Return Of The Iron Giant

It is this power, combined with amazing precision—its tolerances are measured in thousandths of an inch—that gives the Fifty its far-reaching utility. It has made essential parts for industrial gas turbines, helicopters, and spacecraft. Every manned U.S. military aircraft now flying uses parts forged by the Fifty. So does every commercial aircraft made by Airbus and Boeing.

So says The Atlantic in a fascinating short piece about the rehabilitation of the Alcoa Fifty. In one of those examples of government-industry collaboration that twists the knickers of libertarians and ultra-liberals alike, the United States Government sponsored a “Heavy Press Program” after World War II so American industry could forge massive aircraft parts. The presses were paid for with public money then used by private companies such as Alcoa. Having been brought back to life after a shutdown, the Fifty will now make parts for the Joint Strike Fighter and operate for at least thirty more years.

Russia has a 75,000-ton press, and the Chinese are working on an 80K monster. Without a press of the Fifty’s scale, it is impossible for an individual nation to build large-scale aircraft without outside assistance.

So… if large-scale government intervention and engineering assistance has made the Jet Age possible, why couldn’t something similar be done for American industry?

It’s very tempting to draw some sort of generic lesson concerning this country from a compare-and-contrast between 1950 and 2009. Sixty-two years ago, it was assumed that American know-how and engineering were equal, or superior, to what any other country had to offer. Furthermore, it was assumed that America would build the future, not leverage it, hostile-takeover it, credit-default-swap it, download it, or watch it happen overseas. The Heavy Press Program was based around that idea that the American Government would build the presses and American companies would use them to ensure the greatness of America. That idea was a sound one, and it worked.

When the “bailout” happened, there was no talk about greatness, or innovation, or the future in the Donald Fagen “I.G.Y.” sense. Instead, an unthinkable amount of money was borrowed from China and others then handed over to GM and Chrysler. Chrysler later on became a partner with FIAT, while General Motors continued to pursue an aggressive program of manufacturing expansion in China, Mexico, and elsewhere while mailing-off the major portions of its small-car programs to Korea.

If the United States Government in 1950 was playing the role of the father who agrees to buy tools so his son can build a Pinewood Derby car and win an important competition, in 2012 it played the role of indulgent grandmother to a pair of crackheads, handing cash to people who promise to clean up and get a job right after they score their next hit. The bailout may well have saved the American auto industry, and it almost certainly prevented a major section of the economy from simply disappearing, but it didn’t do anything to promote greatness. The “Fifty” produced the Boeing jet bombers and a global era of American aeronautical dominance; the bailout produced the Volt Dance.

It’s also tempting to suggest that there should be some sort of governmental program to produce the next step in personal mobility, but the truth is the country needs energy answers a lot more urgently than it needs a 100-mpg super-hybrid, even if such a thing could be built. One of the commenters on the Atlantic article suggested a “Heavy Fusion Program”, which is probably closer to the mark. A Manhattan-Project-style national effort centered around creating a safe, future-proofed source of energy would do more to promote world peace and harmony than anything else.

One thing nobody is suggesting doing, obviously, is building a press to match or beat the new Chinese giant. This is 2012. The Space Shuttle is grounded, the American teenager is on Facebook, and the future is made in China.