CIVIL AVIATION IN BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25274, 28 August 1947, Page 3

CIVIL AVIATION IN BRITAIN

TIME LOST DURING WAR

LORD NATHAN PREDICTS EARLY RECOVERY (P.A.) AUCKLAND, August 27. “By the early 1950’s Britain will make up the leeway in civil aviation lost during the war and will sweep the skies,” said the British Minister of Civil Aviation (Lord Nathan) in an interview to-day. He said Britain during the war had devoted herself exclusively to the production of military aircraft by arrangement with the United States. There was no doubt the United States was ahead of Britain to-day in civil aviation, but he thought the British were ahead in engines. Asked whether Britain’s economic crisis would hinder progress. Lord Nathan said the crisis had become worse since he left Britain. It was possible that in the order of priorities civil aviation development might have to be revised, but it would be continued. British aircraft for use on the British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines route across the Pacific are not yet in sight, Lord Nathan said. The service is at present operated by Australian National Airways with Ameri-can-made Skymaster aircraft. Four new Solent flying-boats would be used on the Tasman service, but American aeroplanes were likely to continue in use for some time across the Pacific, said Lord Nathan. He mentioned a new British model, the Hermes, and said that if she proved satisfactory as a medium-range craft it was possible that fresh engines would be fitted to convert the Hermes into a likely long-range aircraft.