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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 0669.PDF
AIRCRAFT ENGINEER • FIRST AERONAUTICAL WEEKLY IN THE WORLD .• FOUNDED MO9 Editor C. M. POULSEN Managing Editor C. GEOFFREY SMITH Chief Photographer JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices• DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.I Telegrams : Trnditur, Sedist, London. Telephone : Waterloo 3333 (60 lines). 8-10, CORPORATION ST., COVENTRY. Telegrams: Autocar, Coventry. Telephone: Coventry 5210. GUILDHALL BUILDINGS, NAVIGATION ST.. BIRMINGHAM, 2. Telegrams: Autopress. Birmingham. Telephone: Midland 2971 (5 lines). 260. DBANSGATE, MANCHESTER, 3. Telegrams: Iliffe, Manchester. Telephone: Blackhnars 4412. 26B, RENFIELD ST., GLASGOW, C.2. Telesrams: Iliffe, Glasgow Telephone: Central 4857." SUBSCRIPTION KATES: Home and Canada : Other Countries: Year, Year, £1 IS 0. £1 16 0. 6 months. 16s. 6d. 6 months, 18s. Od. 3 months, 8s. 6<L 3 months, 9s. OiL No. 1576. Vol. XXXV. MARCH 9, 1939. Thursdays, Price 6d. The Outlooks Air Costs More Than Water I N past years air enthusiasts have often grumbled, when the Estimates time of year came round (usually and appropriately in the season of Lent), that the Navy was given far more public money than was allotted to the air. This year there can be no such complaint; the Air Estimates for the first time in history exceed the Navy Estimates. The Lords of the Ad miralty make only a comparatively modest demand for less than a hundred and forty-nine and a half millions, whereas the hitherto starved Air Ministry hungrily claims a net expenditure of rather more than two hundred and eight and a half millions. As an old jingle'says, "two hungry meals make the third one a glutton." In reckoning the difference between gross and net expenditure, we disregard the so-called appropriation-in- aid from loan, because that loan will have to be repaid some time or other and is a real charge against the country, though the paying back will fall on future generations. Appropriations-in-aid from other Govern ment departments and from India and the Colonies are, on the other hand, real reliefs to Air Estimates. It is from the net estimates thus calculated that we know what air defence and civil aviation is actually costing the British taxpayer. Under the new arrangement, the Fleet Air Arm, for example, is no longer counted as part of air defence; what the Admiralty pays towards the Air Estimates is only for the services which the R.A.F. still has to render in training, maintenance, accommodation, as well as for certain aircraft. The future equipment JJ1? F.A.A. is to be borne on Navy votes. *h>s excess of expenditure on the air over that on the Navy is surprising at first sight, but is natural when °ne considers the very backward state into which the •VA.F, has been allowed to fall in everything except the excellence of its small personnel. The Air Force had to be expended enormously as part of the defence of the country and the Empire, and at the same time it had to be re-equipped with aircraft of totally novel designs. The aircraft industry had been allowed to languish in the days of economy, and the needs of ex pansion could only be met by the building of great new factories at Government expense. That form of expendi ture will not be a recurring charge, nor will the con struction of new stations for the R.A.F. go on for ever. In the future we may look for some relief; at the present moment we must be, and are, thankful for everything which helps to avert from us the danger of war. If we are strong enough, none will dare to attack us. In the past some people have cried out for peace at any price. We are seeking peace at a price of five hundred and eighty million pounds. If it can be bought for that sum, it will be counted cheap. The Business End T HERE was a time when the publication of the Air Estimates in February or March afforded a very good opportunity for gauging how busy or otherwise (usually otherwise) the aircraft industry was going to be during the coming financial year. Subhead C of Vote 3 contained the amounts it was intended to spend on complete aircraft, complete engines, aircraft spares and engine spares. Knowing the number of firms likely to participate in these orders, one could get a pretty fair idea of the general effect on the industry. The 1939 Air Estimates do not encourage prophetic utterances. They state baldly that the gross estimate for "Technical and Warlike Stores" is £124,443,000, of which £93,640,000 is expected to be spent on aircraft, engines and balloons. The figure includes the cost of
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