BIGGER SQUADRONS IN THE AIR

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20051, 7 March 1935, Page 7

BIGGER SQUADRONS IN THE AIR

MORE MILLIONS FOR NAVY Brltlsb Official Wireless RUGBY, March 5. The Air estimates for 1935, issued this morning, total £23,851,100, a gross increase of £3,685,500 on those of last year. In a memorandum accompanying the estimates Lord Londonderry (Secretary of State for Air) points out that his Majesty’s Government made it plain when publishing the Air estimates of 1934 that it could not, in the Interests of national and Imperial security, aeept a position of continuing inferiority in the air. Accordingly, last summer, in view of the rapid development of foreign air forces and the absence of concrete results from the Disarmament Conference, the Government reluctantly decided that it had no option but to undertake the long-de-layed expansion of the Royal Air Force. Outline of Programme The programme announced to Parliament last July provided for the addition of 415 squadrons by the end of 1938, and when completed the total first line strength of the Royal Air Force in the regular squadrons would be approximately 1330 aircraft, plus some 130 aircraft in non-regular squadrons. Four of the 411 additional squadrons were formed in 1934 and a further 25 are to be formed in 1935 and 1936. In 1935 12 new squadrons will be added to the Home Defence Force, which will then consist of 54 squadrons, 41 regular and the remainder auxiliary Air Force or special reserve squadrons.

The Fleet Air Arm will be increased by 19 first line aircraft. The 19 existing squadrons will also be re-equipped in the course of the year. The new formations will raise the total strength of the Royal Air Force, including the Fleet Air Arm, to the equivalent of 1065 squadrons, being 935 regular squadrons supplemented by 13 nonregular squadrons of the Home Defence Force. The programme is being so arranged that it will be possible to retard or accelerate it in accordance with the requirements of the international situation. Attitude to Air Pact His Majesty’s Government believes that the conclusion of the proposed air pact to afford security against aerial aggression in Western Europe would be of the utmost value in the maintenance of European peace and it earnestly hopes that it may facilitate an early limitation of the air forces of the world by a general international agreement. The net increase shown in the total vote of £595,000 for civil aviation is £82,000 over the 1934 figure. This is mainly due to the urgent necessity for the improvement and development of ground organisation on Empire air routes to facilitate operation by night as well as by day. The improved ground organisation will also assist in the inception of the projected Empire air transport scheme for the carriage of all first-class mails by air whenever possible. Negotiations are in progress for an air service to connect Hong Kong with the main Australian route at Bangkok and plans are under consideration for linking the British West African colonies with the trunk route to South Africa.

It has not yet been possible to inaugurate the projected air service to connect Bermuda with New York, but it is hoped that it will be in operation toward the end of this year or early in 1936.

The subsidy to light aeroplane clubs is increased to £25,000, compared with £16,000 last year. Provision for experimental aircraft includes a contribution to Imperial Airways, Ltd., for the construction of a composite aircraft from which a heavily-loaded seaplane mounted upon a lightly-loaded flying-boat could be released when sufficient height is attained.