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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 1248.PDF
434 FLIGHT. MAY 5, 1938. the West African and South Atlantic service to be developed. It is only reasonable, in the circumstances, that, if necessary, other "well-founded" companies should be encouraged to run certain European services. In due cours?, all the companies concerned could usefully be amalgamated. In the meantime the public requires that the services be run. By whom, provided that the companies concerned are " well-founded," is a matter of little importance to them. When speaking of available equipment it may loosely be suggested that Imperial Airways should hand over a very fair proportion of their ordered fleet of Ensigns and Albatrosses. They may ; but having, so to speak, had Europe taken away from them, it could be a little irritating lor Imperial Airways to be told that they must also hand ever their new fleet. Probably they will refuse to do EO and a triangular war between the Air Ministry, Imperial Airways and British Airways will have started in earnest. Its results will not be such as to increase our civil flying prestige abroad. I for Leather? THAT the R.A.F. expansion scheme known as" Scheme F," which aimed at 1,750 first-line aircraftby March, 1939, is now regarded as inadequate wasmore or less hinted at by the Prime Minister in the House cf Commons on March 24, when, in the course of his speech on foreign affairs and rearmament, he said: "We have now come to the conclusion that in the present circum- stances acceleration of existing plans has become essential, and, moreover, that there must be an increase in some parts of the programme, especially in that of the Royal Air Force and the anti-aircraft defences." Subsequent events, and statements in the House and elsewhere, have made it clear that it is the intention of the Government to go very far beyond the plans of "Scheme F," not merely in acceleration but in magnitude. The House will have an opportunity this week of elicit- ing such further information on the subject as the Govern- ment may think fit to disclose, although doubtless good use will be made of the time-honoured phrase, "It is not in the public interest." In the meantime the appoint- ment of an inter-departmental committee under the chair- manship of Lord Winterton is significant. On this com- mittee are represented the directorates of Research and Development, Supply and Organisation, and Operations and Intelligence of the Air Ministry, and the new chairman of the S.B.A.C. is a member. It is expected that Lord Winterton will explain, during this week's debate, that the sending of the mission to America to study tie possibility of American supplies for the R.A.F. is connected with the new expansion scheme, known as "Scheme L," and that it does not indicate defi- ciencies in the older "Scheme F," which is considered reasonably up to schedule. If that is, indeed, the case, it is not a little surprising that the Society of British Aircraft Constructors was not consulted before the mission left for America. Yet appar- ently the first intimation the S.B.A.C. had was the state- ments published in the daily Press! No Magic Wand •L AST week we commented on some of the difficulties connected with buying aircraft in America. In this J issue we publish an article which deals in greater detail with the possible consequences of ordering American aircraft. The writer comes to very much the same con- clusions as those reached by us, and points out that con- siderable delays are bound to occur, even granting that the American aircraft industry is capable of that expansion of output which our placing of orders would presuppose. There seems to be one way, and one way only, in which America could help to accelerate the re-equipment of the R.A.F.—that the U.S. Army and Navy Air Corps should agree to forgo their deliveries in favour of the R.A.F. However, that supposition is so fantastic that it may be ruled out straight away. It is remarkable how a childlike belief has grown up in this country that the American aircraft industry has found the magic wand of mass production. It dees not seem to be generally realised that last year the American firms fell short of what was, after all, a very modest out- put compared with what we are visualising in this country for the R.A.F. That fact does not appear to hold out much promise of huge deliveries to this country, even if the mission should return with a recommendation that orders be placed. When it comes to Canada the position is entirely dif- ferent, as we pointed out last week. It is entirely logical, and good sound sense, that Canadian firms should be in- cluded in our greater expansion scheme. But that should not, and cannot, be on a basis of panic expansion. It mi st TUG O'WAR : In preparation for her trials this month,H.M.S Ark Royal is taken to the dry dock on the Liverpool side of the Mersey for the fitting of propellers and for repaint-ing below the water line. She was launched at Birkenhead on April 12 last year. Sister ships to the Ark Royal, Illustriousand Victorious, are now on the stocks.
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