VAST GROWTH IN AIR FLEET

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 68, 18 September 1917, Page 8

VAST GROWTH IN AIR FLEET

ENGLAND HAS 100 FACTORIES AT

WORK.

! The output of aircraft in Great Britain is increasing, according to Dr. Addison, Minister of Munitions. He stated last month that since last January,- when the Ministry became responsible to the Flying Services for supply, the '^programme had been steadily and largely increased. It was still expanding, and no limit could be set to it until the country had enough airplanes and seaplanes, both for attack and defence. "No fewer than 100 factories are engaged on some process or other connected with the construction and equipment of the flying machine," Dr. Addison said. "Output is increasing' by leaps and bounds. If for the purpose of comparison you put the number of airplanes produced in May, 1916, at 100, then in May of this year the number rose to rather more than 300. Even this rate of increase is being accelerated. The output in December will be twice what it was in April, and the December total will be far surpassed in succeeding months. The number of airplane engines turned out monthly has been more than doubled this year already, and this total will be doubled again before'the 1 close of the year. ,

"A growing number of workers are employed in the airplane factories, the increase in the last five months being 25 per cent, on the previous total. To meet the demand for labour' special schools have been started .all over the country, where a training of about two months qualifies a pupil to carry out some simple process in airplane manufacture." ■ ' \

Dr. Addison also declared that special difficulties had to be overcome. Speed, climbing power, and armament have continually increased and improved. "Where there is no finality there is a limit to standardisation except in small details, and the problem of supervising the manufacture of our airplanes is correspondingly complicated," he said. - ■