Clipped Wings

The Air Force last week let out a shocking fact: U.S. aircraft production is now lagging a full year behind schedule. In admitting this, the Air Force said that it needs another $25 to $30 billion boost in its appropriation--as if money could settle everything. Actually, production has fallen so far behind schedule that even a $100 billion boost would not get planes off the production lines any faster under present circumstances.

Privately, planemakers are bitterly complaining over loud assurances from Washington mobilization officials that production is only a little behind schedule. The statement is true only because the schedules have been reduced again & again by Washington. One major U.S. aircraft company, for example, has had its schedules cut four times this year--and its production still hasn't been able to meet the lowered goal.

The aircraft builders are not to blame. They cannot get materials, skilled workers or equipment fast enough. Priorities, in most cases, are worthless; they simply permit planemakers to get their names on a list, very often behind less essential producers.

Some aircraft builders who have managed production gains, did it mainly by pushing the.work in existing plants (e.g., by using three shifts a day) instead of completing the new plants needed. Far from getting better, the production outlook is getting worse. The time needed to put new facilities into operation is lengthening rather than shortening. The procurement time for parts, which should also be narrowing as the pipelines fill up, is actually widening. A year ago, it took Lockheed 38 weeks to get deliveries on landing gear; now it takes 56 weeks. On other components the time lag is often greater (see chart-). Cried one worried aircraft producer: "We have wasted a year."

Aircraft builders, blame the lag on the Administration's reluctance to disrupt the civilian economy, say that the Government will have to get a lot tougher on civilian production before things get any better. Judged by plane production, the Administration plan to have both guns and butter is working out all to the advantage of butter.

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