MILITARY AIRCRAFT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 17 January 1939, Page 5

MILITARY AIRCRAFT

BRITISH PRODUCTION j STATEMENT BY MINISTER I I I U.l* A.—Hv Electric Telegraph -Coperight' LONDON, Isth January. “Aircraft production is proceeding j steadily,” said Sir Kingsley Wood, SecI retary of State for Air, in a speech at I Coventry. “It cannot be said that this : country is behind others in machines and tools. A splendid team spirit pretails.” There could be no belter evidence of the success of the measures taken since Royal Air Force expansion was initiat- ' ed in 1935—but especially this year—to.augment and perfect the national capacity for aeroplane production. Already the immense orders placed for [ aircraft early this year, and the great extensions of factory space, plant and machinery authorised by the Supplies Committee of the Air Ministry, were beginning to bear fruit. The curve of output was rising steeply. In the words of the Prince Minister: “In May next, the rate of output of our aircraft will be between two and three times what it was in May last, and by May, 1940. it will be four times as great; while arrangements have been made which w'ill enable the increase to be continued still further.’’ This was an indication of great industrial achievement. Only those behind the scenes could know how much had been done in the past 12 months. Sir Kingsley was speaking during a visit to two important units of the Hawker-Siddelev group—Sir W. O. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, and Armstrong Siddeley Motor*.