In April 1942 the US government seized Brewster and placed the former head of the Naval Aircraft Factory in charge. The official justification included the Miranda brothers' criminal records. Frustration within the Bureau of Aeronautics at exports delaying Navy fighter production is offered as a probable additional motive. A wish to concentrate output on Buccaneers, Corsairs, and other assigned aircraft is another suggested explanation. Under direct supervision Brewster functioned more like another Naval Aircraft Factory, building designs selected elsewhere. That arrangement improved production discipline but removed the independence needed to develop a successor generation of Brewster fighters.
Chapter · 52:43-54:17
Why the US government took control of Brewster
The April 1942 seizure put Brewster under a former Naval Aircraft Factory chief and shifted it toward supervised production of Navy-selected designs.