WARPLANE PRODUCTION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 75, 30 March 1939, Page 9

WARPLANE PRODUCTION

BIG JOINT ORDER

BRITAIN AND AUSTRALIA

PLANTS IN COMMONWEALTH

SYDNEY, March 29.

The Prime Minister, Mr. Lyons, announced today that the Cabinet has decided to authorise the erection immediately of two huge units for tha production of complete military aircraft—one in Sydney arid .the other in. Melbourne —to be controlled by a ceatral Commonwealth management com-

mittee.

Mr. Lyons said that ah agreement had been reached between the Commonwealth and the British Government for a joint order involving millions of pounds for the production in Australia of a number of the latest type of "Beaufort" military and general reconnaissance aircraft. The engines for the planes will be supplied by Britain for the time being, but emergency arrangements for engines to be made in Australia will in due course be made and will thus be incorporated in the general production scheme.

Railway workshops in all the eastern States of Australia will be engaged in the construction of standardised frames, and the final assembly of the aircraft will be carried out in central workshops in Sydney and Melbourne. Delivery of the first batch of airframes is scheduled for 1940. Maximum production will be achieved about the middle of 1941.

DETAILS OF PLANS

One hundred war planes in the firs\ year of Australian production, this is what the Federal Government expects from an immediate start on the scheme recommended by the British Air Mission, reported the Sydney "Daily Telegraph" last week. The machines will be for Australian requirements, and to supply the Royal Air Force in the Far East.

The Prime Minister (Mr. Lyons) said that the Commonwealth and British Governments had decided to give effect at once to the Air Mission's recommendations. Airframes for British Beauforts (the new 300 m.p.h. bombers) would be made.

The engines, material, and other components of the ne"w planes woujd all be manufactured in Australia ultimately, but until arrangements were completed for this, supplies would be obtained from England.

It was proposed to secure the full advantages of Australian engineering resources for rapid production, and for expansion in case of war. This would be done by a system of widespread sub-contracting.

Outlines of the scheme were discussed in Melbourne by the Federal Treasurer (Mr. Casey), the Minister of Defence (Mr. Street), the High Commissioner for Australia in London (Mr. Bruce), members of the British Air Mission, and the Board of the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation.

Institution of the Missions scheme means the investment of £30,000,000 of English capital in Australia.

Two assembly factories will be set up—one in Sydney and another in Melbourne: In a few months they are expected to be giving employment to thousands of men. When the industry is fully developed, work for up to 9000 men is estimated.

A peace-time production of between 250 and 300 planes a year, after tha first year, with a war-time production of 800 a year, is planned.

The British Beaufort is a twinengined bomber-reconnaissance aircraft of the latest type. None has yet been delivered to tbe British Air Force. Its high speed and long distance capacity should make it extremely suitable to Australian requirements. Each plane will probably cost £30,00 D to complete.