MYSTERY AIRCRAFT
ORDERED BY AUSTRALIA SYDNEY, June 28. Australia, has placed an order with Britain for a squadron of about eighteen 400-mile-an-hour mystery fighter aircraft. They will be used foi‘ the protection of the industrial areas of the east coast of New South Wales. The machines will cost £400,000, or
more than £20,000 each. In performance and fighting capacity they will 'surpass any plane now available in the Empire. The Government, expects delivery in a. year. Announcing these facts, the Minister of Defence. Mr. Street, said the machines were still on the secret list. Details were not yet available. Even the name of the new fighter could not be disclosed.
Mr. Street said the new fighter was not yet. in production in England, but, ■when completed, would be th<i most modern in Britain. In addition to its high-speed capabilities, it would be armed with quick-finig guns of a new type.
The number of planes ordered h?. 1 not. been disclosed officially, but it is believed they will constitute a squadron of 12 front-line planes, with six ii. reserve. The squadron will be stationed at Richmond, New South Wales The new fighters are stated to be ideal for Australian eruditions The, piano will probably be of tire type announced in London on May 31 as a new fighter, capable of more than 400 m.p.h. This will replace Britain’s 330 ■m.p.li. Hurricane Spitfire at the end of 1930. At. present no nation is believed to have a warplane with a service speed of 400 m.p.li. “It is not practicable to have this | type of aircraft built, in Australia, because of the relatively small numbers involved,” Mr. Street said. “The new fighters will be in addition to the 50 Lockheed reconnaissance planes on order from America, and the 140 Wirraways being made by the Common-1 wealth Aircraft Corporation. With the ; sternly stream of Avro-Ansons already,' arriving from Britain, the fighters will |
bring Australia's first-line strength to 2.12 machines bv 11)4.1. In addition fur-
ther orders of n.Av planes of other types v, ii! tie placed soon in Britain.”
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Greymouth Evening Star, 17 July 1939, Page 10
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345MYSTERY AIRCRAFT Greymouth Evening Star, 17 July 1939, Page 10
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