WINGS GROWING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 14 April 1941, Page 3

WINGS GROWING

AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE

PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT Sydney, Apl. 5. The personnel of the Royal Australian Air Force has been increased one j hundredfold since it was established in ' 1921. With reservists waiting to be ' called up, it has a strength equivalent tc three army divisions. Speaking on the twentieth anniversary of the force, the Minister for Air, Mr J. McEwen, said that in 1921 the R.A.A.F. comprised 150 officers and men. At the outbreak of the present war its strength was 3500. To-day there were more men in one large training school in Victoria than in the R.A.A.F. in September, 1939. HUGE EXPENDITURE “This year,” Mr McEwen said, "more than £40,000,000 will be spent on the force, compared with £135,000 spent in the first year of its existence. Present commitments under the Empire Air Scheme approach £60.000.000.” Referring to the operations of the R.A.F. reconnaissance squadrons, Mr McEwen pointed out that Hudson bombers and other Ion —range aircraft flew pearly 1.000,000 miles in three months, covering an area of more than 15,000,000 square miles at sea. In aircraft, too. Australia is gathering strength. The first Beaufort bomber assembled in Australia is expected to be in the air by the end of this month. In refutation of earlier criticism of the suitability of the Beaufort for Australia’s needs, the Assistant Director of Aircraft Production. Mr John Storey, who inspected British factories with the Prime Minister, Mr R. G. Menzies, in Britain, is reported to have said that the Beaufort is the best aircraft of its type in the world. The New South Wales Area Controller for Aircraft Production, Mr H. Young, said that shortly two or three Beauforts a month would be produced in Australia, and ultimately the rate of production would be increased to one a day. Mr Young declared that all production difficulties had now been cleared away. “The first bomber,” he .said, “will be turned out in Victoria, because assembly facilities are there. In the near future we hope to have similar facilities in New South Wales.” GAINING EXPERIENCE “In New South Wales we are making the components which are being sent to assembly halls to be put together. In addition to the assembly of the components, instruments have to be fitted, and progress depends to a large extent on how quickly those engaged in this part of the work become fully experienced. In the New South Wales railway workshops in which manufacture ; f the components is being undertaken, things are going ahead very nicely.

“The whole organisation is now complete. More than 3000 jigs have been made and the factory had made several complete components for Beauforts. I have been informed also that rapid progress is being made’ at the factory in New South Wales which will undertake the manufacture of engines for the planes,” he added. “The factory is now being filled with machinery and organisation details are being worked out. Production of eng'nes has not yet begun.”