AVIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22778, 14 January 1936, Page 13

AVIATION

THE INDUSTRY ACCELERATES POWERFUL MANUFACTURING UNIT. (From Our Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON, December 21. Great activity in every factory belonging to the Siddeley group was reported -by Sir John Siddeley, the chairman, at the annual general meeting of the Arnistrong-Siddeley Development Company in London last week. Controlling three leading companies engaged in the aircraft manufacturing industry— Armstrong-Siddeley Motors, Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, and A. V. Roe —the A.S. Development Company has recently become part of a yet larger combine following acquisition of the whole of its ordinary shares by a new concern, Hawker-Siddeley Aircraft, Ltd., which has also purchased a half-interest in Hawker Aircraft, Ltd., and its subsidiary the Gloster Aircraft Company. The new group thus formed is the largest and in many ways the most powerful manufacturing unit in the British aircraft industry; its chief is Mr T. 0. M. Sopwith, wellknown racing yaqhtsraan and a pioneer of British aviation who began aeroplane manufacture before the war, 1914. Sir John emphasised that work on hand covered civil as well as military aviation. He referred especially to the order received from Imperial Airways for 12 large Armstrong-Whitworth A.W. 27 landplane airliners. These craft, which are high-wing monoplanes with undercarriage units that retract in flight within the inboard engine nacelles, are designed for day and night flying, providing seats for up to 40 passengers and sleeping berths at night for 20 passengers. They will provide much improved accommodation for passengers and crew, and on the power of four Tiger 840 h.p. engines will be extremely fast, capable of cruising- economically at speeds in excess of 150 miles an hour and reaching maximum speeds in the neighbourhood of 200 miles per hour. Sir John mentioned that on the military side the ArmstrongWhitworth factory had received a very considerable order for its new “ Whitley " twin-engined bomber.' NO PROFITEERING. Sir John said he did not visualise that the orders received from the Air Ministry would lead to the earning of great profits, though he anticipated a justifiable rate of profit on a greatly increased turnover to meet Air Ministry and other demands which should have a marked effect on the total results for the coming financial year. He said further: “Much is being said of our Government's determination not to allow any profiteering as far as its orders for aircraft arc concerned. Although chairman of a group of companies manufacturing aircraft, I entirely endorse the view that in no circumstances should the intention of our Government to create an adequate air defence be used as an opportunity for profiteering or overcharging by those in a position to carry out this work.” Sir John’s expression of assurance that he had the agreement of his hearers for that view was greeted with applause.