R.A.F. STRENGTH

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26491, 4 August 1951, Page 7

R.A.F. STRENGTH

“OUT OF RUNDOWN PERIOD”

LONDON, August 2. The Royal Air Force has "got out of the run-down period,” and although there is no cause for complacency. Its position is very much better than it was three, four or five years ago. Orders have been placed by the Air Ministry for aircraft and ancilliary equipment exceeding £500,000,000. The Russian Air Force would be Capable, from its present bases, of delivering an attack on the United Kingdom which would be heavier than the. Germans were able to deliver at their peak. But Britain’s Canberra is recognised as the outstanding light jet bomber in the world to-day, while the new four-engined jet bomber Valiant, which is now firing, will be superior to the Canberra in range, speed, altitude, and load-carrying capacity, and will give Britain toe lead in heavy jet bombers. The new Hawker P 1067 is designed to deal, with any bomber likely to be in service for some time to come, and it will be faster and have a higher performance than the American FB6 and the Russian MIG 15. These were among the main points made by the Secretary of State for Air (Mr Arthur Henderson) and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Air (Mr Aidan Crawley) in the House of Commons during the debate On the equipment of the Royal Air Force. The Royal Air Force would like to replace long-range transport aircraft such as the Hastings with jet aircraft, and it might be that something on the lines of the Comet would be selected. There was a sufficient reserve of Hastings aircraft for some years to come, but if more transport aircraft were reouired a number of American Clo9s might be obtained. It had been planned that the Americans should undertake almost the whole sphere of strategic bombing.