Military Procurement;

[ppopsie]

Do you somebody know about how the engines on the US ww2 planes were procured. I meant were the engines independently ordered by the US Government first and then delivered to the appropriate airplane manufactures as government properties, for fitting onto the airframes, or not.
Also I would like to know who purchased the Allison v-1710 engines for the NAA NA-73 or Mustang I?Was it the North American Aviation or the British Government?

 

[FLYBOYJ]

The engines were generally GFE and installed by the manufacturer. If it was a direct foreign purchase then the manufacturer may purchase the engine as part of the contract and roll that cost into the aircraft purchase price unless the foreign country had the US DoD providing complete oversight for the contract.

 

[ppopsie]

Thanks FLYBOYJ. So I suppose that applies also to the propellersystem, the turbo supercharging system, high-value electronic equipment and the firearms.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Thanks FLYBOYJ. So I suppose that applies also to the propellersystem, the turbo supercharging system, high-value electronic equipment and the firearms.

Yes, and again some of this varied between manufacturer and contract.

 

[ppopsie]

Recently I learned that the cost of the P-51 airframe (sans engine and propeller) was $17,000 from an interview record with Lee Atwood;
Atwood 1, Oral History Project, NASM/SI
and the Packard Merlin costed $22,000. These two figures makes sense to me of the aquisition cost of the Mustang but I never imagined the power plant was more expensive than the rest of the airplane.

 

[fastmongrel]

I have read that the RAF and the British Government never owned a Rolls Royce engine. They all remained the property of Rolls Royce and were leased to the Air Ministry. Is this true or is it a wikifact.