Word: grummans
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Turkeys for All. Despite its informality, the Grumman policy towards its workers is hardheaded realism. Everything is planned with one idea: will it help production...
...Grumman had 700 employes, did a business of $4,400,000. When the war came, Grumman, like most other plane companies, exploded rather than expanded...
That explosion virtually swept all possible Grumman competitors into the background. The reasons were simple. While other planemakers argued with the Navy over design changes, Grumman went to Big Bill Knudsen, then froze Grumman designs. Instead of waiting for new plants to be ready, Grumman spread-eagled work in garages, a shooting gallery, almost any available space around Bethpage, even assembled planes under tents. As a result, Grumman proved he could get out planes when the Navy had to have them...
Hellcat Birth. Shortly after World War II began, Grumman heard that the Wildcats, which were in production, were having trouble with Jap Zeros. So Swirbul hopped to Pearl Harbor, buttonholed Navy flyers ("just calling on the trade," says Grumman), listed their complaints. Back at Bethpage, he cocked his feet on the desk, read them to Grumman...
...first Hellcat was built in August 1942. Five months later, the production line began to tick them off. This was unheard-of speed in an industry which used to need years to translate blueprints into planes. When a Navy brass hat dropped in to tell Grumman that he should expand to take care of Hellcat production, Swirbul pulled a mess of blue prints from his desk, said: "We are." When the officer said he would rush priorities for steel, Swirbul said: "I've got steel." And he had it, from Manhattan's razed Second Avenue elevated railway...