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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 1096.PDF
APRIL 13, 1939 FLIGHT. 387 The airframe and engine factory of the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation at Fisherman's Bend, Melbourne. Big extensions are being made. AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTION How the Commonwealth is Becoming Independent of Raw Material Imports By MICHAEL TERRY, F.R.G.S., F.R.E.S. THE news that Australia will immediately enlarge her military aircraft production to cope with a maximum of 800 machines a year is good news and—to those unfamiliar with the resources of the Commonwealth —surprising news. It must puzzle not a few that a country which does not manufacture cars should suddenly spring into the air with its own aeroplanes; and that, under pressure to secure the Far Eastern portion of the Empire, Australia should also be made the key point for equipping New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore, and perhaps even South Africa, when war losses have to be made good. Cars have not been mass-produced in Australia because a population of seven million cannot absorb sufficient of one make to justify large-scale manufacture. Without mass-production the price of imported chassis cannot be sufficiently undercut. But every machine that the Commonwealth can put into the air will be sold at once, even ordered in advance. The tariff policy to stimulate local factory output, which Australia has pursued in face of much criticism, is being justified rather unexpectedly. The industries which it has fostered are available immediately to be woven into the fabric of national defence; and now the call has been made. Since it does not pay to manufacture American cars within the Commonwealth, the popular kinds of chassis, to benefit by the Empire preferential tariffs, are being manu factured in Canada and then shipped to Australia. For a long time the bodies have been built in Australia, prin cipally at Adelaide, in Holden's factory. This has lately been absorbed by General Motors (Australia). The latest returns show that 67,337 bodies were built in the Common wealth in a year, mostly by Holden's. An interesting side light on this factory is that a year ago an experimental consignment of its bodies was sent to Egypt. The foremost American-Canadian ' companies have erected assembly plants in Australia (notably Fords at Geelong, near Melbourne, and General Motors at Mel bourne) to reduce their tariff costs by extended use of Australian labour. All use Australian-manufactured tyres, batteries and many other items of equipment. The development of this industry has resulted in the availability of large numbers of mechanics and executives whose knowledge can readily be adapted to aircraft pro duction. And, of course, works are established which can make aircraft components and thus become sub-contrac tors to the factory whose enlarged output Sir Kingsley Wood announced recently. As well as the motor car industry there are great general engineering works, like the Sunshine Harvester Works at' Sunshine, near Melbourne, used to all types of machine- work, casting and assembly. There are literally dozens of lesser factories which, from normal production of such dissimilar articles as mining machinery and fine electrical equipment, can reorganise themselves to turn out parts for airframes and aero engines. There are: — 85 works for assembling and constructing motor vehicles, employing 4,600 people. 201 works for building motor bodies, employing 12,300. 935 engineering factories, employing 2.0,000. 260 motor and cycle tyre factories, employing 4,000. 67 wireless apparatus factories, employing 4,000. 994 factories for electrical installations, cables, etc., employing 8,000. 143 agricultural implement factories, employing 5,000. 434 steel mills, employing 17,500. These figures substantiate the recent report by the Royal Air Force Mission to Australia, which emphasises the ex tent to which the engineering resources of the Common wealth have been developed. They show also the sources from which the skilled labour will be drawn. The parts manufactured by sub-contractors will be sent to the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation at Fisherman's Bend, where, on a large area of vacant land beside the mouth of the River Yarra, the new factory is already being enlarged. The Corporation was formed in 1936 to turn out Wirraway machines, a local adaptation of the North American N.A.33. Production began in April last year, with a staff of 437, under an initial contract to supply 40 machines to the Royal Australian Air Force. The size of the factory was originally 30 acres, but sufficient land has been acquired to allow expansion by 600 per cent. This larger scheme is being put in hand immediately.
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