PROGRESS IN BRITAIN

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 55, 8 March 1929, Page 9

PROGRESS IN BRITAIN

IMPERIAL AIR ROUTES

SURVEY BY MINISTER

British Official Wireless. (Received Bth March, 11 a.m.) BUGBY, 7th March. Introducing the Air Estimates, amounting ■ to £16,000,000, in ■ the House of Commons this afternoon Sir Samuel Hoare, Secrotary for Air, said that, while the expenditure upon air I armaments had been bounding up in j other parts of the world, the British not expenditure for the fourth year in succession showed an actual decrease. Four prominent features in the Estimates were:— (1) At the end of the year the strength of the Air Force would be raised from. 75 to 82 squadrons, but even so our strength would fall considerably below the strength of certain other great Powers. (2) A regular air service to India would begin in a few weeks, while- he hoped during the next few months to be able to make the necessary arrangements for the starting, in due course, of the- other great trunk lines of the Empire from London to Capetown. (3) A definite provision had been made for a further advance in technical and scientific development. A furthor advance would be made in the field of metal construction. Concentrated attention was being given to the possible developments of that great safety invention, slotted wings. (4) A now proposal was made in the Civil Aviation Vote for the stimulation of the air sense of the nation and making jt easier for young men. and women to learn to fly. The grant they were proposing to give to the National Hying Services Company was. entirely restricted to payment by results and not the least important condition in their agreement was the provision, directly or indirectly, of 100 new aerodromes and landing grounds. EFFICIENCY OF UNITS RAISED. Dealing with the 'question of the air defence of these shores Sir Samuel Hoare said that there still remained to be formed 21 of the 52 squadrons that were regarded as the minimum for home defence and the Imperial reserve. He claimed, however, that the standard of efficiency of units had been greatly raised in recent years, and that auxiliary squadrons had shown themselves'so efficient as to justify adding three squadrons to their number in the Estimates. . , On the subject of Imperial air routes Sir Samuel Hoare said that within a few weeks the service to India should be flying weekly and doing the journey in from six to seven days. He expressed his satisfaction to the foreign Governments whose co-operation had been obtained; to the Trench and Swiss over whose territory the first stage of the journey would be made; to the Italians, who had made the agreement under which British machines would fly from the Alps down the coast of Italy to Sicily; to the Greeks, in whose territory there would be important landing stages; to Egypt which had accorded every facility; and to the Persians, who had given the Imperial Airways permission to use a route along the northern shore of the Persian Gulf, . . , LONDON TO CAPE SERVICE. In reference to the London, to the Cape service the Minister said that he had included a sum in this year's Estimates for starting the project. The sum was purposely small for, with the best will in the world and with the full co-operation of all the Governments concerned, it would take at least twelve months to get a service regularly oporating. They had,. however, made very definite progress in the last few months. The British Government was prepared to take its share in. the cost of the service and he thought that everyone would agree that with the route passing through so many different territories all the Governments concerned should take their share. The British Government was already bearing the whole burden of the subsidy for the section from England to Egypt, but was prepared to go further and give substantial support also to the African sections, provided the other Governments concerned played their part. He added: "For some years past units of the British and South African Air Forces have been making service flights over the route. For some years past also and particularly during the last twelve months flying pioneers, like Sir Alan Cobkam, Lady Heath, Lady Bailey, and Captain and Mrs. Bentley have been flying the whole length of Africa in civil machines. Let us pay, in passing, a tribute to all these pioneers and particularly to the enterprising ladies who have shown so notably, their skill and bravery. The result of these flights has been to give' us experience and information without which, so ambitious a scheme as an air route of 6245 miles from the north to the south, of Africa would be altogether impracticable." NEW MACHINES. Dealing with machines the Minister said: "Upon, the completion of this year's programme the whole Air Force with the exception of four squadrons in India, will be equipped with now types of engines and machines. Four Indian squadrons are due for rearmament in 1930. CIVIL TRANSPORT. "Upon the civil side wo are concentrating on the development of new and up-to-date types of machines for civil transport. Among the first items in our programme are a boat of a new type with twin floats, a better flying boat than we have yet constructed, and two aircraft which we hope will enable us to test the rival claims of monoplanes and biplanes for civil purposes. Meanwhile, a further advance will be made in the field in which we already have a leading place in the world, the field of nietal construction. Four years ago the Air Ministry was ordering only one metal machine to every nineteen of wooden construction. To-day the orders are seven metal machines for one wooden, so swift and complete has beon the revolution in methods of construction during the last four years.'' .