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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 0760.PDF
MARCH 26, 1936. FLIGHT. 327 AIR ESTIMATES EXPLAINED Some Important and Interesting Points from Sir Philip Sassoon's Speech Introducing the Estimates STRIKING tributes to the achievements of the British aircraft industry during recent years were paid by Sir Philip Sassoon, Under-Secretary of State for Air, when he introduced the Air Estimates to the House of Commons last week. He also gave some facts and figures which reflect great credit on the work of Imperial Airways. Sir Philip said that the estimates which he had to submit at a gross total of approximately 43J million pounds and a net total of 39 million were by far the largest which Parliament had been asked to vote to the Air Ministry since the war. This was indeed a melancholy reaction from the high aspirations with which the disarmament conference opened at Geneva four years before. He went on to remind the House of the international circumstances which had made this vast ex pansion necessary, and then proceeded to review the Memoran dum issued with the Air Estimates a fortnight previously by the Secretary of State for Air (as reported in Flight of March 12). In the course of these remarks he explained the meaning of the term "first-line" aircraft, which, he said, was often misunderstood. By it was meant the fighting strength of Service squadrons. That was to say, the term excluded all aircraft in training, experimental aud similar establish-' ments, as well as those in reserve, whether actually held in units or in depots. These aircraft, of course, largely out numbered the first-line figure, and would be greatly increased with the provision of war reserves. Reviewing the problems raised by expansion on such a vast scale, Sir Philip came to the matters of aircraft production and of obtaining personnel. By the end of the financial year 1936, he said, the first-line strength of the Force would have been doubled in the short space of two years. He did not think any fighting service had ever been set a comparable task in time of peace. The Industry As to the industry, plans are being laid for large units of civil industry to turn over to airframes and engines and to parts and equipment. In order to cope with possible war demands, that would be necessary in any event, even if the existing professional industry could fulfil the requirements of the present programme. But, in point of fact, the professional industry would need reinforcement to enable it to cope with that programme. Therefore, arrangements were being made under which those firms upon which they would have to rely ra the event, of war would to-day create large extensions to u ™ aircraft for the programme now in being. Vvhen this is done those firms would form a valuable part ot a war potential which would be ready at all times for instant service. He thought the House would be interested to know v i tW° great motor nrms—Messrs. Austin and Messrs. Kootes (who control the Humber-Hillman combine)—had already most public spiritedly agreed to give the benefit of their great production experience. an 1 regards Personnel, their original requirements in 1935 ana IQ36 amounted, as stated in the House last Julv, to Mr,?i°fiP1!? and 20'000 other personnel—a total of 22,500. loamcations and extensions had since increased the total to l proximately 25,000. The public response already made reauir f^ncent; but he would like to emphasise that Of th m the coming months would still be extensive. airmen l'5.?0 pilots re(Juired they were obtaining 500 from and rnnrt y ^'"H- This gave ground personnel increased of 2 onn n:,aPPreciated opportunities to fly. Of the balance secured n 1 t0 be obtained from civil life, they had already obtained 7A T'2™ °f ground personnel they had to date n inn -,« 5°°" °f these 1'IO° were re-enlisted airmen and of tlie .TLDeW recruits- They had thus got to date 15,700 -5,ooo personnel they required over the two years. Increase of personnel on the active establishment must be accompanied by a corresponding increase in reserves, par ticularly of flying personnel. Thev would shortly be inviting applications for a big addition to the number of reserve pilots. They aimed, in fact, at enrolling 800 fresh reserve pilots direct from civil life in each of the years 1936, 1937 and 1938. In this connection he would appeal especially to employers of labour to give active encouragement to their staffs to join the Reserve and to afford them all the facilities they could for training. Turning to the field of technical equipment, Sir Philip said they had every reason to be satisfied with the new types which had emerged, or were emerging, from the shops. They had a new single-seater fighter flying which has achieved a speed of well over 300 m.p.h. Another, which had just begun its flying trials, was confidently expected to give at least the same speed. The former type would now go straight into production. According to the latest information in their possession, it would be the fastest aircraft of this category in service in the world. Another key type in the programme was the medium bomber. In this category they had two or three types of the very highest promise about to pass into large-scale pro duction. One of them was a development from the machine so generously presented to the Royal Air Force by Lord Rothermere. This aircraft (said Sir Philip, proceeding to reveal a most interesting item of news which has hitherto been an un- publishabk secret) afforded an interesting illustration of the different characteristics which were increasingly called for between purely civil and military types. To adapt it for military uss its designer found it necessary drasticallv to recast the whole layout of the machine. It had been converted from a low-wing monoplane to a mid-wing monoplane. All the indications were that in speed, range and load-carrying capacity this type would be quite outstanding. " We have always known that British designers and British craftsmen could, given the opportunity, produce the best articles in the world," said Sir Philip. "They are proving this yet again. It is no wonder that British aircraft are to-day in use in twenty-six different countries and British engines in twenty-five. It is no matter for surprise that enquiries from abroad for the purchase of British machines and engines are being received almost continuously." Before leaving the subject of technical development the Under Secretary dealt briefly with geodetic and stressed-skin construction, and with de-icing equipment. Returning to the subject of production, he made some strik ing statements:— " We anticipate taking delivery over the next three years of a substantially larger number of machines than during the whole seventeen years since the war." The problems which confronted them could not be solved in a moment. They were at least in process of solution, though there was much planning and hard work still to be done. They had the benefit in this matter of the help and advice of Lord Weir, to whom tneir thanks were most sincerely due. " As a measure of the progress already achieved," said Sir Philip, " I may say that the total output of the British air craft industry in 1935 was approximately equal to that of the U.S.A." The number of employees in the aircraft industry proper had risen during the last three months of 1935 by °<500> ano*
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