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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0170.PDF
MARCH 11, 1926 IN PARLIAMENT -Qualified PilotsMR. A. WILLIAMS, on February 24, asked the number of qualified pilots in His Majesty's Air Force at the present time ?Sir S. Hoare : The number of qualified pilots in the Regular Air Force is 2,306, of whom, however, 103 are, for medical or other reasons, no longer-available for pilots' duties. Brennan HelicopterMR. ROSE asked the total amount expended upon the experiments in connection with the Brennan helicopter from the beginning until the abandon-ment of the design last year ; and whether the country is under any further obligation to the inventor ? Sir S. Hoarc : The total amount expended over the seven years during whichthe experiments have been proceeding at Farnborough i* estimated at £"55,0110. As regards the second part of the question, Mr. Brennan's contract-with the Air Ministry expires on March 31 next, and I am not aware that he has any contractual relations with other Departments of State. Mr. Rose : Why has this design been persisted in and all this money•wasted ? Sir S. Hoare : The money has not been wasted. We learnt very valuablelessons from the experience gained. Mr. Rose : Does the right hon. gentleman consider that seven or eightyears' work and an expenditure of £55,00(1 on a thing that is smashed as soon as it was started is valuable ? To whom is it valuable ? Sir S. Hoare : The hon. Member can draw his own conclusions. In my viewit has been of value to the Air Ministry and the State generally. Passenger Air ServicesSIR F. HALL asked how many passengers were carried in 1925 by civil air services operating to and from this country ; and what proportion of these-were carried by British-controlled services ? Sir S. Hoare': The answer to the first part of the question is 20,721 ; to thesecond 51 per cent. German AirshipsMR. WELLS asked the Secretary of State for Air if he can state, with regard to Germany, the number of airships in use last year, the number of airshipflights, and the number of passengers carried ? SIR S. HOARE : There were no airships in use in Germany last year. Air Staff and Administrative StaffSIR F. SYKES asked the Secretary of State for Air the number of officers -on the Air staff and on the administrative staff at the Air Ministry, respec-tively, who are staff college graduates ; and in respect of such officers the numbers in each class who have served on the headquarters staff of a DominionGovernment defence force ? Sir S. Hoare : The answer to the first part of the question is 19 officers ofthe Air staff and 11 officers of the administrative staff of the Air Ministry ; to the second part, that one officer of the Air staff and one of the administrative•staff have served on the headquarters staff of a Dominion Government defence force. These numbers include officers who have graduated or completed acourse at the Army, Navy and Air Force Staff Colleges. Imperial Defence and Three Co-equal ServicesMR. RAMSAY MACDOKALD, on February 25, asked the Prime Minister whether he can inform the House before to-day's Debate whether the Govern-ment have any intention of raising afresh, by inquiry or otherwise, the question of the independent status of the Air Force and Air Ministry '!The Prime Minister : I think it essential to announce that, in accordance with the policy of successive Administrations, the Government have nointention of re-opening the question of a separate Air arm and Air Ministry. We intend to pursue the organisation of Imperial Defence on the existingbasis of three co-equal Services. It is in the interests of the Fighting Services that controversy upon this subject should now cease. We are convincedthat the way to secure the higher co-ordination in our Defence machinery, ndispensable to full efficiency and, indeed, to economy, lies not in the abolitionof any one of the three established arms of His Majesty's Forces, but in com- bined action between all three through the machinery of the Committee ofImperial Defence and the agency of the recently instituted Committee of Chiefs of Staff. We are sure that we can rely upon all concerned to devotethemselves loyally and wholeheartedly to this end. Lieut-Commander Kenworthy : Will the right hon. Gentleman inquireinto the feasibility of a Ministry of Defence for the co-ordination of the three Services-on better lines in view of the economies that would result ? The Prime Minister : That raises an entirely different question. Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy : Oh, no.Mr. Basil Peto : Will the Prime Minister bear in mind that he recently asked Members of this House to make suggestions for economy, and therefore,•on the ground of economy alone, is it not desirable that the question referred to in his answer should at least be debated, and that members should not beunderstood to be muzzled and not to raise questions of this sort because it has been announced that it is not the policy of His Majesty's Government ? The Prime Minister : The thought of muzzling never entered my head.A statement on somewhat similar lines has been made by each successive Government. I think it is the appropriate time, when these Estimates comebefore the House, to make such a statement. Personnel and Machines (Ratio).MAJ. GLYN asked the Secretary of State for Air how many men does it require to-day to keep one aeroplane in service on the same method of•calculation by which it was recorded that the figures for 1918 were 81, and for 1924, 53 ? Sir S. Hoare : On the assumption that the figures quoted and requestedrelate to the ratio between the personnel strength of the Royal Air Force and the number of machines on the first-line establishments of Service•squadrons, the ratio at present may be stated as between 49 and 50 personnel of all ranks for each first-line aeroplane in Service squadrons. Royal Aircraft Factory, Farnborough. MR. KELLY, on February 26, asked the number of employees engaged at the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough in January, 1924, January, 1925, and January, 1926, respectively. Sir S. Hoare : The figures are as follow for the experimental and research and industrial staff :—January 1, 1924, 979; 1925, 1,002; 1926, 1,064.The technical staff located at Famborough for airworthiness investigations, etc., are not included in these figures ; nor are the drawing-office staffs, clerks,typists, etc., who perform common services for the whole staff. The increase is due to greater concentration on scientific research and additional require-ments in connection with the expansion of the Royal Air Force for home defence. Flight Programme in AfricaSIR H. URITTAIN, on March 3, asked the Secretary of State for Air what is the approximate time within which the flight now being carried out by theRoyal Air Force in Africa is to be completed ; and what will be the mileage flown ? Sir S. Hoare : As regards the first part of the question, it is expected thatthe programme of the flight, which includes visits of varying duration to Pretoria and other centres as well as to Cape Town, will be completed withinthree months. The answer to the last part of the question is approximately 10,000 miles. Air Forces Comparative Strengths and ExpenditureSIR CHARLES CAYZER asked the Secretary of State for Air (1) the present strength in fully-trained air pilots and first-line aeroplanes of the followingPowers :—France, Italy, and the United States ; whether he has any infor- mation showing the extent to which th? above-mentioned Powers intendto increase these air forces in pilots and first-line machines in the near future ; and whether he has any information as to the cost of the proposed increases ; (2) The amounts spent on their respective Air Forces for the financial year1925-26, or during the last account period available, translated for purposes of comparison into pounds sterling at present rates of exchange, of thefollowing Powers :—Great Britain, France, Italy, and the United States ; and whether he can state the number of first-line aeroplanes available in asudden emergency at present maintained by the above-mentioned Powers '.' Sir S. Hoare : As regards the first-line aircraft of France and Italy, I wouldrefer my hon. Friend to the reply to the hon. Member for Finsbury, on February 10 ; according to the latest information available the first-linestrength of the United States is about 600 machines. Whilst these countries have not. so far as I am aware, recently published any exact statistics oftheir flying personnel, the report of the Morrow (American) Aircraft Board gives the number of Italian pilots as 921, whilst the corresponding Frenchfigure is shown as 3,184. The same report gives the number of United States pilots as 1,473. I understand that the French Naval Air Service is eventu-ally to be increased to 50 squadrons, and the Italian Air Service to 182 squadrons, but I have no information as to the cost involved nor of anycontemplated increases in the French Military Air Service or in the United States Air Services. As regards the amounts spent in 1925-26, as stated in my reply to Mr. Groveson July 29 last, it is not possible to segregate the expenditure of France and the United States upon their air services from their general naval and militaryexpenditure on a basis comparable with British air expenditure—and adequate information is not available in regard to the cost of the Italian air service.In this connection 1 may say that the Morrow Report above referred to expressly recognises the impossibility of comparing the so-called air expendi-ture of the various Powers. As regards the air expenditure of Great Britain, I would refer my hon.Friend to Air Estimates. A deduction of approximately £1,250,000 should, however, be made from the figures there given in respect of civil aviation,meteorology, supplies to British and Indian Army personnel in the Middle East, and other services which cannot properly be included in the cost of theRcyal Air Force. Further, Air Estimates include, in addition to maintenance charges, a largeelement of capital expenditure in connection with the expansion of the Royal Air Force for Home Defence. Civil Aviation AccidentsBRIGADIER-GENERAL BROOKE asked the Secretary of State for Air the number of accidents during 1924 and 1925 in which civilians carried bycivil air services operating to and from this country were involved, and the number of fatalities '!.Sir S. Hoare : As regards British civil air lines, there were in 1924 one fatal accident involving eight deaths and three accidents without casualties ;there were no accidents in 1925. As regards accidents on foreign air lines in this country, there were two accidents without casualties in 1924, and onefatal accident involving one death and injuries to two passengers and two accidents without casualties in 1925. Cost of R.A.F. Forces in IraqMR. SHORT asked the total cost of the maintenance of the Air Force in Iraq during 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, and 1925, respectively?Sir S. Hoare : The following table gives the information requested by the hon Member :— 1919-1920 (approximate)1920-1921 (approximate) 1921-19221922-1923 1923-19241924-1925 1925-1926 (estimate) 835~,0001,060.000 1,346,1582,799,367 3,575,9843,188,675 2,744,100 These figures include for part of 1922-1923, and for subsequent years pre-vision for various ancillary services undertaken by the Royal Air Force on behalf of the British and Indian Army personnel in Iraq, the expense i fwhich had previously been borne on Army Votes. British Air MailsCOMMANDER BELLAiRs.on March 8, asked the Secretary of State for Air the number of miles flown by British airplanes carrying mails last year-compared to 2,501,555 miles flown by the American Post Office Air Ma1 Service in the fiscal year 1924-25 ?Sir Samuel Hoare : There is no organisation parallel to the American Pos' Office Air Mail Service in this country, where commercial aviation is left t'private enterprise ; the Cairo-Bagdad air mail service operated by the Roy.' Air Force is maintained primarily for military purposes. I am, therefori.unable to give any comparable figures. A Correction IN the last issue of THE AIRCRAFT ENGINEER two typo- graphical errors occurred. On page 110a the last words of the first paragraph should have been " gun fire" and nt t "gn • power " as printed. On p. 110c, column 2, the last word • the first line should have been " mechanistic", and " • " metaphysic." 150
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