Martin B-26 bomber

The Martin B-26 bomber entered the book’s account through an inquiry into problems with the aircraft and a blunt confrontation over its design. When the Glenn L. Martin Company’s head acknowledged that the wings were too narrow, the committee pressed him on why the flaw had not been corrected, turning a technical defect into a test of wartime procurement oversight.

Design Problem and Inquiry

The committee was investigating the cause of trouble with the B-26. Martin himself told its members that the bomber’s wings were not wide enough. The account gives no technical measurements or further description of the aircraft, but makes the defect central to the exchange: the committee wanted to know why a known design problem remained unresolved.

The Contract Challenge

Asked why the wings had not been fixed, Martin said that the plans had advanced too far and that he already had the contract. Harry S. Truman replied that, if Martin’s position was that the design could not be changed, the committee would see that the contract was ended. Martin then said he would correct the wings’ size. The exchange records a promise to make the correction, not confirmation that it was completed.

Significance in the Oversight Record

The episode shows the committee using the prospect of contract termination to challenge a contractor’s reliance on the late stage of a project and the security of an existing award. In the book’s wider account of wartime investigations, the B-26 inquiry exemplifies oversight brought directly to bear on a production problem: the committee asked for an explanation, made continuation of the contract conditional on the contractor’s response, and obtained a commitment to change the design.