Convairiety, Volume 12, Number 13, June 24, 1959 Page: 1 of 8
8 p. : ill. ; 44 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Fort Worth and
Daingerfield
EDITION
Fort Worth news office:
ext. 2961; Daingerfield news
office: ext. 424
SAN DIEGO, POMONA, ANTELOPE VALLEY, VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. AFMTC, CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA., FORT WORTH, TEX.
Held for 15 Years
Money Convair Folk Donated in 1944
Will Send Slain Flyer's Son to College
A 15-year-old Ohio youth soon
will enter college — thanks to
$2,881 in cash Convair Fort
Worth employees pasted on sides
of a B-24 Liberator bomber as it
went down the assembly line 15
years ago.
The story
started early in
1944 when em-
ployees began
plaster-
ing money on
the airplane.
Just exactly
why they did is
a little obscure
at this point,
but apparently
it was a spon-
taneous gesture
that snowballed.
When the B-24 came to the
end of the line 15 years ago the
money was gathered together and
sent to the B-24-equipped 564th
squadron of the 389th Bombard-
ment Group, then called “one of
the hottest squadrons in the Eu-
ropean theater.”
A part of the money was spent
on a squadron dance. The bal-
ance the squadron decided to send
to the widow of Sgt. James A.
Adovasio, killed in combat. It
was to be held for the education
of his son, then less than a year
old, James Michael Adovasio.
From that time to this every-
body forgot about the matter.
Everybody except Joseph Boullt,
a former employee who was in
plant engineering in 1944. (His
son is Thomas E. Boullt current-
ly of Dept. 27-7) Boullt recently
inquired of G. W. Couch of engi-
neering test lab as to what hap-
pened to the boy.
A Convairiety inquiry located
Mrs. Adovasio in Youngstown,
Ohio, where her son James is an
honor student at Cardinal Mooney
BACK IN '44—This was page
one of Convair Eagle, FW Divi-
sion publication in 1944. It in-
cluded photo of money-pasted
B-24. Photo is at bottom. Ar-
ticle is below headline at upper
right. With good eyes, you can
read headlines of 1944.
James Adovasio
Mobile Flight Control Device
Will Do 700 Tests in an Hour
A new piece of electronic wiz-
ardry that enables engineers to
“fly” B-58 flight control sys-
tems on the ground is now being
checked out at Convair Fort
Worth.
And eventually the mobile
flight control tester will be able
to knock off as many as 700 tests
on the flight line in an hour,
compared to about 16 hours the
tests consume now.
“Besides reducing the time re-
quired to prove B-58 flight con-
trol systems ready for flight, the
new equipment will relieve em-
ployees of the tedious task of
making hundreds of readings,”
said Fred R. Liggitt.
Liggitt is overall project co-
ordinator for the design and pro-
curement effort which resulted in
the equipment.
Said W. H. Davis of subsys-
tems procurement:
“The Air Force in 1957 asked
us to come up with a piece of
test equipment which could check
out the flight control system
quickly and predict successful
tactical missions.”
So Davis, Liggitt, Idan Seale
of engineering systems opera-
tions, R. G. Kisler of service en-
gineering, and engineers from
various design groups teamed up
with Eclipse-Pioneer Division of
Bendix Aviation Corporation.
Convair people negotiated with
Eclipse-Pioneer to establish the
requirements. M. J. Schentes was
given the job at E-P to head de-
sign and follow production to
completion.
The unit, first of its type in
the nation, arrived at Convair
Fort Worth in June. It went im-
mediately into an extensive test
program. Tests are being con-
ducted by Convair systems opera-
tions and test lab people, with
support of E-P personnel.
“Test results thus far have
(Continued on Page 8)
MAGIC BOX—W. H. Davis, right, and M. J. Schentes examine
newly arrived electronic test box which can check out B-58 flight
control operations on ground in matter of minutes. Test previously
took better part of two shifts.
High. In recent state scholar-
ship tests, he placed fifth in the
school’s division, and ninth in
the state in world history.
He hopes to attend an arche-
ological institute to prepare for
a career.
James is active in debating and
sports, especially swimming, ice
skating, basketball and baseball.
He is an Explorer Scout.
Wrote Mrs. Adovasio: “James
and I again want to thank Con-
vair employees for their genero-
sity. The money has been kept,
and will be of great help in fur-
thering his education.”
Classes in B-58
Systems Begin
Seven new classes for 110 peo-
ple are due to get under way
today, June 24, in Convair Fort
Worth’s comprehensive training
program for Air Force B-58 per-
sonnel.
Representatives from Air
Training Command, Strategic Air
Command, San Antonio Air Ma-
teriel Area, Warner Robbins Air
Materiel Area and Air Research
and Development Command will
attend.
Purpose of the courses is to
familiarize Air Force people with
the B-58 so they may return to
bases to instruct crews which
will operate, service and maintain
the aircraft.
“The classes are a vital link
in our B-58 program,” said H.
C. Anderson of personnel depart-
ment’s educational services sec-
tion.
“With the advanced systems in
the B-58, it is more important
than ever before that Convair
give the Air Force all the in-
formation and know-how at its
command.”
Classes will be taught in Con-
vair classrooms in these subjects:
aircraft mechanics, aircraft elec-
trical, ground support equipment,
fuel system repair, fire control,
bomb navigation system, passive
defense.
Employees Reminded
Of 31-Day Ruling on
Insurance Physicals
A reminder that employees
themselves have certain specific
responsibilities to assure proper
and adequate Convair group in-
surance was issued this week by
T. G. Croft, Convair Fort Worth
chief of employee services.
“We want to remind employees
of certain insurance rules,” said
Croft, “so they may make sure
they obtain full benefits.”
An employee may take insur-
ance on himself and dependents
upon employment or at any time
within 31 days after that without
physical examinations. After 31
days, physical examinations are
required.
If an employee has dependent
coverage on his wife at the time
a child is born, the child is auto-
matically insured after 60 days.
But if the employee has no de-
pendent coverage, he has 31 days
after the child is 60 days old
in which to add the child to his
insurance without a physical ex-
amination. A physical, however,
is required to add his wife or
other children.
If a single employee marries,
he has 31 days to insure his de-
pendent without a physical. A
marriage certificate must be pre-
sented to the insurance section in
employee services.
(Continued on Page 8)
$10,000 WORTH—Tool service people estimate that collection
being examined by J. E. Bobbitt (left) and J. E. Matthews would
cost approximately $10,000 to replace. Tools are only part of
equipment gathered in recent de-hoarding drive.
ES and CIP Saving
Hits Half Million
For First Half '59
More than a half-million dollars
in savings have been chalked up
by employees in less than the first
six months of the year at Convair
Fort Worth this year.
The half-million-dollar figure is
the result of approximately 300
installed Employee Suggestions
and 67 installed Cost Improve-
ment Proposals.
Installed ES savings add up to
$154,473. Installed CIPs total
$431,462.
“Installed ES and CIP savings
are at approximately the same
level as this time last year,” said
M. J. Scott of the suggestion sec-
tion.
“But our potential for the
year is much higher, since we
have at this time many, many
more ESs and CIPs in process
than at this time last year.
We’ve already received almost
four times as many ESs and
CIPs this year.”
Included in the CIP total is
more than $173,000 racked up by
six men. Because each of the
six CIPs totals more than $25,000
individually, these men qualify as
candidates for the President’s
Award.
The President’s Award is pre-
sented annually to the man at
Convair whose cost reduction rec-
ord is judged most outstanding.
All others who qualify as candi-
dates for the award receive gold
cufflink and tie sets.
The men are: E. J. Roberts,
Dept. 25, $30,914 savings; Jim
Weinstein, Dept. 24, $26,440; R.
D. Long, Dept. 19, $26,439; E. L.
Tucknies, Dept. 58, $30,321; J.
R. Ewen Sr., Dept. 27, $29,628;
and R. P. Johnston, Dept. 22,
$29,407.
According to Scott, 1,857 ESs
and 618 CIPs have been received
this year.
In one week more than 50
awards were approved—a near
record amount.
Daingerfield Bond
Buying Rate Rises
Convair Daingerfield employ-
ees are buying bonds at the rate
of $134,710 a year, J. E. Arnold,
manager, said this month.
During the recent U. S. Sav-
ings Bond Drive, participation in-
creased from 51.35 per cent to
62.02 per cent.
Average weekly deduction per
bond buyer is $12.14.
MASON LANKFORD
GETS GOLD MEDAL
Mason Lankford, Dept. 28 man,
has been presented with a gold
medal in recognition of his serv-
ices as president of the State
Firemen’s and Fire Marshals’ As-
sociation of Texas.
Twenty-Six Fort Worth Men
Receive SMU Master Degrees
Twenty-six Convair Fort Worth
men were awarded master of sci-
ence degrees this month from
Southern Methodist University.
In addition, 13 received bachelor
of science degrees.
Most of the men participated in
the Convair-SMU college study
program.
Those receiving masters of sci-
ence in nuclear engineering were:
Joseph Levine, Hibbard Forsyth,
Rodney French Jr., John Hum-
phries, James Kennedy, Leonard
McCleary, William McMullen, Lu-
cian Morgan, Vernon Pierce,
Charles Schaedel Jr., Z. R. Wo-
lanski.
Masters in aeronautical engi-
neering: John Gallagher; in civil
engineering: Eldon Lindimore; in
electrical engineering: Doyle Col-
lup, Charles Moser, William Boo-
ton, Richard Bean, Chester Hardy,
Ashley Welch.
Masters in mechanical engi-
neering: William Johnson, Wayne
Ball, Thomas Flock, John May-
ers, Will Ransom, Hubert Skem-
bare, and Charles Whitehurst.
Those receiving bachelor of sci-
ence degrees in electrical engi-
neering: James Carver Jr., Fred-
dy Denke, Donald Koshi, Edward
Webber; in mechanical engineer-
ing: Christopher Elkins, Lloyd
Kerns, Billy Lowrey, Aubrey
Martin, Richard Murray, Gerald
French, Gary Goodman, Clifford
Moore Jr., Louis Smith.
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General Dynamics Corporation. Convair Division. Convairiety, Volume 12, Number 13, June 24, 1959, periodical, June 24, 1959; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1117959/m1/1/: accessed June 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Fort Worth.