STRENGTH IN AIR

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19886, 14 March 1939, Page 5

STRENGTH IN AIR

PRODUCTION IN BRITAIN VARYING ESTIMATES CHANGES IN DESIGN LONDON, Feb. 12. The Sunday Referee and other Sunday papers give prominence to reports that Britain will have caught up with German aircraft production in a month or so, adding 'that British planes and engines are now unsurpassed. This is more optimistic than recent authoritative estimates. Nor is support given by an article published in Reynolds' News by Mi-. F. W. Meredith, who recently resigned from the post of Chief of the Air Ministry's Physics and Instrument Department, because he says that he is dissatisfied with the Government's policy. "One is forced to the conclusion," he declares, "that optimiistic propaganda is being foisted on the British public. One suspects that this is done as a counterblast to the revelations by Group-Captain Maclean." Group-Capita in Maclean recently resigned an important bomber command in the Royal Air Force and published a series of articles keenly criticising air policy. "If this propaganda is intended to deceive a potential enemy," says Mr. Meredith, "it might be excusable. But it could not possibly mislead a foreign General Staff. The truth is that air rearmament is criminally neglected. The time lag is suoh that no effort that could be made now would make it possible for Britain and France to resist Italy and Germany within the next two years without support from Russia." Revolution in Methods Needed Interviewed by The Observer, Mr. F. Handley Page, managing director of Handley Page, Limited, and president of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors, said: "Aircraft production methods must be revolutionised, if full use is to be made of Britain's industrial power. Tremendous changes have taken place in recent yearS',' because of changes in aero-dynamic design and the need to produce in quantity.- . He outlines methods for achieving effective mass production by strict standardisation of parts. Apparently well-informed commentators estimate the British monthly production variously at between 275 and. 400 planes, and the German at between 500 and' 800. France officially states that the January output was 80.

However reliable the information that British output is now being accelerated rapidly, it is certain that the new types of bombers and fighters' are probably superior to any of their foreign counterparts.