Britain Matching Nazi Air Power

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 207, 2 September 1939, Page 3 (Supplement)

Britain Matching Nazi Air Power

WITH priority for the Air Force in men and materials, plus a spending programme of £250,000 a day, Britain is making a dogged effort to match German air power. The undertaking is tremendous, but although the British programme is not yet within striking distance of its goal, there is strong evidence that the near future may bring surprising changes in the European aviation picture.

No foreign observer has seen all of Germany's admittedly powerful air force, and the British are reluctant to lift the veil on their own programme to any real extent; consequently comparison between the two falls into a highly speculative realm. However, odd pieces of information take on a significant pattern when fitted together, revealing 1 some of the measures being taken to duplicate, through use of rich resources what Germany—energetic and purposeful, btit starved for raw materials—was able to do through organisation and application of technical skill.

The British aviation industry's labour force was increased 40 per cent during the first six months of 1939, according to official figures. More than £5,000,000 was provided for aeronautical research and development in the new Air Estimates, and the nation is already spending £200,000 a day for aircraft production—a figure which will rise still further.

By---Tenby Arkwright

Copyright. Xext year "riant l»oml>in<i 'planes for which the British Air Ministry lias placed contracts in large numbers will start to fly the Atlantic Ocean non stop from Canada, their place of construction, to the British T-des. A short time later these 'planes will be joined at military airfields by other 'planes from Australia and. possibly, New Zealand. An official British mission cc.nposed of some of the leading minds concerned with warplane production is drawing up plans for bringing these Dominions into a mass production programme.

What may prove to be one of the most important developments in Britain's production technique is the recently revealed "group" plan. Its object is to reduce the number of airplane designs and thereby bring about economical as well as rapid quantity production. Under its operation three or four firms will be forme<l into a group and orders will be placed among the group members for the manufacture of one type of 'plane.

John Bull spends £250,000 a day—and production rises 400 per cent. By 1940 Britain hopes to have Hitler matched, 'plane for 'plane, and pilot for pilot.

The idpa is to organise the industry on a basis which will facilitate largescale planning and ordering, and have the advantages of lessening the volume of technical work through all stages of designs, development and inspection, also of simplifying training, maintenance, store-holding and equipment through the service. The scheme will reduce the dislocation that might result in wartime if one of the manufacturing units was unable to continue in production.

The research branch of British aero- Under the war-threat spur, the Briliautics, which is soon to be augmented, tisli Air Ministry has come into full already is putting forth intensive efforts, 'cassation of the great importance of ii C 1 1 c • J these aids to navigation in military pa no,la. ly in the field of engine de- aviation . It has £, st estab]ished k yelopment. Great progress is being made "special directorate" to consider the 111 the development of air-cooled engines, technical problems involved. Great Briwhicli lend themselves to inclusion in ta i» is experimenting also to find all the designs of new 400 miles per hour applications of the Handleypursuit 'planes lacking in "drag" be- si'dcra hu'Th " lllcl J decreases concause of their streamlining. The air- h L d anger 6 of wlnp stall near cooled sleeve valve radial engine is in 1 conducting remass production. iZ I P[?'. leD } lf lando..-» • /-. j mg-flaps can be utilised to land bi" Biitain, Germany and other European bombing 'planes in small areas. nations are far behind the United State% _ , ~ in the use of landing beams, direction- production figures on the number of finders and systems of communication planes now being turned out by between ground and air. f, 1 J! . lactones are not available, but the British Air Ministry claims that before the end of this year monthly output will have increased 400 per cent over the output a year ago, when a general speeding went into effect. Eleven factories which were established under the ' shadow plan' are in production. .The Koyal Air Force now numbers over 100,000 officers and men—and is expanding. Almost all observers agree that Britain's flying personnel lacks" the allround "finish" of German pilots, many of whom began their training in fragile gliders at an early age. However, the various volunteer reserves, including the civil training schools and university air squadrons, are turning out manv experienced pilots to act as reservoir from which the Royal Air Force can draw. The Force itself will be increased to

11S,000 this year, and Sir Kingsley Wood lias called for 75,000 more men for the Force and its reserves and auxiliaries during the next year. Realising that modern war 'planes call for high standards of piloting ability, the British Government is working on plans for organisation of special training schools where pilots and air crews may receive operational training. Three new service flying schools are to be opened soon, and courses in navigation are to be made part of the training at all such schools. The Royal Air Force expansion is not confined to squadrons of the British Isles. 1 our new overseas squadrons were formed last year, and the present overseas force amounts to 30 squadrons, with more to come. Using the training facilities of these R.A.F. units, as well as civil flying schools, the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve has formed units in such out-of-the-way places as Malaya, Hongkong and East Africa. There has been criticism that the policies of the British Air Ministry had been too much concerned with purely defensive measures. It is beginning to appear that these critics were mistaken, for a striking force able to carrv the war to whatever enemy attempts to attack England is one of the main objectives which has the attention of the military minds of the British Government. Field-Marshal Hermann Wilhelm Gocring said recently: "The German Air Force is the terror of its enemies—and will remain so." The British Government's activities are causing those who agree with the first part to add a not-too-uncertain "maybe" to their acceptance of the second portion.