TUDOR AIRLINER

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25299, 26 September 1947, Page 7

TUDOR AIRLINER

GOVERNMENT INQUIRY TO BE HELD

8.0.A.C. REPLIES TO ALLEGATIONS (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, September 24. The Minister of Supply (Mr John Wilmot), in agreement with the Minister of Civil Aviation (Lord Nathan) has decided to appoint a board of three members to make an immediate inquiry and to report upon the development and production of Tudor aircraft for the British Overseas Airways Corporation. The board of the B.OAC. later issued a statement that the board regretted that the managing director of A. V. Roe (Sir Roy Dobson) had made a statement to the newspapers placing the responsibility for delays in bringing Tudor I aircraft into service upon the 8.0A..C. The board emphatically denied the’ accuracy of this and other allegations which Sir Roy Dobson had made. “The corporation considers it essential that an inquiry should be made into these charges, ’ it said. The charges were made by Sir Roy Dobson at a press conference in Manchester. where he accused “a certain element in the 8.0 AC." of delaying the production of tile Tudor I to justify their preference for buying American aircraft

Sir Roy Dobson said he believed that there was some ulterior motive behind the desire for more alterations involving repeated delays. Bri» tain’s export trade had suffered severely from anti-Tudor and anti-British propaganda. Giving details of the modifications which the 8.0.A.C. had called for. he estimated that they would cost the taxpayer about £10,900,000. He called for every effort to be made to restore the reputation of the Tudor, which was in the front rank of the world’s aircraft. “A wider issue will be raised at the inquiry, which is likely to be eventful, said the aviation correspondent of the 8.8. C. in a news broadcast. “The 8.0.A.C. wished to cut its losses by using aeroplanes which paid the best, whitm in this case were United States aeroplanes, but British aviation needed the experience that could be gained u ' se of interim types. The B.O.AXJ. is likely to ask for a reconsideration of all orders for aeroplanes.”