PLANES FOR R.N.Z.A.F.

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28972, 13 August 1959, Page 16

PLANES FOR R.N.Z.A.F.

Air Marshal’s Mission

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, August 12.

Long-range anti-submarine and communications aircraft that may be bought for the R.N.Z.A.F. will be inspected by the Chief of the Air Staff (Air Vice-Marshal M. F. Calder), who will leave tomorrow for Singapore, Canada, the United States, and Britain. Air ViceMarshal Calder will examine all that is offering in long-term planning. Among the aircraft he will see will be the Lockheed Hercules (the military version of the Electra), 12 of which have been bought by Australia for the carriage of troops and munitions, the long-range Canadian Argus, for anti-submarine operations, and the refurbished Martin Mariner flyingboat.

He will establish the availability, price, and terms of these aircraft, for decision as to purchase. It is known that flying-boats will not be abandoned by the Royal New Zealand Air Force if a modern substitute for the Sunderland is available. In New Zealand's island territories, and for work over areas which have atoll landing areas, flying-boats have proved almost indispensable.

Air Vice-Marshal Calder will be away for eight weeks. He will visit New Zealand squadrons at Singapore before going to Britain (where he will attend a meeting of the Chiefs of Staff in the United Kingdom and will attend the Farnborough air show). Canada, and the United States. It will be his duty to see all that is offering. There is no likelihood that the 300-mile-an-hour Douglas DC6 airliners which are being offered for sale by T.E.A.L. will be purchased by the R.N.Z.A.F. They have now been up for sale for the last two months without any offers. Informed opinion is that they are still likely to be on offer when Air Vice-Marshal Calder returns about the middle of October.

The position will be reviewed then. It is believed that both Air Vice-Marshal Calder and the Minister of Defence (Mr Connolly) are against purchasing secnnd-hand civil planes for military transport. The likelihood is that something modern, with a life of 10 years or more, will be chosen.