R.A.F. EXPANSION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 118, 21 May 1938, Page 9

R.A.F. EXPANSION.

Activities of New Secretary For Air. MANY CONFERENCES. British Official Wireless. (Received 11.30 a.m.) RL'GBY, May 20. Sir Kingslev Wood. Secretary for Air, saw representatives of the "shadow" aircraft industry and discussed the progress of the scheme of "shadow factories" for the manufacture of aircraft, aeroengines and certain accessories. He Jitter attended a meeting of the Committee of Supplies recently set up «it the Air Ministry, and received reports on progress made in the issue of orders for aircraft and other essential material required for the expansion of the Royal Air Force. During the afternoon lie also saw Viscount N'uflield. the motor magnate, with, whom lie in understood to have discussed the question of rapid production of aircraft. It is also understood that Viscount Nuffield placed his services at the disposal of the Air Ministry. A later cable message states that Viscount Nuflield is opening the world's largest aircraft factory near Birmingham. In order to accelerate rearmament, he has agreed to place his entire mass-product .ion facilities at the disposal I of tile Boy a I Air Force. CRASH IN FLAMES. Soviet 'Plane Returning From Search in Arctic. FOUR FLYERS KILLED. (Received 1 p.m.) LONDON*, May 20. The "News Chronicle" Moscow correspondent states that while living home from Kudolf Island after a vain scsirch for the Soviet pilot Levanevcski, who disappeared with a crew of six while Hying to America from Moscow, an aeroplane caught fire and crashed, took oil' ngnin. and again crashed into the river at Archangel. . Four of the crew of Hi were killed, including the oldest Arctic pilot, M. Babushkin, who was associated with M. i'apanin'i-i scientific party on an icefloe. This brings the death roll to 24 in attempts to conquer tiie l"\orth Pole. FOUND UNHURT. "FLYING DOCTOR" AND PILOT. DARWIN. May 20. Dr. Alan J. King and his pilot. Mr. A. V. Cundy (not Mr. Reginald Robertson as was cabled yesterday), who were missing in their ambulance aeroplane have been found, apparently unharmed iif> miles from their destination, till Victoria Klver Downs station.