ACCUSATION AGAINST AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY

Evening Star, Issue 25768, 15 April 1946, Page 5

ACCUSATION AGAINST AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY

(Rec. 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 14. Charges of impeding the manufacture of jet planes, including the recordbreaking Meteor, are made against the Ministry of Aircraft Production by, members of the " backroom " jet team, says the ' Daily Mail.' They alleged that instructions were issued from a "high level" in the Ministry forbidding them to design or build jet planes, but occupy their time on research. Pointing out that Power Jets Ltd., from which Wing-commander Whittle also resigned in February, was formerly a private concern and is now one of the Ministry of Aircraft Productions research works, the ' Daily Mail' says the break-up of Whittle's team comes at a time when Britain is verging on further achievements in the application of jet and gas turbine propulsion theories. The members of the team are quoted as saying that they were forced to work in accordance with official forms and circulars. They were not permitted to build practical jet engines, for immediate use. The chief mechanical designer said: " The whole thing has been rigged by the aircraft industry. They had obviously made up their minds to destroy us. Certain well-known figures in the aircraft industry have long been making offensive remarks about Power Jets -" T , An official of Power Jets said it was always intended that Power Jets w,ould concentrate on research and development, and leave the actual manufacture of operational engines to the rest of the, industry.