SURPLUS AIRCRAFT

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 123, 25 May 1920, Page 2

SURPLUS AIRCRAFT

A COLOSSAL DEAL £100,000.000 PURCHASE. (FROM OCR OWN COItRCSKOXDnST.) LONDON, 16th. March. A combination of wealthy city financiers, under tk«! name of the Aircraft Disposal Company, Ltd., are the purchasers of the -whole of the Royal Air Force surplus aircraft, " llie figure involved being stated as approximating £100,000,000. The well-known aircraft manufacturers, Handley Page, Ltd., of Cricklewood, are memfcers of the syndicate, and v>'ill act as technical advisers and sole agents for tha disposal of the material. Messrs. Handley Page, Ltd., said that the Bale by the British Government of all its surplus r.ircrat't material, engines, spares, and accessories was completed easly in March. The purchase was not made directly from the Government, but the Aircraft Disposal Company,. Ltd., has now taken over the whole of the benefits and liabilities of the purchasers. The company comprises widespread British interests, and has been specially formed to carry on the whole of the work previously undertaken by the Ministry of Munitions in disposing of the surplus ftooks of heavier-than-air machines and ecuiipment. Offices' have been taken in Kingsway, and. the'organisation will :eTOove there from the present Disposal Board offices. The whole of the storage, organisation, and management of the large aircraft depots all over the country wii.' nass into the hands of the company. The Disposal Board since the Armistice hay* sold large numbers of machines, but their potential sales have been very .much liandic&poed by, their, limitation to selling machines ;;s the.y stand. Many of the machines for disposal are quite new, but in order to ensure that every machine, engines, accessory, and snare is in uprfect condition, detailed inspection will take placs before delivery, and certificates of i.irVrTi't.hineßs'wiH be given for all machines sold. WORK FOR AIRMEN AND MECHANICS. Bather more than 10,000 aeroplanes and, 35,000 engines have passed into the hands of the purchasers. These, together with spare parts, hangars, stores, and equipment, are scattered over the country at dumps, aerodromes, and in stores, generally in charge simply of a guard 'furnished, by- the R.A.F. The aerodromes will .be cleared as quickly as possible, so that the ground may be handed back to the Government for disposal. _ Competent members of the staff of the Disposal Boai'd, including those 1 of the expert, technical, and clerical departments will pass over to .the Aircraft Disposal Board, and the work of clearing, assembling, classifying, testing, and so on, will give emrjloyment to a. Eieater number than already engaged. It is hoped to find work for a. number of trained airmen forthwith, and opportunities should be offering fo:- many skilled mechanics. ' IMPORTANCE OF THE DEAL. The importance of the deal, writes a correspondent in ths London Press, is that 18,000 aeroplanes and 35,000 new *ero engines, now lying *idle in storage, are to be utilised in every part, of the* world. Aeroplanes of all types- are included in the deal, from the singltcsaior fighting' machine to the huge twinensined bomber. . • There is, a demand ' fow British craft everywhere, and part of the plan of the syndicate is to eo.uk>- .foreign countries with a complete air fores. It is. also anticinated that the distribution of British aircraft throughout, the world, will result in repeat orders, which will undoubtedly be placed win -British aircraft manufacturers. It is understood that before the end of. the year a network of inland aerialroutes will, be in operation, and that the taking over simultaneously all the surplus aerodromes and buildings is indicative of a boom in civilian aviation in Britain. AIR PASSENGER SERVICES. ■ A firm of hotel proprietors liave announced .their intention to cater for Continental passengers arriving by air at the Waddon Aerodrome, Croydon, where in the near future the London Air Customs will vbe stationed. It is their] intention to build eventually a , firstclass hotel, but in the meantime they are malting use of the ofiifers' quarters at the Waddon Aerodrome. Tlia development of the successful experiments in wireless telephony recently carried out en the London-Paris sir route is being proceeded with. Suggestions are now afoot for rlio 'production- of apparatus to enable passengers on aeroplanes to communicate with their ! homes or business houses. Telephone I messages have already been picked up from a Handley Page machine at' distances of 120 and 125 miles, and 1 at ICO miles the operator's voice was particularly clear and distinct.