VYSOCANY PLANT OF AERO IN PRAGUE-VYSOCANY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A004200240001-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 6, 2002
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: September 15, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

CLASSIFICATION CONFIDEN'T'IAL - U. S. OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For(Lj - /OL(8fNAAAF ?R9r00810A0ff3g 4Q,0o01
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO. I`~
COUNTRY Czechoslovakia
SUBJECT Vysocany Plant of Aero in Prague-Vysocany
PO1 C
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
25X1A
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
116
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO. 25X1X
G I BIB. 6, "1 was la ated at 42 ft* uIi a in
aa
he works were suxiroun e a 4 ut 2.50 meters high. Source believed that the
Mro-Vysocany plant at w~'Ya~>' was no independent enterprise, but belonged to
a large combine.LSource knew only a few leading men of the plant, all of them civilians
of Czechoslovakian nationality, including Bocek, deputy manager, 180 cm high, 45 years
old, lean, with brown greying hair, who simultaneously was chief of the cadre de-
partment; Blecha e -P QC t6la partment, 170 cm high, 40 years old, rather
ILLEGIB stout, bald; Ko ry council, 175 cm high, 30 years old, a
rabid Communist , der of the "Velke Slovenskow worksj~ gnt.
Source estimated it at 1,500 to 2,000 persons, about half of
them women. the kers was about 30 years, Skilled
ILLEGIB were relatively scarce; oyes
joining the enterprise. ee 8
unpaid special shifts, SF hift
occasionally ordered.
-++G +a+ul-no y1-Vuue u iiirue J1Lju-17 fuselages including rudder units and cabin roofs
per day, It was generally known in the works that only MMlIG--15 fuselages were
manufactured. Except for a few necessary castings which
ILLEGIB
situated in another place, components for the
aircraft plant, where the fuselages were also
Wings, and elevator units were not produced by
i.n mid-1953, a shop meeting dbussed the prop
uselages. As a detailed discus
delivered by a faun
the daily output of the
this increase would
-nufactured at iIEGIB
,dipped with rudder units.
t fitted there either.
nsion of the daily working time of every worker to at least 9 1/2
the side of women workers. The general trend consequently vwasJto hire
worker engaged wa: obliged to sign a contract for three years,
3. About twice a week the completed fuselages were picked up,mostly in the afternoon,
by military Tatra-111 trucks.which were not equipped for these hauling missions and
which were driven by drivers who wore blue uniforms. Every fuselage was covered with
canvas. It was generally known at the plant that the aircraft fuselages were shipped
to a fact in Vodoc1 ody, west of the ?rogue .Litozi erjoe i o d abut 7.5 km south of
Rice, where the bodies were fitted with wings,, elevator units and engines.. Source
LSTAN NAVY x` -
AIR FBI
0240001-8
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I.LLEGIB
ILLEGIB
umber 1952, a Soviet MiG-15 made a force
damaged. It was taken to the Vysocany Aes
for some time after being repaired. Source observed
xactly the same shape as the fuselage produced at
~relessly. Defects included paps between individual
~s of the sheets, and poor riveting.
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CONFIDE
. OF PIC IALS
d from a man who was worlcing at the Avia 4rcraft f.ant in Cakovice
ngs for MiG-15 aircraft were produced there and delivered to
Since source had learned from another c at the Motorl t
in Prague-Jinonice that the jet engines se workL16
also cTelxvered to Vodochody, he believed it very p .&!1; .G-15
aircraft were completely assembled at the Vodochod -~SourE L IB
no information as to where the completed aircraft As one ~thhird of
least part of the output, about 30 fuselages per month, was delivered
the completed fuselages were marked by Cyrillic le lieu,
ity of the MiG-15s produced in Czechoslo
auced in the USSR. He based his opinion
Source did not know anything of a research or development department at the works
nor of plc s for another line of production in addition to the production of MiG-15
fuselages''?In the summer of 1953, pavement work was started on all free sites
at the aircraft plant. Electric trucks were used for transportation within the
works area, while two trucks and one Tatraplan sedan were used for road
transportation. The entire machinery of the works was electrically driven and the
existing boilerhouse was used only for heating purposes. No large quantities of
materials were stored within the works. Supply of materials was well regulated.
All work was done on a piece work basis. The monthly average wage of a workman
amounted to about 900 Kcs. All working rooms of the factory were equipped with
foam fire extinguishers and the workst fire brigade, with 15 firemen permanently
ready for action, had two fire engines with accessories and one ambulance which
was used in case of accidents. The workkwere guarded by a factory guard of 50 men,
while a special works' militia consisting of 23 men,went into action in exceptional
cases as, for instance, on occasion of the uprisings at the currency reform.
1. C on No information is available on an ai r?t:r ? ..t. assembling plant or an
airfield.at Vodochoay where Mi.-15s could be tested. Perhaps source wanted to state
that the fuselages were shipped in the "direction of Vodochody" and not to
Vodochody itself.. According to previous reports, tests flights with Czechoslovakian
jet fighters were made at Zatec (:$a.az) airfield. Vodlochodv is-situated between
Prague and Saaz. The only fact ory,:,eonne`cted with the:?alr?o-raft industry in the
region of Vodochody was the Letov -bfa itl 'oTanf. at Kralupv which was probably
engaged in repairing glider ,planes. It is believed that the assembling of the
jet aircraft w1 rtisferred to the newly built works in Kunovice where the
only Czechoslovakian factory airfield with runways siu te1 for testing; jet fighters
exists.
2.. II Comment. As late as earLy 1952, the Aero Aircraft Works was the central
designing office and development plant of the C,echn,sl ov tkia.n aircraft industry.
From November 1948 until 1952, it was directed by engineer K.Toma.s. The aircraft
plant is now believed to'manufajcture aircraft components. If this information should
be true, it would imply that no aircraf? are any longer developed in Czechoslovakia
and that the Czechoslovakian aircraft ihd i ,ry-has prnctically become a part of _,
the Soviet aircraft inchtstrv, :iixe ?i't ,is believed th.t the production of MiG-15s
was started in early 1952, the reorganization of the ~4works for the production of
this type must have taken nla.ce in mid-1951.
CONFIDEN')?`U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
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 Approved For Release 2002/07/24: CIA-RDP80-00810A004200240001-8
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CONFIDENTIAL - U. S. OFFICIALS ONL
1 71
Comments:
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Information from the same informant on the subject of this report may have been
distributed through other channels.
1. The Czechoslovak 4eletype Subscribers Directory of 1952 lists the Vysocany
Plant of Aero, National Enterprise, at ul. Julia Fucika 305, in Prague.
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The factory at Vodochody to which source refers is the Rudy Letov Plant No. If.
designing office and development plant of t e zec os a
From November 19+8 until 1952, it was directed by engineer K. Tomas. The aircraft
plant' is now believed to manufacture aircraft components. If this information
should be true, it would imply that no aircraft axe any longer developed in Czech-
oslovakia and that the Czechoslovakian aircraft ifdustry has practically. become a
part of the Soviet aircraft industry. Since it is believed that the production
of MiO-15s was started in early 1952, the reorganization of the works for the
production of this type must have taken place in mid-1951.
Ocomment: As late as early 1952, the Aero,'ircraftf)(orks was the central
h C h lov lien aircraft industry.
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 Approved For Release 2002/07/24: CIA-RDP80-0081OA004200240001-8
CONFIDEN'T'IAL - U. S. OFFICIALS ONLY
Diagram of the Aero-yZsocany Plant
27
200 m
35Z----"
,7
Not to sca;e;
16 m
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CO PID NTIAL/C~- p~CIAL n dLY_r
Legend:
1 Emergency exit
2 Gate
3 `M%in porter's lodge
4 Probably designing office, three-story building
5 Galvanize plant, single-story building, 40 x 10 meters.
A maximum: of 15 employees worked at. the plant.
vats, 1 x 1x 2 meters
6 Fitting departmentp two-storyjbiailding, 20 x 20 meters
A total of about 10 machines ire?e fi~stalled there
7 Station of fire brigade
g storage of fir fighting equipment
9. Sand blast statioi occupied by two workers
10 Garages, 12 x 15 meters
11 Storage' depot forI completed rear sections of
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aircraft fuselages, 25 x 15 meters
12. through
35 Storage of reserve machinery and equipment
.16 4ke Slovens department, 100 x 20 meters..
"4L a
rl
; f'+ 50 i? the
t 60 '. k
b
-
e
ea
y s
f a
o
, and abc it 20 in the night shift. Half of the workers were
afternoon shift
,
women. Rear sections of ~.iG-15 fuselages were assembled in Sub-Departments
Nos.2nl.and 232. No machknery was available except for electrical hand-boring
machines, grinding..maehires, and riveting machines. Five assembly affolds
Mere seen in? aub,- artment Ito- 233. The fuselages were provided wi skins
in aub=.Departments" os 234 and 235.
17 "Male Slovensko" department, 120 x 20 meters.
Work was done in"three shifts; about 150 workers were assigned to the early
morning shift, which was the strangest of all. A total of 120 metal working
machines, manly,medium sized lathes, were installed in the shop
18 Messhall, si 4e-story structure, 15 x 10 meters
19 Administration building, four-story 'ouilding, 20 x.20 meters
20 Cloakroom, single-story structure, 50 x 10 meters
21 Maintenance shop, 50 x 10 meters
.22 Electric-shop, 50 x 10 meters
23 and
24 Carpentry shop, 50 x 10 meters
25 Porter's lodge B
26 Issuance of tools, 50 x 10 meters
27 Dispensary; 20 x 15 meters
28 Lathe shop, 25 x 20 meters
About 40 men worked in the early morning shift. Work done there was similar
to that a.t the "Male Slovensko" department.
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CONF`IDEN'TIAL/
k - QFF10IAL5
29 Locksmith shop, 25 x 20 meters.
About 5O men worked in the early morning shift. The shop was mainly equipped
wi benche, some lathes, besides milling and grinding machinesy were
available
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30 Boiler house, 15 x 10 meters
31 Guard house and CMS office, 40 x 10 meters
32 Assembly department.
About 200 men worked in the early morning shift; slightly fewer workers were
asap:+1nio the aft ernoon and night shifts. out two-thirds of the floor
sed forassembly work, the remainder served as finishing. shop and
was"d with grinding machines, presses, pneumatic hammers, a total of
eb~txt 20 machines. A gallery extended along the walls df the shop. The forward
sections of aircraft fuselages were assembled on this gallery, while on the
floor o,f the hall,the entire fuselages were assembled. Machinery or cranes
were not available.
33 Yard
34 Concreted area
35 Fuel dump on a slope, the fuel drums were semi-underground.
LIBRARY SUBJECT AND AREA. CODES
C-02-0404.
743. 141
9/51+
44W743 141
1+-5/743.141 27M
743.143 27m
7 11/743.141 N(ZM)
7-12/743.141 27M(N)
9/743.141 27M
-743.151 27M
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