General Dynamics News, Volume 23, Number 22, December 2, 1970 Page: 1 of 6
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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GENERAL DYNAv1ICS
FORT WORTH EDITION
Vol. 23, No. 22PUBLISHED BY GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION
Wednesday, December 2, 1970
Christmas Dance
Set For Dec. 19
M. C. Curtis, vice president
and general manager, will host
the annual Christmas season
dance for members of super-
vision and members of the
Management Association from
9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Dec.
19.
Music will be furnished by
Harvey Anderson and his 16-
piece orchestra. Mr. and Mrs.
Curtis and his immediate staff
and their wives will receive in-
vited guests beginning at 8 p.m.
As in the past, setups will be
furnished. Arrangements are
being made by Loyd L. Turner,
assistant to the general man-
ager.
Advanced Programs
Director Appointed
H. F. Rogers has been appoint-
ed director of advanced programs
by M. C. Curtis, vice president
and general manager.
Rogers joined Fort Worth
operation in 1949 and subsequent-
ly served as
mathematician,
senior design
engineer, proj-
ect design engi-
neer, design
group engineer,
program man-
ager advanced
aircraft sys-
tems, and pro-
gram director
B-1-.
H. F. Rogers Rogers grad-
uated from Purdue University,
with a degree in aeronautical en-
gineering. He served in the Air
Force as a B-17 navigator in
World War II.
At the same time, Curtis named
E. B. Maske program director of
the F-111 transonic improvement
program.
Both Rogers and Maske will re-
port to R. H. Widmer, vice presi-
dent-research and engineering.
Avionics System
Readied for Tests
The advanced avionics system
slated for installation on the F-
111F is being readied for testing
soon at Fort Worth.
Tests will start at the end of
this year on F-111A No. 25, the
avionics prototype.
F versions of the variable-wing
fighter-bomber are scheduled to
come off the assembly line late
next year.
Also being readied for the F
(Continued on Page 6)BEST BOMBERS-Golf pro Arnold Palmer admires honors won by
Lt. Col. Robert S. Russell, left, and Maj. Arben R. Ely, who chalked
up top bombing score in FB-I I IA during 1970 SAC combat com-
petition recently at McCoy AFB, Fla.
Dr. Mueller Outlines
Major Division GoalsProducing more F-111s and go-
ing all out to win contracts on
the A-X aircraft and space shut-
tle programs are major goals for
Convair Aerospace Division dur-
ing 1971.
"I think the F-111 is the best
strike aircraft and penetration
bomber in the world today," Dr.
George Mueller, senior vice presi-
dent of General Dynamics, told a
sellout Management Association
meeting Nov. 19 at Ridglea Coun-
try Club. "I believe our nation
needs this capability in the days
and months ahead."
Among new programs, Dr.
Mueller said the A-X aircraft
program at San Diego, and the
space shuttle program involving
both SD and Fort Worth opera-
tions, are going to get "a great
deal of our resources."
The proposed space shuttle is
a re-usable vehicle for traveling
into space and returning. "It is
the most important single new
start in our nation today," Dr.
Mueller said.
He likened the space shuttle
vehicle to a vertically mounted
747 airplane on its tail, with a
DC-8 (the second stage) attached
to its side and containing crew
and cargo.
The first stage carries the sec-
ond stage to 100,000 feet, where
second-stage engines ignite. The
first stage then returns through
the atmosphere and lands hori-
zontally at an airstrip.
The second stage continues on
its orbiting mission. After com-
pleting its mission, it flies backto earth and lands horizontally.
Both stages can be used again.
Dr. Mueller said the space
shuttle can be used by the Air
Force in its satellite program,
and in the long run might be
used to travel from point to point
on earth.
"I expect that it will take the
place of a hypersonic transport
and it may even be developed in
the time scale that will make it
competitive with the supersonic
transport for passenger a n d
cargo traffic between cities on
earth," he said. "With such a de-
vice, you're some 45 minutes from
anywhere on earth."
In addition to pressing hard for
the A-X aircraft and space shut-
tle programs, and selling more
F-111s, the division expects to
continue DC-10 subcontract work
and Atlas-Centaur work, Dr.
Mueller stated.
"We have many possibilities
and we will pursue them," he
said, "but we'll pursue them only
to the extent that they do not in-
terfere with our main thrust."
Dr. Mueller said that govern-
ment priorities have shifted over
the past four years from the ex-
ploration of space to the "inward
problems" of environment and
welfare.
"It will probably take four
years," he said, "for the pendu-
lum to swing the other way.
When it does, we will need to be
in a posture where GD will be
stronger then than we are today
at the nadir of the attention to
our particular industry.
"In doing that, then we estab-
lish as our goal the development
of a capability in technology in
human resources that would be
stronger in 1975 than it is today.
"In that regard, we try to iden-
tify those technologies which
would be decisive in providing us
with a competitive advantage in
the years between 1975 and 1980."FB-111A First
Among BombersAn FB-111A blazed its way to
a resounding first-place bombing
victory in its initial appearance
in SAC Combat Competition Nov.
15-20 at McCoy AFB, Fla.
The second FB-111A entry also
distinguished itself by finishing
second in overall bombing-navi-
gation scores among 23 B-52s and
two British Vulcan bombers.
Both FB-111As were from the
340th Bomb Group at Carswell
AFB, a unit which started train-
ing FB crews only a little over
100 days ago.
Veteran observers consider the
FB's bombing triumph an "in-
credible feat" for still another
reason. The FB-111A is, from all
indications, the only non-opera-
tional bomber ever to enter the
competition, much less win the
coveted bombing trophy.
"We're in the process of build-
ing up SAC FB-111A combat
units," said Bob Patton, 111 SAC
program director, "but the air-
craft won't be considered opera-
tional until the units have a full
complement of planes and work
as a unit for a number of weeks."
Lt. Col. Robert S. Russell was
pilot and Maj. Arben R. Ely nav-
igator, of the FB which racked
up 685 points of a possible 800
on its bombing mission.
The crew scored two "shacks"
(bullseyes) on the five-hour mis-
sion, which included a total of
eight low and high-level elec-
tronic drops.
"This is an especially outstand-
ing mission, when you consider
that the crew scored two of only
seven bullseyes registered in the
entire competition," Patton said.
Finishing second in the naviga-
tion competition was the FB-
111A with Lt. Col. Joseph S.Lother Jr. at the helm and Maj.
Billy R. Seals in the navigator's
seat. This same crew finished
11th in bombing competition, giv-
ing it second place in the com-
bined bombing and navigation
part of the competition. (First
place went to the 5th Bomb Wing
at Minot AFB, N.D.)
Colonel Lother's crew could
have easily "walked away with
overall honors" if its FB-111A
had not suffered "minor malfunc-
tions" in the navigation leg,
which relegated it to 20th place.
The FB's performance in bomb-
ing was reminiscent of the out-
standingly successful debut of
another General Dynamics prod-
uct 10 years ago. Then it was the
B.-58 Hustler, operational only
six weeks, that won first-place
bombing honors.
In the final analysis, the Cars-
well unit placed second for the
Mathis Trophy, awarded to the
bomber with the best combined
bombing and navigation score,
and second for the navigation
trophy. They had no chance at
the Saunders Trophy or the most
outstanding award - the Fair-
child Trophy-since both included
tanker scores. FBs did not use
tankers in the competition.
The crews and other support
personnel have returned to their
primary duty at Carswell-pre-
paring other SAC crews for FB-
111A operations at Pease AFB,
N.H., and Plattsburgh AFB, N.Y.
Air Force officials had words
of praise for the FB-111A follow-
ing the aircraft's sensational de-
but in the 1970 SAC combat com-
petition.
"The FB.-111 is working very
(Continued on. Page 6)Christmas Shopping
Add Needy Family Gift to ListAre you mentally making out
your annual Christmas list?
Don't forget to add your con-
tribution to the needy family or
families your department has
chosen to bring special happiness
on Christmas day.
Chairman R. G. Mack, Dept.
34-0, says a goal of helping 300
needy families has been set for
1970. He suggests that depart-
ments which have more than one
shift coordinate their efforts with
the other shift within the depart-
ments in order to help more fam-
ilies.
Each department is respons-
ible for collecting their own food,clothing, and toys. There are no
plantwide pick-up boxes as in
previous years.
Names of needy families are
still available through Mack's
office at Col. 49-L Mezz., ext.
5552 or 5553. Any department
which has not begun their Adopt-
a-Family program is asked to do
so as soon as possible.
"Our time is running short so
please put forth the best effort
and share some good fortune with
the needy children of this area,"
says Mack. "Remember that if we
fall short of our goal, some child
will not know the happiness that
Santa brings on Christmas day."4
- TSanTA Ji 'TS i r
Yi' . 7cn i iu i uir* nr-
. , rt"r six
e .'
"
l Y' .
%TCU Registration Set
For Evening Classes
Registration for spring term
TCU evening classes at Fort
- Worth operation is set for 1 to
5:15 p.m. Jan. 12 in Room 74C-2
(Mezz. 8.)
TCU officials will be present
to advise and counsel. Classes
will start Jan. 18.
VIP GUEST-Bryan Murphy, right, Management Association . Tectuting, buiess aeco-
president, displays "No. 1" plaque to, from left: M. C. Curtis, vice nomiccompostss tecia
nomics, composition, technical
president and general manager; Dr. George Mueller, senior vice writing, business finance, math, ADOPT-A-FAMILY-R. G. Mack, chairman of A
president of GD; and Bob McGuffee, vice president-operations. Dr. management, psychology, speak- program, and Opal White, Dept. 34, can furnish na
Mueller spoke to capacity crowd at MA's November meeting. ing and business statistics. families. Goal is to help 300 families this Christmas.Adopt-a-Family
times of needy
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General Dynamics Corporation. Convair Division. General Dynamics News, Volume 23, Number 22, December 2, 1970, periodical, December 2, 1970; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1168185/m1/1/?q=%22%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.