AIR FORCE ESTIMATES

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 6 March 1935, Page 7

AIR FORCE ESTIMATES

Britain’s Scheme to Have 1330 First Line Machines LONG DELAYED EXPANSIONS IMPROVED CIVIL AVIATION (United Press Association—By Electric TedegmpJi Copyright). Received 1 p.m. to-day. LONDON, March 5.

The Air estimates total £23,851,000 an increase of £3,685,000 compared with last year, due to the expansion scheme to provide an additional fortyone and a-half squadrons by the end of 1938 in accordance with the scheme announced in Parliament last July. The complete scheme will make a. total of 1330 first line aircraft in regular squadrons. Lord Londonderry’s memorandum says the proposed air pact should be of the utmost value in the maintenance of European peace as affording a, powerful deterrent to aggression. It was the Government’s earnest hope that it may facilitate an early limitation of the air forces of the world by a general international agreement. Lord Londonderry recalls last year’s memorandum announcing the Government’s reluctant decision that it had no option but to commence a long delayed expansion of the Royal Air Force.

The- provision of £595,000 for civil aviation, an mcrease of £82,000, is due mainly to the urgent necessity of improving' and developing organisations on Empire routes to facilitate night flying, improvement necessary for existing services, and also to assist the development and inception of the projected Empire- air transport scheme, under which all first-class mails can be carried if possible by air.

A provision for experimental aircraft includes a contribution to Imperial Airways for the construction of a composite aircraft from which, a heavily loaded seaplane mounted upon a lightly loaded flying boat could be released when sufficient height haej. been attained.

Negotiations are in progress for an air service to connect Hong Ivong with the main Australian route from Bangkok, and it is hoped, as an experiment, to make a start in the near future.

When completed the total first line strength of the Royal Air Force in regular squadrons will be approximately 1330 aircraft, plus some 130 aircraft in non-regular squadrons. Four of the 414 additional squadrons were formed in 1934 and a further 25 are to be formed in 1935 and 1936. In 1935 twelve new squadrons will be added to the Home defence force, which will then consist of 54 squadrons, 41 Tegular and the remainder auxiliary air force or special reserve squadrons. The fleet air arm will -be increased by 19 first line aircraft and nineteen existing squadrons will also be re-equipped in the course of the . year. The new formation will raise the total strength of the Royal Air Force, including the fleet air arm, to an equivalent of 1064 squadrons, being 934 regular- squadrons supplemented by 13 non-regular squadrons of the home defence force. . The programme is being so arranged that it will be possible to retard or accelerate it in accordance with requirements.