BRITISH AIR FORGE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19138, 6 October 1936, Page 10

BRITISH AIR FORGE

NEEDS OF THE FUTURE 47 MORE SQUADRONS SPEEDY PRODUCTION I | LONDON, Aug. 22. Forty-seven more Royal Air Force 'squadrons must he formed in the next j l'ew months. This will bring the total ■ of new squadrons for home defence up to the 71/ provided for in the expansion scheme which is to he completed by March .'ll next, the end of ! the financial year. Two new squadformed. Two others. Nos. SO and 1.41, wore formed on August I. The effects of the big push in enlistment and training are nmv apparent, according to the air correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph, and the production of new air."raft, is beginning to keep pace with requirements. The formation of new squadrons will be facilitated by the return from the Mediterranean of certain units seal there last year. Personnel needed to leaven new squadrons is not available, and stall's concerned with organisations are working at high pressure, la addition to new squadrons, station flights have been formed l'or some of

I lie I’.A.R aerodromes, and M ill be added to as needed. Such High Is are not operational units. They have varitios duties. One of them, for example, includes a special meteorological sect ion.

On the prodiidiomi side, there is reported to lie some difticnlly 'between the Air Ministry and the manufacturers although this doe-; not seriously hinder production. it arises, it is said, from the problem of establishing a system of pricing which will apply to all classes of aircraft. There is a vast difference between the production of a dozen big flying boats and a couple of hundred single-seal lighters. In each case patterns have to lie made at eonsiderahle cost, but the cost is relatively small when spread over a large order.

Again, (lie fost of research and dovelopmenl in the case of the biggest, machines is natch greater, for the development of (heir type lias been slower. Certain linns engaged in this branch are cmnparal i ve!v small, but are doing work of the greatest importance. On :he other hand, big concerns securing orders for large numbers of small machines can work lo smaller margins.