW) and
his wife at 4:45 a.m. at 3109
Lubbock their first thought was
for the safety of their three
children.
Through the burning home
they dashed in night clothes.
But the baby’s crib was empty.
So were the other children’s
beds. In panic they retreated
before the flames which de-
stroyed the home.
Then, almost fainting with re-
lief, they remembered: the chil-
dren were spending the night
with grandmother!
Hopkins to Talk
Before SD Club
John Jay Hopkins, chairman of
the Convair board of directors, is
scheduled to be the principal
speaker July 22 when members of
the Convair SD Management Club
gather at the Balboa Park Club.
The event will mark the first
major speech by Convair’s new
board chairman at SD since Gen-
eral Dynamics Corp., which Hop-
kins also heads, bought controlling
stock in Convair.
The program will be sponsored
by 340 final assembly with Supt.
J. E. Glenn as chairman.
Three Get Awards
Three Convair FW Division
men recently received awards for
successful completion of college
courses at Texas Christian Uni-
versity.
Those receiving a refund of
their tuition price for having
made high grades were H. D.
Roye, M. E. Miller and K. F.
Smith, all of Dept. 27. This is
the second time Smith has re-
ceived an award. The courses are
sponsored by the Convair Man-
agement Club.
SD Counts its Casualties'
After Mock Atom Drill
Although last month’s Civil Defense drill at Convair
San Diego showed up some weak spots in the organiza-
tion, the overall performance drew a commendation from
L. A. Howard. Civil Defense coordinator. More than 1100
persons were involved.
“Almost all performed their
duties in a highly commendable
manner,” Howard said. “The ex-
ercise showed up several things
that need correcting, but that is
what a drill is for.”
The “mock” attack was staged
on both first and second shifts
with Civil Defense teams going
through the actions they would
perform if a real bomb had fallen
in downtown San Diego. The first
warning came over the public ad-
dress system followed by a siren
blast sounding the “red alert.”
When the “all clear” was sounded
the teams went to work.
Radiological groups monitored
both plants for radioactivity while
firefighters took up their danger
posts.
Most active, however, were the
mobile first aid units whose mem-
bers treated make believe “cas-
Supt. John Hopman, in charge
of the Building 4 zone, added
a new note to the Civil Defense
drill when he sent a message to
control headquarters during the
alert that he had a “riot on his
hands.” Control, somewhat con-
fused, messaged back to find
out if he needed assistance.
Later Hopman explained he
was adding his own touch to
the raid to “give those aux-
iliary cops something to do!”
ualties” and tried out their band-
aging skills under the eyes of
zone lieutenants.
“The system of ticketing the
‘injured’ was tried out for the
first time and went very smooth-
ly,” Howard said. “Those who
handled the paper work did their
jobs so well that we had all the
information necessary to notify
families of the ‘injured’ as to the
seriousness of their conditions and
where they had been sent for
treatment.”
Some areas failed to hear the
announcements adequately and
this is being corrected, Howard
said. Also, there was evidence of
movement of Civil Defense peo-
ple from one station to another
without notifying area captains.
The drill on the second shift ap-
peared to be hampered by lack
of sufficient trained personnel, as
a number recently were trans-
ferred to the first shift.
Another similar drill is tenta-
tively planned for September.
Big Prize Selection
Marks Club Meeting
Professional television enter-
tainment and an extra large selec-
tion of raffle prizes have been
promised Convair Pomona Man-
agement Club members at their
July 8 meeting at The Palms,
when Quality Control will be host.
The Palms, located on Route 66
(Foothill Blvd.) four miles west
of Garey, has been reserved ex-
clusively for the meeting. The
club features ample parking space
and has accommodations for 1500
persons.
In addition to the entertain-
ment, a brief talk by a represen-
tative of the National Association
of Foremen has also been sched-
uled. Social hour begins at 6:15
p.m., with dinner starting at 7
p.m.
PICKING UP THE PIECES—Civil Defense teams at San Diego June 18 had
biggest workout yet when they went through paces at both plants. Drill presupposed
that an atomic bomb had fallen in downtown area and after "white" condition was
sounded, mobile first aid stations went into action. Photos above were all taken
at Plant 2. At right is E. E. Riley, assistant Civil Defense coordinator, giving alert
over public address system while E. H. Minder (Dept. 525) operates turntable that
produced siren signal. Other photos show mock "casualties" being, bandaged and
Nurse Lorna Stroyan inspecting "wounds."
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Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation. Convairiety, Volume 6, Number 13, July 1, 1953, periodical, July 1, 1953; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1118023/m1/3/?q=%22~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Fort Worth.