297. Weight Group Operation in Relation to the Bureau of Naval Weapons

Paper

Abstract

This paper was presented at the 20th Annual National Conference of the Society of Aeronautical Weight Engineers at Akron, Ohio, May 15-18, 1961. This paper describes a ‘counterpart’ system used to promote communication between the weight engineer and the design team, as weight engineers frequently must operate through lengthy formal channels, which leave them virtually as anonymous members of the design team. In the TALOS program, Bendix as prime contractor, the Bureau of naval Weapons and its associated agencies, the Technical Director, and all the major subcontractors have developed a ‘counterpart’ system which expedites, and assists in, the development of a weapon system program. In the counterpart system, cognizant individuals in each of these agencies, at similar levels, in their respective organization with similar design responsibilities, communicate directly with each other on a frequent, informal basis to resolve program problems. This paper further describes in detail the functioning of this counterpart system in the TALOS weapon system program, and shows relationships between the prime contractor’s weight group and the Bureau of Naval Weapons and its associated agencies, the Technical Director, and within the Mishawaka Division of the Bendix Corporation.