SOVIET AIR FORCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22512, 1 September 1936, Page 11

SOVIET AIR FORCE

CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY 5000 MACHINES A YEAR BID FOR SUPREMACY By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright PARIS, August 30 A pioneer of aviation, M. Breguet, speaking on behalf of the Government's aeronautic mission, which has returned from Moscow, after an inspection of the Soviet's air industry, says that 5000 aeroplanes are being built annually in Russia. He adds that 200,000 specialists are working day and night to ensure aerial supremacy for Russia. The Soviet, with ton times tlic number of workers employed in France, is constructing 20 times more aeroplanes. One factory, with 25,000 workers., produces daily four bi-motor bombers. The Nijni-Novgorod plant builds live pursuit aeroplanes daily. Machines of 24 tons with four motors are being built in series. A message from Moscow says the press declares that in spite of the lowering of the recruit's age to 19, the army remains at the previous strength of 1,300,000. The Soviet's output of aeroplanes in June showed an increase of 72 per cent on the figure for the early part of the year, said the Moscow correspondent of a London journal recently. In "Factory No. 24," which manufactures the Soviet's one really good aerial engine, the "M' 34," 1120 hours of machine tool work and 1612 hours of hand work were formerly required to turn out one engine. Now the figures are only 520 and 1066. Hitherto 75 per cent of the metal was lost when propeller blades were made, but this waste is also being reduced. M. Mitchail Kaganovich, head of the aviation industry, gave these figures when addressing the All-TJnion Industrial Congress. "Let not the Germans cherish vain hopes," he added. "We shall always have aeroplanes enough' to defend our Fatherland, and our aeroplanes will fly higher and higher and farther and farther and destroy our enemies if need be. Our aeroplane factories are now bigger than any in Europe or America. We hava no need to look to the West."