MORE SPEEDY’PLANES FOR THE AIR FORCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18961, 7 January 1930, Page 1

MORE SPEEDY’PLANES FOR THE AIR FORCE.

BRITAIN RE-EQUIPPING MANY MACHINES. (United Press Assn.—-By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, January 6. The aeronautical* correspondent of the “ Daily Telegraph ” states that an all round increase in speed for machines of the Royal Air Force will result from re-equipment now proceeding. Broadly speaking the Royal Air Force are passing from the 150 miles miles an hour stage to 180 miles an hour. The four classes of aircraft affected are the single-seater fighter, the interception fighter, the fighter, and the day bomber. The new fighter is the Bristol Bulldog with a speed of 174 miles an hour. It only takes twenty-seven minutes to reach a height of 26,500 feet. The steady increase in the speed of day bombers has reduced the time between the first warning of danger and the arrival of an enemy over London, hence the necessity for changes in design ;n five squadrons of interceptors. The actual changes, however, are still secret. Indeed the tests are continuing, particularly in connection with water-cboled or air-cooled engines. The greater speed of the fighter classes is due to the experience gained from the Schneider Trophy contest, a minor improvement being a satisfactory wheel brake. The best of the day bombers is the Hawker-Hart which has a speed of 177 miles an hour at a height of 5000 feet. It can climb to 15,000 feet in sixteen minutes. It is all important that the interception ’planes should climb rapidly and travel more quickly than the bombers at certain levels.