Convair CV 880 Jetliners Under Construction 1959
Video from the channel strack jee main about Convair 880, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 12:12. Language: English. Video type: Archive footage.
What it shows
An educational film about work at an airframe plant during the construction of a commercial jet. It shows the cutting and forming of stainless steel, aluminum and titanium parts, the assembly of the fuselage, wings and tail, and riveting with automatic machines. Also the installation of the hydraulic, fuel and control systems, cabin insulation and the electrical wiring of the flight deck. It ends with load tests using hydraulic jacks and landing gear tests.
When and where it was filmed
According to the title, it is from 1959. It is an episode of the series "Americans at Work," broadcast as a public service by the AFL-CIO labor federation.
Context
The narrator highlights the workers' skill, including members of the International Association of Machinists and women operating riveting machines. He puts the number of subcontractors and suppliers at more than 60,000. He describes an aircraft nearly 130 feet long, with a 120-foot wingspan and more than 175,000 pounds at takeoff, with engine nacelles that could be replaced in 30 minutes. According to the video, up to three and a half years could pass between design and first flight.