PLANES FOR ALLIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24255, 25 March 1940, Page 7

PLANES FOR ALLIES

AMERICAN SOURCE LATEST ARMY TYPE TWO' THOUSAND CRAFT LESSON FROM AIR BATTLES (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) • NEW YORK, Mar. 23. (Received Mar. 24. at 9 P-fn.) The Washington correspondent of the New York- Times says that plans are being completed to fnake available to Britain and - France ,2000 of the latest type, of planes ordered, by the United States-Army. ' The British and French Purchasing Commissions, in a statement, said that the matter of quality rather than quantity .was the; keynote of the discussions with the United States aircraft manufacturers. They added that air battles had Shown that Germany had a large number of planes that were rapidly becoming obsolete, thus constituting a liability; The United States army has announced that , the Douglas Company is building a 70-ton; fbur-erigined super-bomber to carry 28 tons of bombs. It will have a 6000-mile nonstop range, a wing span, of 210 feet, and a- speed of over 200 miles an hour. The initial cost of the bomber will be 1,000,000 dollars, but it can be produced in quantities at a cost of front 300,000 to 350,000 dollars. Tests are expected early in the summer.

SECRET NAZI PUNE PLANS SECURED BY BRITAIN SMUGGLED FROM FACTORY THE MESSERSCHMITT 11 6 LONDON, Feb. 5. Britsiin now has complete plans, drawings and photographs of the secret Messerschmitt : 11.0 twinengined “ destroyer planes,” pride and hope of the Nazi Air Force. The plans have been smuggled to-London from the drawing offices of the Messerschmitt factory, near . Augsberg, Bavaria. And Messerschmitt secrets; known to only a handful of experts in Germany, can now be revealed. The plans disclose three facts which may influence future German air; tactics. - ' T. The destroyer, planes would be capable of conyoying German bombers to any part of Britain and back, and could use speeds up to 365 miles an hour to defend them. . 2. They possess twin cannon with which they could .attack bombers while remaining out of range of the bombers’ defensive, machine-guns. 3. But their poor manoeuvrability and comparatively weak . gun power would make. them easy prey for Spitfires and Hurricanes. ' /The Messerschmitt 110 has a crew of two. The pilotcan fire—automatically—twin cannon and twin; machine-guns- through■/ the nose. There;. ;is ■„, a , gunner with’ twin machine-guns iust behind the pilot. The -twin Daimler-Benz engines are 12-cylindered, 1150 h.p. each. The petrol,, tanks, which are bullet, fire and crash proof,’ will hold 400 gallons. ' ' , At its top speed of 365 m.p.h. the 110,will travel. 820 miles, 1500 miles at 215 miles an hour and 1750 miles at 175 miles an hour. These ranges indicate that the Messerschmitt 110 is intended as a long-distance escort fighter, , Messerschmitt llO’s were first used in Poland. They made low-flying attacks on trains and’ 1 disabled the .engines with their cannon: