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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0071.PDF
FLIGHT, JANUARY 25, 1934 BRITISH ENTERPRISE IN CHINA IT will come as an agreeablesurprise to many of ourreaders to know that asingle concern—the Far- East Aviation Co., Ltd,—hassupplied about 130 British aircraft of both military and civil typesto China during the past three .years. A short history ofthe company should be of interes t. In 1928 Mr. R. Vaughan Fowlerand Mr. F. R. Smith started the business as a private company.When he came to England in 1930 Mr. Vaughan Fowler madearrangements to represent in China the majority of British aircraft firms. On his return he was accompanied by Mr.A.. V. Harvey, who became the chief test pilot and demonstrator of the company. A limited liability com-pany with the title of The Far-East Aviation Co.. Ltd.. was formed in 1930 with a capital of half a million HongKong dollars. The managing director is Mr. Vaughan Fowler; Mr. Harvey is the manager for Hong Kong andSouth China. Besides its aviation activities the company is responsible for Far Eastern Motors in Hong Kong. Atthe present time a flying training school, which will be run on similar lines to the School of Air Service Training, THE MANAGING DIRECTOR : Mr. R. Vaughan Fowler, a pioneer of the business. ADVANCED TRAINING : Mr. A. V. Harvey and two Chinese pilots with an Avro 626 ("Lynx"). is being formed. In riturn for an annual grant Of 30,000 Hong Kong dollars, the school undertakes to train ten members of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps each year. It is thought that a number of Chinese Govern- ment students will take ground engineers' courses at the school. Mr. F. W. Murray, late of A.S.T., has already leftfor Hong Kong to take up the duties of chief instructor to the school, and Lord Malcolm Douglas Hamilton willfollow in January to assist him. Another former member of the staff of A.S.T., the chief ground engineer andforeman, Mr. Waldron, is going out in January to take up a post with the company. He will be assisted by Mr.WHcocks. The initial equipment of the school will be three Avro " Cadets " (7 cyl. " Genets "). I^ater two Avro 626(" Lynx ") advanced training machines and possibly a " Cutty Sark " (2 " Genet Majors ") will be added. Theinstructional staff of the company includes Messrs. H. A. Howes, A. D. Bennett, G. S. Jones-Evans, G. B. Mussom,Fit. Lt. J. R. Brown, L. Rowley, and a Chinese pilot, Mr. Hung. The following types of machines have been sold inChina by the company:—Avro " Avian," Avro " Cadet," Avro 621, Avro 626, Avro 637, Avro VI, A.W.XVI," Atlas II," Westland " Wapiti," and Saro " Cutty Sark." All these aircraft are fitted with ArmstrongSiddeley engines ranging from the " Genet " to the " Panther." The interchangeability of the parts of manyof these Armstrong Siddeley engines is a great asset in a country such as China. The Avro 637 type should beparticularly well suited to Chinese demands. The greatest competitor of Great Britain in the Chineseaircraft market is America. The Curtiss " Hawk," Douglas " 02.Me " and Vought " Corsair " military typesare all employed. Junkers K.47 two-seater fighters and some Fiat BR.3 bombers are also to be found. Since theconflict between China and Japan several patriotic Chinese have subscribed to purchase aircraft. The HonanProvincial Government has donated several of these machines. The purchase was followed up by an order formore, which only goes to show what our manufacturers can do abroad if they really try. FIGHTING EQUIPMENT : Three A.W.XVI's (« Pantherlla ") at Shanghai. The ruins in the background, before a Japanese bombardment during the first Sino-Japanese conflict, were hangars. 7i -r-r" v. •••' .:.,•••
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