U.S. Warplanes Praised

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 113, 14 May 1941, Page 8

U.S. Warplanes Praised

(British Wireless) RUGBY, May 11. Two hundred and fifty of Britain's leading aircraft designers and test pilots, after spending all day at an airfield looking over every type of fighter and bomber from America, paid a glowing tribute to the quality of the planes. It was the biggest conference of experts ever held in Britain. Machines from the little Tomahawk fighter to the great four-engined Liberator bomber were lined up in three ranks. The types of machines America is now lending Britain run into double figures.

One English designer said to a group gathered around a Havoc night fighter: "We must have speed and altitude. The war is being fought at 40,000 ft. and the engine which gives the maximum boost at that altitude is the one which is going to see us through.’’. Ampng the aircraft on view were the Buffalo, Grumman, Martlett, Curi tiss, Mohawk and Tomahawk. There were also the Maryland, the GlennMartin bomber, and the Liberator. The designer of Britain’s largest bomber—the four motored Stirlingafter looking into the fuselage of the giant American Liberator bomber, said: "A nicely-finished job; detail work very good indeed. We can learn something from America over that. •'There seems to be one fault with American planes—they do not put enough guns into them at present. That is being put right.” The Admiralty announces that his Majesty’s trawlers Rochebonno and Kopanes have been sunk. There were no casualties in the Kopanes.