New Battle Bomber

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 174, 26 July 1938, Page 5

New Battle Bomber

SUCCESS OF SHADOW PLAN (British Official Wireless.) BUGBY, July 22. The Minister of Air (Sir Kingsley Wood) visited the Austin Aero Works at Birmingham to see the first Fairey battle bombing 'plane produced under the Government’s shadow factory scheme in flight. He addressed the employees at tho factory, saying that the launching of the ’plane marked an important stage in the air defence programme. The policy of utilising the great motor industry for aircraft production 'was fully justifying itself and some £11,000,000 had already been expended on the shadow factory scheme. This year the country was spending some £12G,000,000 on air defence alone and, at the same time, large sums on the Army and Navy. It was making these great efforts and theso vast payments not for purposes of aggression, but because it believed that they would be a vital and stabilising factor on the side of peace. A formidable British Air Force was certainly one of the most powerful deterrents of war. Lord Austin said that the flight of the first ’plane marked the culmination, of the first stage in Austin aeroplane production after two years of intensive work.