The American Automobile Industry in World War Two
An American Auto Industry Heritage Tribute by David D Jackson

Overview      Lansing Michigan in World War Two   The U.S. Auto Industry at the Normandy Invasion, June 6, 1944    The U.S. Auto Industry and the B-29 Bomber   U.S. Auto Industry Army-Navy "E" Award Winners   The Complete listing of All Army-Navy "E" Award Winners   Sherman Tanks of the American Auto Industry   Tank Destroyers of the American Auto Industry    M26 Pershing Tanks of the American Auto Industry   M36 Tank Destroyers of the American Auto Industry   Serial Numbers for WWII Tanks built by the American Auto Industry   Surviving LCVP Landing Craft    WWII Landing Craft Hull Numbers   Airborne Extra-Light Jeep Photos  The American Auto Industry vs. the German V-1 in WWII   American Auto Industry-Built Anti-Aircraft Guns in WWII   VT Proximity Manufacturers of WWII   World War One Era Motor Vehicles   National Museum of Military Vehicles  
Revisions   Links

 Automobile and Body Manufacturers:  American Bantam Car Company   Briggs Manufacturing Company   Checker Car Company   Chrysler Corporation   Crosley Corporation   Ford Motor Car Company   General Motors Corporation   Graham-Paige Motors Corporation   Hudson
Motor Car Company   Murray Corporation of America   Nash-Kelvinator   Packard Motor Car Company      Studebaker    Willys-Overland Motors

General Motors Divisions:  AC Spark Plug   Aeroproducts   Allison   Brown-Lipe-Chapin   Buick   Cadillac   Chevrolet   Cleveland Diesel   Delco Appliance   Delco Products   Delco Radio   Delco-Remy   Detroit Diesel   Detroit Transmission   Electro-Motive   Fisher Body   Frigidaire   GM Proving Grounds   GM of Canada   GMC   GMI   Guide Lamp   Harrison Radiator   Hyatt Bearings   Inland   Moraine Products   New Departure   Oldsmobile   Packard Electric   Pontiac   Saginaw Malleable Iron   Saginaw Steering Gear   Southern California Division   Rochester Products   Ternstedt Manufacturing Division   United Motors Service   Vauxhall Motors

 Indiana Companies:  Bailey Products Corporation   Chrysler Kokomo Plant   Continental Steel Corporation  Converto Manufacturing    Cummins Engine Company   Diamond Chain and Manufacturing Company   Delta Electric Company   Durham Manufacturing Company   Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation   Haynes Stellite Company   Hercules Body Company   Horton Manufacturing Company   Howe Fire Apparatus   J.D. Adams Company   Kokomo Spring Company   Magnavox  
Muncie Gear Works   Pierce Governor Company   Portland Forge and Foundry   Reliance Manufacturing Company   Republic Aviation Corporation - Indiana Division   Ross Gear and Tool Company   S.F. Bowser & Co.   Sherrill Research Corporation   Tokheim Oil Tank and Pump Company   Warner Gear   Wayne Pump Company   Wayne Works

Commercial Truck and Fire Apparatus Manufacturers:  American LaFrance   Autocar  
Biederman Motors Corporation   Brockway Motor Company   Detroit General   Diamond T   Duplex Truck Company   Federal Motor Truck   Four Wheel Drive Auto Company(FWD)   International Harvester   John Bean   Mack Truck   Marmon-Herrington Company   Michigan Power Shovel Company   Oshkosh Motor Truck Corporation   Pacific Car and Foundry   "Quick-Way" Truck Shovel Company   Reo Motor Car Company  Seagrave Fire Apparatus   Sterling Motor Truck Company    Ward LaFrance Truck Corporation   White Motor Company

Aviation Companies:  Abrams Instrument Corporation   Hughes Aircraft Company   Kellett Aviation Corporation   Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation   Naval Aircraft Factory   P-V Engineering Forum, Inc.    Rudolf Wurlitzer Company-DeKalb Division  Schweizer Aircraft Corporation   Sikorsky Division of United Aircraft Corporation   St. Louis Aircraft Corporation   Timm Aircraft Corporation

Other World War Two Manufacturers: 
Air King Products   Allis-Chalmers   American Car and Foundry   American Locomotive   American Stove Company   Annapolis Yacht Yard  
Andover Motors Company   B.F. Goodrich   Baker War Industries   Baldwin Locomotive Works   Blood Brothers Machine Company   Boyertown Auto Body Works   Briggs & Stratton   Caterpillar   Cheney Bigelow Wire Works   Centrifugal Fusing   Chris-Craft   Clark Equipment Company   Cleaver-Brooks Company   Cleveland Tractor Company   Continental Motors   Cushman Motor Works   Crocker-Wheeler   Dail Steel Products   Detroit Wax Paper Company   Detrola   Engineering & Research Corporation   Farrand Optical Company   Federal Telephone and Radio Corp.   Firestone Tire and Rubber Company   Fruehauf Trailer Company   Fuller Manufacturing   Galvin Manufacturing   Gemmer Manufacturing Company   General Railway Signal Company   Gibson Guitar   Gibson Refrigerator Company   Goodyear   Hall-Scott   Hanson Clutch and Machinery Company   Harley-Davidson   Harris-Seybold-Potter   Herreshoff Manufacturing Company   Higgins Industries    Highway Trailer   Hill Diesel Company   Holland Hitch Company   Homelite Company   Horace E. Dodge Boat and Plane Corporation   Huffman Manufacturing   Indian Motorcycle   Ingersoll Steel and Disk   John Deere   Johnson Automatics Manufacturing Company   Kimberly-Clark   Kohler Company   Kold-Hold Company   Landers, Frary & Clark  Lima Locomotive Works   Lundberg Screw Products   MacKenzie Muffler Company   Massey-Harris   Matthews Company   McCord Radiator & Mfg. Company   Metal Mouldings Corporation   Miller Printing Machinery Company   Morse Instrument Company   Motor Products Corporation   Motor Wheel Corporation   National Cash Resgister Company   Novo Engine Company   O'Keefe & Merritt Company   Olofsson Tool and Die Company   Oneida Ltd   Otis Elevator   Owens Yacht   Pressed Steel Car Company   Queen City Manufacturing Company   R.G. LeTourneau   R.L. Drake Company   St. Clair Rubber Company   Samson United Corporation   Shakespeare Company   Sight Feed Generator Company   Simplex Manufacturing Company   Steel Products Engineering Company   St. Louis Car Company   Twin Disc Company   Victor Adding Machine Company   Vilter Manufacturing Company   Wells-Gardner   W.L. Maxson Corporation   W.W. Boes Company   Westfield Manufacturing Company   York-Hoover Body Company   Youngstown Steel Door Company  
   

 Engineering & Research Corporation (ERCO) in World War Two
Riverdale, MD

1930-1954 as ERCO
1954-1957 as the Flight Simulation Division of American Car and Foundry Corporation (ACF)
1957-1963 merged with the Nuclear Energy Products Division of ACF and became Nuclear Products, ERCO Division
1963-The ERCO Flight Simulation portion of ACF was sold to General Precision Equipment Corporation.  In 1954 General Precision had purchased Link Aviation.
Currently, these two former flight simulation companies are part of CAE- L3Harris Military Training

This page updated 9-4-2022.


How cool is this?  On August 12, 1941, Engineering & Research Corporation Ercoupe serial number 11 climbs into the sky using rocket assisted take-off.  This was the first American aircraft to test this new technology.  This occurred at March Field, CA.  Ercoupe serial number 11 was one of 114 that were built between 1940 and early 1942 when civilian aircraft production was halted in the United States.   


The Engineering & Research Corporation is best known for the design and production of its Ercoupe.  The aircraft can be identified by its twin tail and nose wheel landing gear, which was very unusual for an aircraft before World War Two.  Author's photo.  


However, it was the lack of rudder pedals in the cockpit that set this aircraft apart from any other aircraft.  The Ercoupe was designed with the rudder and ailerons tied together so that the aircraft always made a coordinated turn.  The Ercoupe was described in its Civil Aeronautics Administration certification as being "characteristically incapable of spinning."  Author's photo.  


This 1946 example is part of the Florida Air Museum and is serial number 2364.  Author's photo.  


  Author's photo.  


This 1946 Ercoupe was on display at the Marion, IN Fly-in/Cruise-in.  Author's photo added 9-4-2022.


This aircraft is serial number 1126.  Author's photo added 9-4-2022.


Author's photo added 9-4-2022.

In 1930, Henry Berliner formed the Engineering & Research Corporation in Washington, DC.  In 1937, Berliner moved his company to Riverdale, MD where he built and plant and created a small airport.  The company's major product was the Ercoupe.  Immediately after World War Two, the huge demand for small civilian aircraft caused ERCO to build the Ercoupe with a three shift operation that produced over 30 aircraft per day.  Over 4,000 of the aircraft were produced in 1946.  However, in 1947 the demand for civilian aircraft dropped and Henry Berliner, chairman of the board of ERCO, sold the Ercoupe product line to Sanders Aviation, which had been selling the Ercoupes for ERCO.  The aircraft continued to be built in the ERCO plant by Sanders Aviation.  The last of 5,140 Ercoupes rolled off the Riverdale, MD assembly line in 1954.


In 1949, Engineering & Research Corporation began the development and production of flight simulators.  One of the first flight simulators built at the request of the Office of Naval Research was for the Grumman F9F Panther.  This request by the Navy resulted in a new product line for ERCO.  After several different owners, the ERCO flight simulation business is currently part of L3Harris.  Author's photo.

Engineering & Research Corporation World War Two Products:  During World War Two, ERCO employed 4,000 persons, making it the largest wartime employer in Prince George's County, MD.


Engineering & Research Corporation won the Army-Navy "E" Award five times during World War Two.

ERCO had a total of $52,130,000 in major American military and foreign contracts during World War Two.  $36,286,000, or 70% of the contracts, were for aircraft gun turrets for the U.S. Navy.  The company also produced propeller blades for both the U.S. Army and Navy.  ERCO also made radio equipment for the Navy and machine tools for the Army.  It was able to convert its aircraft manufacturing expertise into other products that helped win World War Two.

Table 1 - Engineering & Research Corporation's Major World War Two Contracts
The information below comes from the "Alphabetical Listing of Major War Supply Contracts, June 1940 through September 1945."  This was published by the Civilian Production Administration, Industrial Statistics Division. 
Product - Customer Contract Amount Contract Awarded Completion Date
Clubs Propeller Test - Navy $81,000 6-1940 11-1941
Airschrews - Foreign $88,000 10-1940 11-1940
Propeller Test Blades - Navy $262,000 3-1941 9-1942
Clubs Propeller Test - Navy $310,000 5-1941 7-1942
Clubs Test - Navy $218,000 9-1941 10-1942
Antennas - Navy $79,000 12-1941 2-1942
Radio Equipment - Navy $147,000 12-1941 3-1942
Blades  Propeller - Army $229,000 2-1942 8-1942
Blades  Propeller - Navy $90,000 3-1942 1-1943
Tools Machine - Army $160,000 3-1942 7-1943
Propeller Assemblies - Army $212,000 4-1942 7-1943
Tools Machine - Army $61,000 4-1942 10-1942
Airplane Equipment - Navy $65,000 5-1942 12-1942
Tools Machine - Army $191,000 6-1942 4-1943
Tools Machine - Army $100,000 6-1942 3-1942
Propeller Blade Assem - Army $1,097,000 9-1942 8-1943
Tools Machine - Army $85,000 9-1942 3-1943
Airplane Equipment - Navy $2,761,000 9-1942 6-1943
Airplane Equipment - Navy $653,000 10-1942 6-1943
Radio Parts - Navy $67,000 11-1942 1-1943
Communication Equipment - Navy $71,000 1-1943 5-1943
Turrets - Gun - Navy $221,000 3-1943 12-1943
Airplane Prop Assemblies - Army $1,285,000 6-1943 6-1944
Airplane Gun Turrets - Navy $11,088,000 8-1943 2-1945
Radar Antennaes - Navy $240,000 8-1943 4-1944
Radar Antennas - Navy $446,000 8-1943 12-1943
Spherical Gun Turrets - Navy $1,810,000 8-1943 2-1944
Engineering Services - Navy $202,000 8-1943 7-1944
Gun Turrets - Navy $4,951,000 9-1943 7-1944
Propeller Blade Assys - Army $262,000 11-1943 7-1944
Gun Turrets M2605 H2 - Navy $6,312,000 2-1933 10-1945
Radar Antennas - Navy $123,000 5-1944 12-1944
Antenna Maint Kits - Navy $262,000 7-1944 1-1945
Engineering Services - Navy $68,000 7-1944 6-1945
Airplane Turrets - Navy $58,000 9-1944 10-1944
Airplane Turrets - Navy $2,557,000 10-1944 8-1945
Airplane Turrets - Navy $2,105,000 10-1944 5-1945
Radio Equipment - Navy $100,000 12-1944 9-1945
Airplane Gun Turrets - Navy $2,781,000 1-1945 9-1945
Turret Trainers - Navy $113,000 1-1945 5-1945
Rocket Launchers - Navy $5,337,000 1-1945 9-1945
Airplane Gun Turrets - Navy $4,403,000 2-1945 2-1946
Airplane Equipment - Navy $100,000 2-1945 12-1945
Airl Turret Models - Navy $69,000 6-1945 10-1945
Total $52,130,000    

 

Table 2 - Engineering & Research Corporation's Major World War Two Aircraft Gun Turret Contracts
The information below comes from the "Alphabetical Listing of Major War Supply Contracts, June 1940 through September 1945."  This was published by the Civilian Production Administration, Industrial Statistics Division. 
Product - Customer Contract Amount Contract Awarded Completion Date
Turrets  Gun - Navy $221,000 3-1943 12-1943
Airplane Gun Turrets - Navy $11,088,000 8-1943 2-1945
Spherical Gun Turrets - Navy $1,810,000 8-1943 2-1944
Gun Turrets - Navy $4,951,000 9-1943 7-1944
Gun Turrets M2605 H2 - Navy $6,312,000 2-1933 10-1945
Airplane Turrets - Navy $58,000 9-1944 10-1944
Airplane Turrets - Navy $2,557,000 10-1944 8-1945
Airplane Turrets - Navy $2,105,000 10-1944 5-1945
Airplane Gun Turrets - Navy $2,781,000 1-1945 9-1945
Airplane Gun Turrets - Navy $4,403,000 2-1945 2-1946
Total $36,286,000    

 

Table 3 - Engineering & Research Corporation's Major World War Two Aircraft Gun Turret Production
Designation Type Aircraft Quantity Comments
 250SH-1,2 Twin .50 Bow Turret PB4Y-1 866 977-111
 250SH-3 Twin .50 Bow Turret PB4Y-2 736  
Sub Total Bow Turret   1,602  
 250TH-1 Twin .50 Starboard Teardrop Turret PB4Y-2 736  
 250TH-1 Twin .50 Port Teardrop Turret PB4Y-2 736  
Total All Types   3,074  


The PB4Y-1 was a naval version of the Army Air Forces B-24.  The most visible difference between the two aircraft was the replacement of B-24 bow turrets with the ERCO 240SH-1, 2.  At the beginning of World War Two, the U.S. Navy relied on flying boats and amphibious aircraft like the PBY Catalina and the PBM Mariner.  As the war progressed and island air bases became available in the Pacific Theater of Operations, the use of long range land based patrol aircraft became feasible.  At the same time, long range, land based patrol planes were needed to help defeat the U-boat menace in the North Atlantic.  The PB4Y-1 was an expedient first step to do this.  Photo courtesy of World War Photos.


In 2009 I was at the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston, TX.  During my visit, I took several photographs of the museum's PB4Y-2.  This was the first PB4Y-2 I had ever seen, and I found the gun turrets to be most interesting.  The bow turret and side turrets were of the types I had not seen before.  Thirteen years later, I was able to find these photos in my archives for use in this webpage on ERCO.  Author's photo.

At the time, the PB4Y-2 was registered as a flyable aircraft but had been severely damaged by the storm surge of salt water from Hurricane Ike in 2008.  Work was ongoing to make the aircraft air worthy again.  This was not to be.  In 2015 as the Lone Star Flight Museum moved to a location not so susceptible to hurricane damage in Houston, the PB4Y-2 was sold to the Pima Air & Space Museum.  There the aircraft was restored to excellent static display condition.

The PB4Y-2 was the U.S. Navy's ultimate long-range, land-based patrol aircraft in World War Two.  The basic B-24 fuselage was stretched for more crew space on long-range missions.  It also allowed room for a second dorsal turret.  The twin vertical stabilizers were replaced with a single large vertical stabilizer.


This is one of 736 ERCO 250SH-3 ball turrets that armed the bow of the PB4Y-2.  The ERCO 250SH-1 and 250SH-2 ball turrets were used on the earlier PB4Y-1.  Note how conformal and tight the fit is between the turret and the aircraft.  This was not the case in many installations of other models of bow turrets on the B-24.  The tight fit as shown here did not allow a lot of cold air to enter the aircraft.  This is made possible by the turret's configuration being almost perfectly spherical.  It is also more aerodynamic than other bow turrets for the B-24.  It is understandable why the Navy chose this turret to equip its PB4Y series long-range land-based patrol aircraft.  Most likely, the design and manufacture of the ERCO bow turret was requested by the U.S. Navy after being dissatisfied with the other available bow turrets.  The down side to this ball turret is that it has a cramped working space for the gunner.  Author's photo.

The ERCO 250SH-3 had an elevation range from -70 to +85 degrees.  In azimuth, its range of movement was +/-80 degrees.  It was hydraulically powered and had 1-1/2 inches of bullet proof glass and 1/2 inch of armor to protect the gunner.  It was equipped with a Mark 9 gun sight.


The PB4Y-2 was up on jacks when I visited.  The nose gear has been removed from the aircraft for repair.  Author's photo.


The starboard side turret for the PB4Y-2 was the ERCO 250TH-1.  The turret for the port side of the aircraft was the ERCO 250TH-2.  ERCO produced 736 of each type plus spares during World War Two.  Author's photo.


The PB4Y-2 was the only American aircraft to be equipped with twin .50 caliber machine guns for its waist turrets.  Author's photo.


This is a current state of the same PB4Y-2 as shown above.  It is now on display at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, AZ.  An ERCO ball turret is also on display next to the aircraft.  This image also shows the two top turrets in the aircraft.  Image courtesy of the Pima Air and Space Museum.


The National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, FL has a PB4Y-2 in its collection.  Author's photo.


The aircraft still has the ERCO bow turret installed in it.  Author's photo.


The tall vertical stabilizer is easily seen in this image.  Author's photo.

The next series of photos is of the PB4Y-2 on display at the Yankee Air Museum in Bellevue, MI. 


In 2008 the aircraft had a bright blue paint scheme.  The dorsal turrets and the side 250TH-2 turret can be seen.  Author's photo.


Author's photo.


The same aircraft was on display at the Yankee Air Museum's 2015 Thunder over Michigan Airshow.  It had been painted in the all dark blue paint scheme that the U.S. Navy introduced in late World War Two.  Author's photo.


The display also included the bottom half of an ERCO bow turret.  The front Martin dorsal turret can also be seen.  Author's photo.


In 2016 the aircraft had been moved into the last remaining building of the former World War Two Ford B-24 plant.  Author's photo.


Author's photo.

Post-World War Two Products:  ERCO's main post-World War Two products were flight simulators for military aircraft.  It built simulators for the F9F, F-86D/K, P2V-5, F4D, A3D, AD5N, RB-66, S2F, KC-135, P5M and F-105.  It also built a flight simulator for the ZP4K Goodyear blimp.  Another related product was submarine simulators.

Below are photos of the type of aircraft for which ERCO built flight simulators.


ERCO built 66 flight simulators for the F-86D/K.  Author's photo.


F4D.  Author's photo.


A3D.  Author's photo.


The RB-66 is the Air Force's version of the Navy's A3D.  Author's photo.


AD5.  Author's photo.


S2F.  Author's photo.


P2V.  Author's photo.


KC-135.  Author's photo.


F-105.  Author's photo.

 

 

 

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