HEAVY BOMBERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 270, 13 November 1943, Page 5

HEAVY BOMBERS

AUSTRALIAN MOVE Step In Manufacture Of War And CivH Aircraft N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. 10 a.m. MELBOURNE, this clay. The decision to manufacture heavy bombers in Australia was announced by the Prime Minister, Mr. Curtin, last night. He said it was a sound step in the development of the Australian aircraft industry because it followed logically on the current production of Beaufort and Beaufighter types of aircraft. Mr. Curtin said that it would be an interim step towards the manufacture of high-class transport planes, and by developing its capacity to produce a heavy type of aircraft Australia would be reassured against any mishaps in the likely course of the war, and would also be progressing towards the manufacture of both war and civil aircraft in the post-war period. Australia, he said, could not afford to repeat the risk taken in this war of being dependent on overseas supplies of aircraft. Strong air defence was vitally important to Australia in the post-war period for many reasons. Civil aviation was not only the solution to many of Australia's plentiful problems, but provided reserves for air defence in the form of ground facilities, aircraft and trained personnel.