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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 0981.PDF
AIRCRAFT ENGINEER AND AIRSHIPS ^founded in 1909 FIRST AERONAUTICAL ^WEEKLY IN THECWORLD OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB No. 1375. Vol. XXVII. MAY 2, 1935 Thursdays, Price 6 J. By Post, 7Sd. Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices: Telegrams : Truditor, Watloo, London. DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON. S.E.I Telephone : Hop 3333 i50 lines). HERTFORD ST., COVENTRY. Telegrams: Autocar, Coventry. Telephone : Coventry 5210. GUILDHALL BUILDINGS. NAVIGATION ST., BIRMINGHAM, 2. Telegrams: Autopress, Birmingham. Telephone: Midland 2971. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Home and Canada : Other Countries : Year, £1 13 0. Year, £1 15 0. 2«0. DEANSGATE, MANCHESTER, 3. 1'elesrams: llifle, Manchester. Telephone: Biackfriars 4412. 2CB, RENFIELD8T., GLASGOW, C.2. Telegrams: llifle, Glasgow. Telephone: Central 4857. 6 months, 16s. fid. b' months, 17s. fid. 3 months, 8s. 3d. 3 months, 8s. 9d- Fifth or x thi STATISTICS are said to be the worst form of lie. A statistical figure on which the British nation has been spoon-fed for some time past is "Fifth." The public has been told over and over again that Britain is the fifth air power in the world, and the public has not been made exceeding glad by the information. It has, in fact, been shocked and pained to think that Britain was only fifth. The figure, however, has always been meaningless, and now, thanks to a lucid article by the diplomatic correspondent of The Daily Telegraph, it is generally recognised as having no real value. The figure was arrived at by adding up all the aeroplanes in the possession of the Royal Air Force and also adding up all the aeroplanes in the possession of foreign Powers. Let those who would add up aeroplanes realise that in that form of mathematical exercise the rule obtains that two and two do not make four. They remain just two and two. To add flying boats to fighters is just about as use ful as adding yards to cubic feet. Every aeroplane is designed for a special purpose or for "general purpose," and the general purpose aero plane is not likely to be much use if opposed in war to . specialised aeroplanes. If the specialised machine is diverted from its proper use it often becomes com paratively useless. Specialisation of aeroplane design is perhaps in its irrfanc /, but the tendency now is towards more and more specialisation. The Royal Air Force tends to become a congeries of groups of specialists. Home Defence When public speakers or writers wish to soothe or to terrify the British public, they indulge too often -:n statistical comparisons with the air forces of other nations, and hence arose the reiteration of this figure " Fifth." The only useful comparison, for the purposes of the present moment, is with nations "within striking distance of these shores." On the British side, the only division of the R.A.F. which it is useful to consider is the Home Defence Force, which includes the Command Air Defence of Great Britain, together with one squadron at Donibristle and one at Singapore—and the latter would not be of much use to us if some West European nation thought it would be a good thing to smash up our Jubilee celebrations. We cannot count with certainty on any reinforcement of the Command A.D.G.B. from the overseas Commands, and those Commands find the general purpose type more useful than any specialised type. In particular, they have no fighter squadrons at all. The Fleet Air Arm—camouflage the fact how you will—in war becomes an integral part of the Royal Navy, and must carry out naval duties before it can lend a hand at air defence of the United Kingdom. The Army co-operation squadrons would certainly accom pany the Army wherever the latter might go. Yet it is only by adding up all those elements that the figure of fifth air power appears. When one takes Air Defence of Great Britain by itself, it is more than doubtful whether this country is fifth, even if one also excludes from the calculation the United States, Russia and Japan as not being within striking distance. A Distinction It appears now that when Herr Hitler admitted that the German Army Flying Corps was equal to the strength of the Royal Air Force he meant that it was equal to the total strength of all the R.A.F. Commands, and that implies that it must be enormously superior to the Com mand A.D.G.B. It is suspected also that in certain classes of bombers the German machines can outrange and outfly any present British aeroplanes. Germany is certainly a nation within striking distance of these shores, and these facts, if they are facts, are not in the least consoling. It is some comfort to know that France is energetically working to bring her large Army flying corps up to date in the matter of machines, but it would not be consistent with Britain's dignity to rely for the protection of her shores on the strength of a friend. To spend more of our recent hard-won prosperity on armaments would be bitter, but we must not think of finding our protection in armaments paid for by the taxes of the people of France. The House of Commons will
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