Aircraft manufacturing at Temco increased rapidly in 1950 when major contracts were received from Boeing to build the aft fuselage section of the B-47 Bomber, and from Lockheed to build the outer wing panels of the P-2V patrol Bomber.  During this year, Temco in a somewhat complicated action, acquired the bankrupt Luscombe Airplane Company in Garland, Texas. Luscombe had declared banruptcy in early 1950, and Mr. McCulloch viewed the Luscombe property as an opportunity to provide company-owned facilities for future growth in case the leasing of a government  reserve aircraft plant became a problem. In a complicated transaction involving preferred stock, common stock, cash creditor concessions, as well as a long term loan, Temco acquired Luscombe for a total cash outlay of $1,000, 000. The acquired assets included completed and partially assembled Luscombe Silvaire airplanes, 480 acres of raw land just waiting for commercial development, and a $1,024,893 tax loss carry-forward. That property became the Garland Division.

November

On November 24, Temco celebrates its fifth anniversary. In five short years the company virtually has accomplished the impossible. Starting out in 1945 with little more than an idea and some people had the determination to make this idea a reality, Temco has raised itself almost by its bootstraps to a position as one of the important companies in the aviation industry. As the company starts its sixth year, the company has on hand the largest backlog of business it has had at any time since it was organized. Present orders and commitments and commitments with other orders being negotiated assures capacity operations, not only for a few months, but for the next several years. On this its fifth anniversary, Temco also is at its highest peak of employment with 4000 people on its payroll. Not only is this the greatest number of people employed by Temco, but it also represents in terms of dollars, one of the highest payrolls ever carried by a Dallas-owned firm. Temco has by no means reached its ultimate growth. All indications are that the company can expect an even greater expansion during the coming months.

Twenty-Nine Temco-ites receive five-year pins. The pins were awarded to two women and twenty seven men at a special Fifth Anniversary meeting of the Temco Management Club at a dinner at the Midway Inn in Arlington. The awardees all started with the company in November 1945 and remained with the company during the previous five years. The pins were presented by President Bob McCulloch and Executive Vice-President Bert Howard, who along with Secretary Clyde Williams also received pins. The two women honored were Verlyn Tarleton, Secretary to the Director of Industrial Relations, and Hazel York, Assistant Secretary of the Corporation. The men receiving pins were: C. W. Ashworth, General Accounting Supervisor; J. H. Baylis, Director of Industrial Relations; F. T. Bilger, Leadman Maintenance; G. F. Carr, Assistant Foreman, Shipping and Receiving; F. C. Council, Maintenance; E. C. Curry, Tabulating Supervisor; W. A. Dunn, Foreman Dept. 158; J. Emmett, Maintenance; D. H. Gill, Jr., Maintenance; C. G. Housewright, General Foreman, Maintenance; R. G. Kouba, Leadman, Shop Follow-up; Leon Mason, Plant Engineer; W. C. Maxey, Foreman, Inspection; J. A. Maxwell Jr., Works Manager; J. V. McIntosh, Asst. Superintendent; J. C. McKelvain, Director of Quality Control: Jack Melton, Asst. Superintendent, Shipping and Receiving; E. R Mitchell, Industrial Relations Supervisor; M. Patch, Leadman, Maintenance; W. W. Schakelford, Buyer; Paul T. Smith, Chief Cost Accountant; C. W. Valentine, Asst. Foreman Shipping and Receiving; O. E. Witbeck, Factory Manager; V. C. Yarborough, Leadman, Dept. 81.

A major order to build sub-assemblies for the B-36D inter-continental bomber has been awarded to Temco’s Garland affiliate, Luscombe Airplane Corp., by the Fort Worth Division of Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp. The exact size of the order is not stated for security reasons. The Convair letter of intent calls for undisclosed quantities of elevators and several different types of door assemblies for the B-36D, the latest version of which is powered by four jets in addition to six reciprocating engines.

Rapid growth poses many new training problems for the company. In the absence of sufficient experienced aircraft workers, supervision must conduct training programs in order to get the job done on schedule. In Department 73, Boeing Assemblies, General Foreman Dave Kilgour and Foreman Bob Harris have worked out a solution to the problem by setting up an intensive ten-day training program. Experienced employees are taught the fundamentals of aircraft work, and employees with some previous experience are brought up-to-date on the latest methods and techniques required. The instructors are the supervisors who will be directing the employees when they graduate to the production line. The course of study combines classroom instruction with actual shop practice under close scrutiny of supervision.

With the Korean conflict on, employees are reminded that we all have a double job to do as Americans. We have a war to win and we need to do a better job on the work at home. Communist aggression involved us in the war in Korea. This means that once again America faces the problem of military mobilization and defense production. For some of us it may mean actually going into the armed services, while for others it means fighting inflation, civilian defense, etc. Whatever our job lets do it to the very best of our ability.

F-51 Mustangs are being returned to active duty after being removed from storage and completely rehabilitated by Temco employees. The airplanes are inspected and accepted by Navy inspectors and are picked up by Air Force crews, which will ferry them to the bases where they will become part of the country’s resurgent air power.

December

A department that deserves special commendation for its accomplishments during the past month, according to Factory Manager Otto Witbeck, is Dept. 110, Tooling. A major share of the responsibility as to whether Dept 73 Boeing Assemblies would meet its schedules has had to be shouldered by Harold Ridgley and his boys in 110. They came through right on the money, actually beating schedule on the big final assembly jigs and fixtures while keeping up with Production’s needs on the smaller jigs and fixtures.

The Boeing B-47 Stratojet Program has entered the second phase in Department 73 with the arrival of sub-assembly jigs from Boeing-Seattle, and the start of fabrication work on detail parts. Fabrication is being accomplished in the sheet metal section which has been reorganized into three departments, each headed by a foreman reporting directly to Superintendent Willie Bischoff.

The United States Army Air Corps was elevated to department status in 1948 and had become the United States Air Force. With the designation of the Grand Prairie complex as a Naval Industrial Reserve Aircraft Plant, all future contracts, including Air Force contracts, would be administered by The U. S. Navy. It became increasingly clear that the newly formed U.S. Air Force would prefer to be responsible for administering its own contracts, performing its own test flights, and its own quality acceptance functions rather than delegate those responsibilities to another branch of the service, which would be required if performed in a facility under Navy cognizance. Therefore Temco management decided that a separate facility to accomplish Air Force overhaul and modification activities was an absolute must. In late 1950, efforts to locate a suitable alternate facility for this type of work were begun. Shortly thereafter such a facility was found to be available in Greenville, Texas.