MILITARY AIRCRAFT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23703, 10 January 1939, Page 6

MILITARY AIRCRAFT

PRODUCTION RISING BUILDING AIR POWER (From Our Own Correspondent) LONDON, Dec. 15. “Aircraft production is proceeding steadily,” observed Sir Kingsley Wood, the Air Minister. “It cannot be said that this country is behind others in machines and tools. A splendid team spirit prevails.” There could be no petter evidence qt the success of measures taken since Royal Air Force expansion was initiated in 1935—but especially this year—to augment and perfect the national capacity for aeroplane production. Already the immense orders placed lor aircraft early this year, and the great extensions of factory space, plant and machinery authorised by the oupphes Committee of the Air Ministry, are beginning to bear fruit. The curve of output is rising steeply; in the words of the Prime Minister, “in May next the rate of output of our aircraft will be between two and three times what it was in May last, and by May, 1940.-it will be four times as great; while arrangements have been made which will enable the increase to be continued still further.” This is indication of great industrial achievement; only those behind the scenes can know how much has been done in the past 12 months. Sir Kingsley Wood was speaking ,at Coventry during a visit to two important units of the Hawker-Siddeley group-Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft and Armstrong Siddeley Motors. He remarked: The Armstrong Whitworth Company is one of the most important aircraft firms in the country, and a great deal depends upon their production. As with many other companies, their production is to-day considerable and has consider a bly increased during the oast few months. Within the next six months it will be better still.” The Whitley bomber is in large production at the Armstrong Whitworth factory. This is a twin-engined allmetal’ long-range monoplane. -It if known in several versions, distinguished one from the other mainly by the power plant. The prototype ano the machine which first went into production had two Armstrong Siddeley Tiger IX 14-cylinder air-cooled radiai engines. It was called the Whitley I The Whitley 11 and 111 are powerec with the Tiger VIII two-speed supercharged engines. Loaded to 24,0001 b these models reach a maximum level speed of 215 m.p.h. at a height of 15 00C feet. Their service ceiling is 22,000 feet and their standard range at a cruisina speed of 177 m.p.h. is 1315 miles. Later models, styled respectively Whitley IV and V, have Rolls-Royce Merlin liquidcooled engines, and with these more powerful units is much enhanced. . Tiger VIII and Tiger engines ate built at the Armstrong Siddeley factory. which also has in large production the Cheetah engines that pow§r Avro Anson general reconnaissance fnonoplanes and the Airspeed Oxford twin-engined advanced trainer. Latest member of the Cheetah family is the 460 h.p. Cheetah XI. which develops about 100 h.p more than the earlier Cheetahs, and was shown for the first time at the Paris Aeronautical Salon that closed two days ago The company is also engaged in development of new engines, details of which may not vet be disclosed.