BRITISH AIRCRAFT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22388, 7 April 1936, Page 7

BRITISH AIRCRAFT

TRIBUTE BY AUTHORITY VIEWS OF SIR ERIC GEDDES FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY [from our own correspondent] LONDON, March 14 A high tribute to British commercial aircraft was paid by Sir Eric Geddes, chairman of Imperial Airways, in evidence before the Arms Commission. Ho recalled statements made in evidence heard previously by the commission that no British commercial aeroplanes "came within 100 per cent" of certain foreign aircraft, and that our commercial flying industry was "hopelessly inefficient" as compared with others. "It is difficult, within the compass of evidence of this kind, to deal effectively with such wide and sweeping statements," Sir Eric said, "but I am content to say that, in my opinion, they are not borne out by facts. As chairman of Imperial Airways I consider the British aircraft industry provides aircraft for us which, in economy and reliability of operation, at the lowest, are second to none." Sir Eric has had vast experience of every kind of problem concerned in tho large-scale production and intensive development of weapons of all kinds. He has studied profoundly both State and private manufacture. He gave his considered opinion that to bring all aircraft construction under one control at the present time would limit inventiveness and originality, and that the best results, at any rate for some years to come, would be attained by retaining the bulk production of aircraft in the hands of the private constructor. Value of Competition

"The science of aeronautics," he said, "is not sufficiently advanced yet to justify its development under one controlling authority, which would almost of necessity lay down the basic technical conception of the aircraft to be built, leaving only technique of detailed design to the individual, and there would almost certainly be a general tendency to stereotype even this comparatively minor element of freedom as time went on. In private hands the aircraft industry benefits by competition in inventiveness with other builders, both our own and foreigners. In connection with - the somewhat unique requirements of Imperial Airways, I would deplore the unification of the basic technical conception that would come from a nationalised industry. . National Scheme Criticised "It has been suggested in evidence that a nationalised aircraft industry might be set up as a great State department, and that the construction of civil aircraft might later be lopped off to go back to private ownership. This would appear to me to be even worse than the first alternative of nationalisation, because for many years to come the bulk of the orders given to the aircraft constructors will be from the Royal Air Force, and there would hardly be sufficient work available, for the proposed privately-owned civil* aircraft industry to justify its existence, and certainly not enough to give strength for its full technical development. "The requirements of Imperial Airways are naturally intermittent, and as this work is very specialised, it would be almost impossible for constructors to retain during the lean years a designing staff capable of tackling the problems involved when wholesale renewals of the fleet of Imperial Airways were required."