The American P-51 Mustang fighter was a cheap fighter with an extremely "value for money" and was priced at $51,000 per fighter at the time, which is about $675,000 today.
It doesn't have the fancy options of more expensive fighters like electric dive flaps, turbochargers, or rearview radars, but it has everything it takes to be the greatest escort fighter of all time, and it's a great fighter, similar to the F6F Hellcat fighter, with excellent build quality and an initial price tag of $50,000.
When the Grumman plant was ready, it was reduced to $35,000 a ($75,000 for the Corsair fighter and $83,000 for the P-47; $110,000 for P-38).
North American companies used assembly and dispensing technology to bring the P-51 off the assembly line incredibly quickly, and only Grumman had a faster and better production line.
The P-51 Mustang also featured a number of innovations, including the first use of a laminar flow wing. In addition, engineers have used plastic on many traditional glass and metal parts. By using plastic parts, they reduced the weight of the aircraft by more than 400 pounds, making the aircraft very flexible.
By using high-shear rivets, the Mustang fighter lost more than 400 pounds, enough to fit into the 32176 liter fuel tank, since 321The weight of 76 liters is almost exactly more than 400 catties.
Lightweight materials also contribute to increased productivity. For example, a vacuum manifold for a plastic meter can produce two per minute.
Whereas, when fabricated with aluminum, it takes almost an hour of processing time to fabricate a unit.
Engineers have developed a thermoplastic elastomer for the mass production of more than 75 different types of phenolic plastic parts, such as ammunition boxes.
The laminate is heated and placed into a forming mold. When pressure is applied, the sheet is formed according to the contours of the mold.
North American Airlines, based in Los Angeles, California, produced more than 15,000 P-51 Mustang fighter jets, and during World War II, the plant was one of the most efficient in the world, with a record of 570 fighter jets delivered in a single month.
American aviation pioneer James H. Kindbergh built an extremely efficient assembly line. His production system enables parts and assemblies manufactured on sub-assembly lines to be assembled together smoothly on the final assembly line.
Kindberg and his colleagues used automotive-style production technology. For example, a continuously moving production line has 17 workstations, multiple conveyor systems and feed lines. Carriers and fixtures run on chamfered rails embedded in the factory floor.
The internal work of the fuselage is in a 1264 meters long conveyor line.
John Frederickson, a retired Boeing employee and author of The Fighter Factory, said: "The employees applied the necessary protective paint, installed electrical, hydraulic and fuel cell components, performed riveting, electrical inspection operations and other inspections, and finally, the left and right sides of the fuselage were spliced together." ”
Fredriksen added: "The fuselage pick-up line installed on the floor is 396 meters long. On these pick-up lines, more electrical and hydraulic components are added. Then the engine, tail, radio, oxygen system, canopy and fairing were installed, all without stopping the advance.
The final assembly was on the third 182Completed on an 8-meter conveyor belt, the wing and fuselage were joined here, more hydraulic connections were made, armor plates were added, seats and propellers were installed. “
Fredriksen also noted: "Article 170A 6-metre-long outdoor mobile conveyor belt is designated as an engine liftoff line. There, the wingtips of the aircraft are fixed to the wingtips, the engines are running at full power, the radio equipment is checked, and the aircraft moves sideways until it is towed to the place of delivery. ”
North American Airlines also has a variety of fine-tuned subassembly lines that are distributed throughout the plant and connected by an overhead conveyor system.
For example, wing assembly is a highly coordinated process that takes place in parallel with the fuselage assembly line.
In an article written for the July 1943 issue of Aviation magazine, assistant plant manager Ralph Ruud said: "One of the features of the leading edge wing line is the subdivision of work to the extreme, which greatly increases efficiency. ”
Ruud adds: "Since they only do one or two small stages of work on each production floor, and the workers are not crowded, they are very skilled at completing the assigned work as they move slowly through the workshop. ”
"Another feature of the line is the use of overhead compression lines and wires that suspend the tools on the trolley, which passes through the station with the work, eliminating ground congestion, avoiding excessive breakage of tools and tangling of hoses and wires, and the convenience of the installer by simply reaching for the bin and removing the parts when needed," Ruud continued. ”
It can be seen that the productivity of art workers during World War II was indeed very standardized and modernized.
World War II was probably the most glorious moment for the assembly industry. Only in the United States, Grumman, Boeing, Douglas, Lockheed, North American Airlines operate around the clock.
Engineers and designers often sleep in factories to make sure assembly lines are running non-stop. And since many of the factories are located on the west coast of the United States, they are camouflaged to protect against possible air raids.
On Long Island, Grumman employs thousands of female employees who work around the clock.
One last look at the P-51 Mustang fighter schedule:
In January 1940, the British Purchasing Council made its first contact with North American Airlines regarding the purchase of fighter jets.
On April 10, 1940, the British Procurement Committee agreed to develop a new fighter.
On April 24, 1940, the British Purchasing Committee approved the first batch of design drawings.
On May 5, 1940, the United States** officially approved the new design of the North American company for export.
On May 29, 1940, Britain ordered 320 Mustang fighters.
On September 9, 1940, the first prototype of the Mustang fighter rolled off the assembly line, but without an engine.
On October 11, 1940, the first glide test was held.
On October 26, 1940, the first test flight was made.
In April 1941, the first Mustang i left the production line.
In September 1941, the Air Force began flight tests of the Mustang I in the United Kingdom.
In February 1942, the 26th U.S. Squadron was the first to use the Mustang I.
On April 16, 1942, 500 A-36A dive bombers based on the Mustang fighter were ordered.
On May 10, 1942, Mustang fighters flew their first mission when the U.S. 2nd Squadron attacked a German airfield in northern France.
On 27 July 1942, the RAF flew its first Mustang fighter over Germany to attack the Ruhr area.
On 19 August 1942, the Mustang fighter aircraft achieved its first confirmed victory over Dieppe.
In October 1942, the Mustang fighter jet, powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, made its first flight.
On November 30, 1942, the XP-51B with the Merlin engine made its first flight.
In April 1943, the 154th Observation Squadron stationed in Tunisia flew its first Mustang fighter mission.
On May 5, 1943, the production P-51B made its first flight.
On June 6, 1943, the 27th U.S. Flying Squadron flew its first mission from Ras Horse, French Morocco.
In November 1943, the 354th U.S. Fighter Group took delivery of its first P-51B.
In December 1943, the 354th Fighter Group flew over France on its first mission.
In February 1944, the U.S. 19th Squadron used Mustang III fighters for the first time on Air Force missions.
On March 4, 1944, the 354th Fighter Group flew a Mustang fighter to Berlin for the first time.