NEW TECHNIQUE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23037, 14 May 1938, Page 15

NEW TECHNIQUE

AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION BEST QUALITY MACHINEB PLACING OF HUGE ORDERS DEPARTMENT DEFENDED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received May 13, 5.5 p.m.) British Wireless RUGBY, May 12 Simultaneously with the debate in the House of Commons, the House of Lords discussed air defence, and Viscount Swinton, Secretary for Air, made a speech in which he announced the development of the programme reported by Earl Winterton to the House of Commons. On the increase in first-line strength Lord Swinton ' made the additional point that the figures naturally excluded training machines, for. which

the necessary orders had been placed. Regarding personnel, he mentioned that the intake of airmen, which a few years ago was at the rate of 1000 a year, was now over 11,000 a year. Speaking of the purposes of the experts' visit to Canada to investigate the possibilities for building up a war potential, Lord Swinton foreshadowed aircraft manufactured there being flown across the Atlantic for service in war. All-Metal Machines

The Air Minister said a new technique in manufacture had been made necessary by the order for the. large all-metal, stressed-skin types, which had been found to make the most efficient bombers and fighters, and he ridiculed the suggestion that aircraft now on order and in production for the Royal Air Force were in any way less than the beat. They were highly satisfactory in quality, and the best evidence of that was that it was the desire of foreign countries in every part of the world to purchase those very machines, although they had to wait because of the priority of the Air Ministry's requirements. As an.instance of the efficient manner in which the Air Ministry was organising the placing of vast orders, Lord Swinton said they were steadily reducing the multiplicity of types. Of one type there were 1500 on order with two firms, and of another 900 were on order with a single firm. Lord Swinton ended with an impassioned appeal for peace. Air Minister Reinforced The Lords' debate was notable for the intervention of Lord Weir, who was Director-General of Aircraft Production in 1918. In an informed and authoritative speech he brought powerful reinforcement to the Air Minister's defence of his department's handling of supply questions. Lord Weir asked Their Lordships to consider the various criticisms of the Government's programme against the background of the two major political decisions which affected it. Three years ago the Government had decided to increase the Air Force as rapidly as possible. The Government had reached a second decision not only to accelerate and expand the existing programme, but to secure acceleration of expansion under the conditions of first priority in labour, material and facilities. Nothing was now to be allowed to stand in the way of achieving the maximum rate

of progress. This did not imply the equivalent of war conditions, which presumably would mean compulsory control of man-power and facilities, but it meant a general tempo of action as rapid as could be secured in time of peace. He believed the effects of the new decision would lead to an output fully justifying the claims by Lord Swinton and Ejirl Winterton. Difficulties Overcome Lord Weir also drew attention to the early difficulties —now overcome—due to the fact that the British aircraft industry, which through the post-war years had been supreme in the field of scientific and technical design, was weakened and inexperienced in production owing to the small demand. Regarding the question of mass production, Lord Weir expressed the opinion that aircraft had not reached the stage of technical development of design which would justify the large-scale adoption of theso methods. He also defined the standards and requirements of the Aeronautical Inspection Department, and said any relaxation of the existing standards which might impair the confidence of pilots in their machines would bo regarded as retrograde. Viscount Swinton repjied to criticisms of the rate of the Air Force expansion. He said there had been a shortage of skilled labour because tho programme coincided with expansion of ordinary trade, but the number employed in the aircraft industry had increased from 30,000 in 1935 to over {>o,ooo now.

It had been said that men were being discharged, but firms could not always employ the same number.