NEW BRITISH AIRCRAFT

Grey River Argus, 24 February 1942, Page 6

NEW BRITISH AIRCRAFT

ASTOUNDING ENGINEERS. 8.0.W. RUGBY, February 22. The Minister for Aircraft Production (Lieutenant-Colonel MooreBrabazon) eave assurances in a comprehensive talk that work is now| in hand on types of aircraft engines which will astound the Nazis —and the aircraft industry has man v other surprises for the enemy. 'fhe development of a four-engin-ed type of bomber with its increased range was bound to play a vital part now that the war had spreaci over such astronomical distances. Hampden and Whitley bombers had passed out of nroduction on a. large scale, but the well-tried Wellington remained and was in large supply. While Boeings and Liberators had been a most valued acquisition to the Royal Air Force, British bombers had oiager bomb loads—-in most cases twice that of the American planes. Now that production was goino' forward on a larger scale, the nroblem of man hours was decreasing and in the case of one fighter the man hours required for building a machine had been reduc-

ed b» 50 per cent. Referring to American aid, the Minister paid tribute to the Mustane- and Kittvhawk lighters. Both were first-rate fighters. The Kittyhawk had already proved itself with successes in the Middle East. They were grateful for all the United States had done for them and the more they °ot from the United States the better he would be pleased. So far, however, the machines had not been com mg in that stream they would like to see. The entry of America into the war, they realised, would have an effect on supplies, but they aiko knew that America was now really getting busy and the vast figures promised bv the President would be made possible by harnessing the motor-car industry to aircraft ’production. He thought the entr v of America into the war also would solve many prolems of modification to American aircraft, from which they had suffered a good deal. Liaison between Britain and the United States concerning the problem of spares was getting better every day. The Minister emphasised that supplies to Russia under the joint British and American agreement would continue and the quota fixed would not be diminished, if possible it would be increased.