RAPID PRODUCTION OF WARPLANES

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 104, 26 January 1939, Page 11

RAPID PRODUCTION OF WARPLANES

Britain’s Expansion Scheme Well Under Way ADVANTAGES OF SHADOW FACTORY SYSTEM Dominion Special Service. LONDON, January 5. Britain’s 1937 R.A.F. building programme envisaged a first-line strength of 1750 aircraft for home defence, to be built by March, 1939, and at the beginning of last year the programme was expanded to a strength of 2370 aircraft for home defence by 1940. . In 500 planes were to be built for overseas service, and the Fleet Air Arm was to be equipped with new aircraft as soon as aircraft-carriers were available for their accommodation. According to official forecasts, the sums earmarked for the Air Force in 1939 will aggregate approximately £200,000,000, or about £80,000,(XX) more than the 1938 estimate. The programmes for the following years are not available in detail, but it is officially stated, that between 5000 and 6000 fighter aircraft either have been or will be ordered for delivery by 19-11.

During tho year 1938 there has also been a considerable expansion in the Air Force personnel. Last March the force mustered some 69,500 men; at present its strength is about 85,000, and by June next it should be about 100,000; but still larger numbers will ultimately be required. A large air force will not be of much avail on active service unless it is backed by an aircraft industry capable of maintaining continuously the necessary first line strength. Some idea of the rapid industrial expansion which has been necessary to fulfil Britain’s rearmament programme may be gained from the fact that the production of aircraft last October was some 50 per eent. greater than in the previous May, and that before next May it will have been increased by 150 per cent. The number of workpeople engaged on the construction of fighting planes has risen. 15 per cent, during the last two months alone, and over the past two years it has more than doubled. Sub-Contracting Firms. The impact of such an enormous expansion might well have produced chaos in the aircraft industry, bad not the Air Ministry (jevised schemes for spreading orders over a very largo proportion of the nation’s industrial system. The regular aircraft industry is now reinforced by some 3500 subcontracting firms which are engaged on the manufacture of air-frame or engine components, the components being assembled by skilled workmen within the industry. These components are manufactured by firms normally engaged in the motor-car, electrical, ship-building and railway industries. In addition, cooperation between the Air Ministry and industrialists of all kinds is closer than has ever before been attained during peace time. Three great benefits have resulted from the system outlined above. A dangerous over-expansion of the aircraft industry has been averted, and business has been given to thousands of needy manufacturing firms; new sources of skilled labour which would not have been available under normal conditions have been utilized ; and "nally, firms and workers not usually engaged in the manufacture of aircraft are gaining valuable experience which will stand them and the nation in good stead during time of war.