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Aviation History
1928
1928 - 0188.PDF
MARCH 15, 1928 protection to these islands. The position now is that we have at home in all thirty-one squadrons, of which eight are non-regular squadrons. That, we submit is much too far below what was once thought essential, and no case has been advanced for changes in the international situation which would justify this country halting her air programme. The time was when we were told that no " cuts " were being made, but merely a retardation in the development that had been established. The " retardation'" now appears to have become a stand-still, at least as far as Home Defence is concerned. Sir Samuel Hoare does not as a rule shirk any responsibilities that fall upon liim, and his omission to refer to the complete stoppage in the development of aerial Home Defence is possibly due to nothing more than an oversight. Obviously he could not, in his Memorandum, refer to every detail of the Estimates, but we do submit that when the time comes for discussing the Estimates in the House, a full explanation of this particular point is due. As in previous years, by far the largest single vote is Vote 3, " Technical and Warlike Stores (including Experimental and Research Services) " which, of course, covers the purchase of aircraft, engines and spares. Subhead A, which relates to these, shows a decrease on gross estimates of £216,000, i.e., from £5,904,000 in 1927 to £5,688,000 in 1928. In his Memorandum, and on the green pages of explanatory text with which the Air Estimates are inter-leaved, it is pointed out that the greater portion of this decrease is due to a smaller requirement of aircraft spares consequent on the introduction of new types of machines. If this is so, it would seem to be an excel- lent argument in favour of speeding-up the replace- ment programme, and in this connection it is inter- esting to find in the Memorandum the statement that " nine squadrons are to be re-equipped with machines of the latest design, in addition to the equipment of the various new units to be formed in 1928." The " various new units " presumably are the two mew squadrons for India, the equivalent of one squadron for the Fleet Air Arm, and the equivalent •of one squadron in the form of two new flights of flying-boats. On this assumption, 13 squadrons, or their equivalent, are to be re-equipped with up-to- date aircraft and engines. Taking a squadron as 12 machines, this will therefore mean 156 new machines to be ordered during the year, presumably of " production types," and excluding experimental types. That might appear a reasonably large number, but when it is remembered that there are some 20 aircraft firms in the country, it only amounts to a little more than 7 machines per firm, assuming an even distribution of orders. Obviously, there will not be an even distribution. Moreover, two flights of flying- boats are included in the number, or probably 12 The Royal Visitor IT is stated unofficially that the King of Afghanistan -will visit Halton on March 17 in the morning to inspect the School of Technical Training, and Hendon aerodrome in the afternoon. On March 21 he will be at Croydon aerodrome, and visit the Rolls-Royce works at Derby on March 27. New Air Line from London THE French Air Union's new service between Croydon and Cannes began on March 1. According to schedule, the departure from Croydon is at 7 a.m., and the arrival at Cannes at 5 p.m. To land at Cannes before darkness sets in punctu- ality must be observed up to Marseilles, because there are no machines. The number of flying-boat firms is limited. Then there is another 12 or so for the Fleet Air Arm ; again, types not being produced by all our firms. Consequently, one is forced to the conclusion that not a few of our aircraft firms are likely to be having a lean time of it during 1928, When it is realised that the safety of the country must of necessity depend upon an aircraft industry, financially able to keep together its designing staffs, and able to expand rapidly should the need occur, the outlook is none too good. Under the heading " Research and Technical Development," the Memorandum states that " the experimental aircraft programme provides for the inception of work on 14 new types, including both a high-speed and a civil specification." The " high speed" specification may be assumed to refer to machines for the next Schneider Trophy race, and the inclusion of one civil specification (little enough in all conscience) reduces the number of experimental service types to 12. It is possible that some of the new types may go into production, and thus come under the 156 machines previously referred to. But even if they do not, a total of 168 service machines, one racing type, and one civil aircraft is not sufficient to keep the aircraft industry in a healthy condition, the more so as the spasmodic system of placing orders results in added difficulties. Under the same heading, Sir Samuel Hoare makes the welcome announcement that a seaplane testing tank is to be begun this year. This has been long overdue, as has also the variable density wind tunnel to which the Secretary of State for Air refers. There is a net reduction in the Civil Aviation Vote of £49,000, although subsidies have increased from £247,000 to £266,000, of which £250.000 is to go to the air transport services, and £16,000 to the light plane clubs. The Memorandum states that the increase has been found by allocating to subsidies a substantial part of the savings effected on works services. Exactly how the sum of £16,000 is to meet a possible demand of £2,000 from each of 13 recognised light 'plane clubs is not quite clear, and one can only assume that the presumption is that but very few clubs will be able to earn the full subsidy. Taking it all round, the 1928-29 Air Estimates cannot be said to be entirely satisfactory, more especially from the point of view of the aircraft industry, the long-promised and long overdue en- couragement to which appears still as far off as ever. At present there are some 20 aircraft firms in existence. WTe shall be surprised if the number has not been materially reduced by the end of the financial year. And the tragedy is that not one of those firms can be spared if the country is to enjoy even a moderately safe position in the air. H H arrangements for night landing at Cannes. On the first day one of the machines on the Paris-Marseilles section made a forced landing, and was wrecked near Lyons. Farman Goliaths are used between London and Paris ; Bleriot Spads (260 h.p. Salmson engines) between Paris and Mar- seilles, and also Bleriot Spads (450 h.p. Gnome-Rhone- Jupiter engines). Flying boats of the Liord et Olivier type, with two 150 h.p. Hispano-Suiza engines, complete the journey. The service in the reverse direction, Cannes- London, has been run to schedule regularly, but it was a few days before the outward journey was flown, owing to bad weather and other mishaps. 168
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