AIR FORCE BASE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23002, 1 April 1938, Page 8

AIR FORCE BASE

£105,127 CONTKACT LET HANGARS AT OHAKEA PART OF LARGE-SCALE PLAN : FURTHER WORK AT WIGRAM [by telecraph—owx correspondent] WELLINGTON, Thursday Included in the list of tenders gazetted as having been passed by the Public Works Department is one of £106,127 for hangar construction at the new North Island base of the Royal New Zealand Air Force at Ohakea, 24 miles from Feilding. The contractors,* McMillan Brothers, Limited, hare their plant on the ground, and the hangars should be completed in about 15 months.

The development at Ohakea is part of the Government plan for the largescale expansion of the lioya! New Zealand Air Force, and the twin hangars '- for which the contract has been let will '<• bo the largest in Australia and New Zealand. Each hangar will have a ground area of 220 ft. in width and 190 ft. in depth, with a door opening 2oft. high, closed by sliding doors, so that together they, will be able to accommodate a considerable number of modern bombing machines of wide wingspread. • *

Other contracts gazetted in conneotion with the K.X.Z.A.F. are:—Fljing Training School, Wigram, erection of main store, £6190 (J. and W. Jamieson, Limited), and erection of guardhouse, £'1033 (D. Hall).

The progress that is being made in. the provision of aeradio services is indicated by the letting of contracts for the erection of radio-transmitting stations at the Westshore (Napier), Nelson (Tahunanui), and Harewood aerodromes.