EMPIRE AIR POWER

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 39, 14 August 1941, Page 9

EMPIRE AIR POWER

MOUNTING FIGURES

AUSTRALIA AND AFRICA

BIG PROGRAMMES

RUGBY, August 12. The steadily mounting strength of the Dominions is reflected in recent news of the Australian and South African air programmes. Australia's export of aeroplanes in 1942 will exceed £12,000,000 in value, with a total production value of £20,000,000, according to Mr. John Storey, Commissioner of Aircraft Production. A large percentage of the aircraft produced will be Beaufort medium torpedo bombers, the fastest of their type in the world. The opening of additional schools is enabling a constantly increasing number of Australian airmen to be trained in their own country. The ground crews are now trained entirely v in Australia. One-fifth of the pilots and a quarter i of the air-gunners, observers, and wireless operators still finish their training in Canada under the Air Training Scheme, and some are sent to Rhodesia, but these proportions are growing less. Speaking at the coming-of-age of the i South African Air Force on Monday, Field-Marshal Smuts said that South Africa, which started the war with an air force of only one squadron and a total of 1500 pilots "and mechanics, today had over 2000 pilots and additional personnel of at least 25,000, of whom about/ 3000 were women. In co-operation with the British Government South Africa was building up a far "more powerful air force which would involve a total •of 50,000 men and women.—B.O.W.