Australia to Have 400 m.p.h. ’Planes

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 161, 11 July 1939, Page 7

Australia to Have 400 m.p.h. ’Planes

NEW SECRET FIGHTERS ORDERED

SYDNEY, June 28.

Australia has placed an order with Britain for a squadron of about 18 400-mile-an-hour mystery lighter aircraft. They -will be used for tho protection of tho 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. Tho Government expects delivery in a year.

Announcing these facts, the Minister of Defence, Mr. Street, said the machines were still on tho secret list. Details wero not yet available. Even tho name of the new fighter could not be disclosed.

Mr. Street said tho new fighter was not yet in production in England, but, when completed, would be the most modern in Britain. In addition to its high-speed capabilities, it would be armed with quick-firing guns of a new i type.

The number of ’planes ordered has not been disclosed officially, but it is believed they will constitute a squadron of 12 front-line ’planes, with six in reserve. The squadron will be stationed at Richmond, New South Wales. The new fighters are stated to be ideal for Australian conditions. The ’planes will probably be of the type announced in London on May 31 as a new fighter capable of more than 400 m-x).h. This will replace Britain’s 330 m.p.h. Hurricane Spitfire at the end of 1939. At present no nation is believed to have a warplane with a service speed of 400 m.p.h. “It is not practicable to have this type of aircraft built in Australia, because of tho relatively small numbers involved,” Mr. Street said. “The new fighters will be in addition to tho 50 Lockheed reconnaissance ’planes on order from America, and tho 140 Wirrawavs being made by tho Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation. With the steady stream of Avro-Ansous already arriving from Britain, tho fighters will bring Australia’s first-line strength to 212 machines by 1941. In addition further orders of new ’planes of other types will bo placed soon in Britain.” It is expected that 100 Australianmade Wirraway planes will be delivered on schedule by next March. Deliveries of Australian-produced Bristol Beaufort warplanes will begin next year.