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ordered and this engine has passed all tests. Work is well under way in the fabrication of parts for the remaining engines, but none has yet been delivered.

NUMBER OF PERSONNEL OF NAVAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY

Mr. DITTER. Right in connection with the Naval Aircraft Factory personnel, what is the personnel there now, Admiral?

Admiral Cook. About 1,600. Is that correct, Captain Kraus! Captain KRAUS. It is about 1,660 at the present time, and at the present moment it is declining.

INABILITY TO OBTAIN CERTAIN MATERIALS FOR NAVAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY

Mr. DITTER. Is that due to any increase in the work?

Captain KRAUS. It is due to a general state in industry and the factory's inability to obtain certain materials that make for exact continuity of work.

Mr. DITTER. What is the cause of the difficulty in getting material! Captain KRAUS. Largely, a general bulge in demand for that material, so that in some cases where the ordinary period for obtaining certain types of material was 6 weeks, it went up to 18 weeks. Mr. DITTER. Particularly steel?

Captain KRAUS. Certain special steel; yes, sir. Some of the aluminum alloys went up in the neighborhood of 14 weeks to 26 weeks. They have all dropped back to about normal periods now.

Mr. DITTER. What has caused the delay in the delivery of steel? Captain KRAUS. The difficulty during the period of high activity of obtaining small quantities of special steels that took special procedure in manufacture. Mills were booked up for considerable runs of a given type of output, so that it was, difficult to break off the schedule and get machinery set up to roll specially sized material or special alloy stocks.

Mr. DITTER. Did you experience any difficulty in getting estimates for bids for any of that steel?

Captain KRAUS. No; I think we have had no difficulty from the standpoint of getting bids. The deliveries that were quoted frequently were the cause of difficulty in making a general set-up to meet the schedule.

Mr. DITTER. Did the intrusion of the Labor Department in any way affect the deliveries?

Captain KRAUS. I think not.

AVIATION, NAVY

ESTIMATES FOR 1939, COMPARED WITH APPROPRIATION FOR 1938

Admiral Cook. Below is a summary by projects of the 1939 estimates, 1938 allocations, and 1937, and 1936 obligations.

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This project covers replacement and maintenance of navigational, photographic, aerological, and radio instruments and equipment used in aviation. A summary showing the four subdivisions of this project is given below:

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ADMIRAL COOK. The appropriation for replacement instruments for 1938 was $244,000 and the estimate for 1939 is $272,500, making

an increase of $28,500. This additional amount of $28,500 is due entirely to the increase of 158 in the number of operating airplanes to be equipped with new outfits of navigational instruments in 1939.

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF NAVIGATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

The estimate for 1939 is $56,000 and the appropriation for 1938 is $44,700, making an increase of $11,300 requested for 1939.

It has been found necessary to expand the instrument overhaul facilities in order to keep abreast of the increased maintenance and repair work required by the more complicated and delicate instruments now being used, such as automatic pilots, directional gyros, and gyro horizons. Additional funds are also required in order to handle the additional maintenance and repair work resulting from the enlarged aeronautic organization for 1939. With facilities now available it is possible to accomplish only a portion of the maintenance and repair work required. Damaged instruments in excess of those which can be repaired with present facilities are being held in storage awaiting the installation of additional repair equipment. The increase of $11,300 requested under this item for 1939 will enable the Bureau to enlarge the present repair facilities in order to overhaul and repair, as far as possible, those damaged instruments now held in store. These funds are required for the following instrument repair bases:

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The following aerial cameras are required for 1939 as replacements: (a) Five cameras, mapping, and oblique. 7 by 7 inches, $19.500; (b) five cameras, extreme short focus, $20,500; total. $40.000.

The appropriation under this item for 1938 was $36,000. The above estimate of $40.000 for 1939 therefore represents an increase of $4.000. This is due to the following causes: (a) Proposed purchase of 10 cameras in 1939 against 7 in 1938; (b) the mapping cameras to be purchased in 1939 are to be equipped with view finders which, while adding slightly to the cost, constitute a valuable improvement over similar cameras being purchased in 1938; (c) costs

of aerial cameras are now higher than formerly. These estimates are based on the latest prices paid and the latest cost data available.

MINOR EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

The appropriation for minor equipment for 1938 was $44,800 and that for supplies was $54,200. The estimates for 1939 are $48,000 and $59,900, respectively. The increases requested for 1939 are therefore $3,200 for minor equipment and $5,700 for supplies. These increases in funds requested for minor photographic equipment and supplies for 1939 are required to take care of the increased expenditures for photographic training at Pensacola, to accomplish important photographic work for new units joining the fleet, and to replenish the stock at the naval aircraft factory and San Diego.

Due to the rapid growth of the naval aeronautic organization in recent years, it has not been possible, within the funds allowed, to supply improved photographic equipment to all of the units listed below, in quantities required. Photographic stock at the naval aircraft factory for the east coast units, and at the naval air station, San Diego, for the west coast units, has necessarily become reduced and frequently many of the items requisitioned by operating units are not available, making it necessary to purchase in small quantities, often at higher prices, after requisitions are received. This causes delay and loss of efficiency. The increases requested will remedy this. Aerological instruments and supplies

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The appropriation for aerological instruments for 1938 is $23,835. As the estimate for 1939 is $23,107, a reduction of $728 is shown in this item.

Conditions affecting aerological instruments and equipment will change very little in 1939 from those obtaining in 1938. There still remains some old obsolete equipment in use which will gradually be replaced by newly developed equipment. A study of issues of equipment over the past 5 years was made to determine the estimated expenditures for 1939. This indicated that the wear and tear on meteorological instruments on board ship is considerably greater than on shore and thus replacements in certain items are required more often. The unit prices quoted are based on current prices for standard instruments and estimated prices for instruments under development. The decrease of $728 in the estimates for instruments is due principally to the fact that the replacement of many old and obsolete instruments is practically completed.

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SUPPLIES

The appropriation for 1938 under this item is $16,365. As the estimate for 1939 is $31,853, an increase of $15,488 is being requested for 1939. This increase of $15,488 in the estimate for consumable supplies is due solely to the anticipated adoption of the radio meteorograph. Plans have been made to replace aerological flights to obtain upper air temperatures and humidities at three stations afloat by substituting radio meteorographs. This will necessitate the use of three special balloons and meteorographs daily, a total of 1.095 per year, with 70 spares. Such a program will supplant the present aerological flights by airplane at these stations where about 20 flights per month are made, or a total of 720 flights per year. In addition, the use of meteorographs will make possible the obtaining of upperair conditions with regularity at sea, especially at times when it is impossible to make airplane ascents due to bad flying conditions. Also through their use there will be obtained extremely valuable data on the structure of storms at sea, possibly of the upper-air structure of typhoons and hurricanes about which little or nothing is known at present, and will aid materially in the forecasting of weather conditions over the sea. These instruments are classed as consumable, as all radio meteorographs launched at sea will be lost. Those used ashore will be recovered as far as practicable.

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR

For 1938 the sum of $4,800 was appropriated under this item. The estimate for 1939 is $5,040. Therefore an increase of $240 is requested. This increase of $240 in the estimate for maintenance and repair of aerological instruments is caused by the increase in the number of repairs necessary to keep older instruments in good condition. An analysis indicates that the cost of repairs has steadily increased over the past 5 years. This increase has been more than compensated by the gradual decrease since 1934 in the cost of new equipment. This figure has dropped from $30,000 in 1934 to an estimated cost of $23,107 in 1939, even though five new aerological stations have been established over the same period.

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The appropriation for radio supplies for 1938 is $278,000. The estimate for 1939 is $333,516, an increase of $55,516 being requested. Due to the extensive requirements for higher-powered radio equipment in the fleet, a detailed explanation of the present situation is given below.

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