AIRCRAFT TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 19, 22 January 1921, Page 2

AIRCRAFT TRADE

NATIONAL PLANS

FRANCE AND ITALY OHGANIS-K

MISSIONS.

"-If faith in tho .future of flying'is to be measured by the efforts being mads py Great Britain, America, France, Italy, md Germany to secure markets for aircraft fn countries of both hemispheres; there is " an abundance of it (writes the London correspondent of the Christian Science Monitor). By-.some countries the efforts^conj nist of special aviation- "missions,'' such as those sent, at j great cost,' to Japan t»y France and Italy. Great Britain leaves the matter to individual firms; and much hai been dope by the firms of yickers, Handley Page, and others. At the moment, it looks as if the "mission.^. were the better scheme, for there are evidences that by this I methodical process, the.French c,viatiua inI dustry is gaining ground in countries ■ | whero Groat Briwri i;r.inodiatiOly kfter the war: seemed,*fifmly esistblisheu.; '•'..■■ '** -. In British effort,. apart from the idsb&cable question as to whether subsidw* «re, or desirable and wjjolesofaa. and apart "from as tQ how \fax the State should concern itself with cc-ramercial matters, there is evident a lack of understanding and sympathy bet-ween.tho £f<\Yeminent and Hie new and delicate industry'^ of aviationi The 'Air 'Ministry itself, has been praiseworthy m. its farseeiritr legislation . for flying, through .'its regulations governing aircraft cpnsfcructjpn, its survey of empire air ri&tes, and its recent aeroplane anil seaplane competition?. ■ A HEAVY HANDIC;\P. A/. splendid opportunity for advertising the', good'qualities'of British aircraft was, however, lost—wantonly thrown away, in fuctr-in the judges', report'on the aeroplane tests (the large:and Email land types).. By withholding the first prize iii tho large aeroplanes class, and by declaring an opinion that a lack of radical change and design is observable, the Air Ministry gave foreign competitors ■ a magnificent peg on which to hang propaganda in favour of their .own aircraft, and created an im- ■ pression which the British aircraft industry will fiijd it hard to remove without the expenditure of much energy' and means. Throughout the industry in all countriei the declaration caused the utmost astonishment. French and Italian aircraft manufacturers are amazed^ at this extraordinary proceeding, and more than one have expressed condolence with their British con-, freres. The bad impression has not been completely neutralised by. the awards in the "amphibian" division, in whiah actually the amount of prize: money offered lias been exceeded." This concerns a separate class of, aircraft. STJFF REGULATIONS. The declaration was »ihe more: inexplioabje in view of the fact that the competing aircraft were at least as good as any made abroad, and that British aircraft has to comply with, very. stiff regulations concerning structural details., factors of safety, and so onj to wliich foreign aircraft buildera ars not tied. One can imagine the praise.,that the American or the ■ French Government would have bestowed upon th designs, the > construction, and the performance of American or French aircraft. had these been the, subject of national competitions; all the world would have been invited to • agree that thsae were the best on the market. . .' .•>-;.■ The declaration of the Air Ministry came at a most, unfortunate moment, when a very, keep struggle is'being "w*fed in various countries between the represent*tives of the various aircraft industries.. Already Great Britain had lost ground in Japan, where a French aviation mission Kpid. been successful in securing Japanese support of French aircraft for the Japanese Army, for the equipment of which Franoe has secured a virtual monopoly, U Great Britain would have been completely ousted but for the tradition wbicjv still leads the Japanese Navy to,iooK7to Britain, rather than to any other country, for guidance, with tho result fch«,t for Japanese naval aircraft' Great Britain will ; be responsible. In\China, Britain still has thp^chief opportunity, owing to the concessions granted some time ago to Measrs. Vickers . and Handley Page. Great Britain has been ]osir/g ground in South Am'e--ricaand thev^est Indies; huj; it may b« , expected that .Canada will soph have something to say in the matter of air lines to and iji these regions. . v . 'opportunities for develop- ;. ' MENT. / . .;, As an example of the opportunities for aircraft development ready to hand may be mentioned that provided by the immense amount of commercial cabling between North and South America. There. are an average of 30,000 cables a week, at the rate of half a dollar a word,between. north nd south, and it is pointed out thatfor the conveyance of "aerograms" a lino of aircraft plying between Valparaiso and Key West could secure a big r&vomie. With something like three weeks for. an or. dinary journey between New STork and Valparaiso, moreover, a saving amounting to 14 days or rn^ra could bo effected; and such a,, saving, where the discounting of bills of exchange js at i^sue, ,wpukt mount up to figures that should jupfcify aircraft trariafwrt even more than ordinary matt-earning. ..... :. . It would ;nean a, big organisation, needless to say. But it is precisely such matters' as these ijh*t the aiqro fctrseeing of tho aircraft transport oprnpiun'es jire now considering At'the moment the proposition has scarcely been formulated to' the conviction''of capitalists, owing .to. the pressure of so many other- problems; but that this will come, saving, the occurrence/ of !»me gravei world, trouble in the ,yery~ near future, is certain. ■ ■[.