AIR SUPREMACY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20141, 10 January 1940, Page 7

AIR SUPREMACY

R.A.F. SUCCESS PROBLEMS FOR PILOTS j | FROST AND JCF. MENACE SUPERIORITY OF PLANE I CONTRAST IN RESULTS (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 9 a.m. RUGBY, Jan. 9. The great difficulties encountered by the Royal Air Force bomber command in dealing with frost were told in London to-day. When flying at great heights, frost and ice sometimes render an aeroplane almost unmanageable. With the temperatures often 20 to 30 degrees below zero centigrade, ice forms on the wings and main fuselage Gin thick, and even enters the cabins in the form of powdery rime, where it coats he flying instruments and blankets the windscreens, sometimes accumulating to such an extent on the controls as to render the machine almost uncontrollable. In overcoming these difficulties as well as enemy action, the Royal Air Force has every reason to be proud of the bomber command, personnel, and aircraft. The latter are of many types and the operational range has oeen considerably increased since the war began. Finest in the World Authoritative London air circles are convinced by actual results that the Wellington bombers are Due finest aeroplanes of that type in the world. They have reached their objective and returned, fighting both ways and with losses negligible compared to those suffered by the enemy. London air circles consider that against the Wellingtons the Messerschmitts have faied to siiow any superiority. Reconnaissance flights have been carried out over Germany by new F ast Blenheims, which on one occasion, (lying as low as 2000 ft over enemy aerodromes, shot at two German machines which were landing and then carried on with ther photography. Photographs of Germany It is estimated that for every one photograph which an enemy reconnaissance flight has taken back from England, the Royal Air Force has brought back 50 taken over Germany.

It was disclosed to-day that Royal Air Force fighter command pilots have brought down nearly half the German raiders engaged by them. Although all but one German machine crashed into the sea, an examination of that one has been of the greatest value to armament experts .vho have analysed every bullet hole in the wreckage Admiral the Duke of Kent paid a short informal visit to the Royal Air Force fighter command station in Scotland on Monday morning.