‘DEFECTS IN S.S.T.’

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32301, 20 May 1970, Page 10

‘DEFECTS IN S.S.T.’

Allegations Of Secrecy

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

WASHINGTON, May 18. A United States Congressman alleged today that a Government report listing serious defects in America's supersonic transport aircraft wasi being kept secret by the Transportation Department. Mr Henry Reuss (Democrat), a frequent critic of the rival to the British-French Concorde, said he had learned that the memorandum reported that the defects were serious enough to give the’ Government grounds to cancel its contract with the Boeing Aircraft Company. “The memorandum says that the aircraft will be much heavier and noisier than called for in the original specifications, and will require a longer runway than was first estimated,” Mr Reuss said in a statement. "The weight increase will cut down the S.S.T.’s range and passengercargo capacity.” The deputy manager of the Transportation Department’s supersonic programme, however, denied today that there were defects in the aircraft serious enough to consider cancelling the contract, and: he said he had no knowledge of any memorandum. Congressional testimony released last week disclosed that the cost of the S.S.T. would be SUS76m higher than the budget estimate, and that it would be four months behind its production schedule.