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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 0553.PDF
FEBRUARY 22, 1940 Here card There 181 AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY BOOMING in U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Dollars and Sense JOHN H. JOUETT, president oi the AeronauticalChamber of Commerce of America, trade associationof the aircraft manufacturing industry, made the fol-lowing statements in his report to members at the annual meeting held in New York on January 25. " Expansion in the American aircraft industry has had a most favourable influence on the employment situation throughout the manufacturing areas. Shop labour in the airplane and engine plants reached 60,000 this month as compared to 30,000 a year ago. This 100 per cent, in- crease was created by large orders for both military and commercial planes that also have caused a rapid upswing in employment throughout the 50 or more allied industries that contribute to the finished flying machine. "Under present schedules, production of airplanes and engines alone should exceed 1500,000,000 during 1940, more than twice that of last year which preliminary estimates place at $225,000,000. " The current backlog of the industry is approximately $625,000,000. This compares to $125,000,000 a year ago. Contrary to the impression in some quarters, not all this business is of a military character. Our own air forces have ordered equipment amounting to more than $200,000,000. The commercial orders represented in the industry's current backlog show a satisfactory increase, and our export trade has been growing at a rapid rate. " Our exports of all kinds of aeronautical equipment, in- cluding accessories, reached about $117,000,000 in 1939, as compared to $68,000,000 in 1938. That is not only because of war orders from the Allied Governments and some of the smaller neutral nations of Europe, but also because of a substantial increase in orders from Latin America where the superiority of American commercial and military equip- ment is recognised. We exported to 91 foreign countries, dominions and colonies out of a potential of less than a hundred. '' If plans for air line equipment both in the United States and in more than 20 other countries are carried out, our manufacturers should have a backlog of approximately $40,000,000 in transport equipment alone within the next few months. Meanwhile, we have made very real progress in private flying. Our new models are improved in design and performance. The number of new planes produced for the private owner last year was approximately 3,700, slightly more than 100 per cent, above 1938. Improved economic conditions and the pilot training programme of the Civil Aeronautics Authority have contributed to a greater demand for private planes of all types, ranging from the light plane to the five-passenger executive models. We have also noted increased interest in this kind of equip- ment among the countries of Latin America where we ex- pect to develop large markets for private owner planes. ^ Military orders from our air forces are divided among 23 of the 45 airplane plants and 9 of the 13 aircraft engine plants. Many companies which can take on more business are receiving sub-contracts whereby they supply parts. If necessary, those plants also can take subcontracts for com- plete equipment. We may expect to see the subcontracting system expand with the growth of business, and it will tend to increase employment in many sections of the country. "Meanwhile, our manufacturers are increasing their re- search and engineering development facilities wherever possible.- Some are building their own wind tunnels and other laboratory equipment. Whole sections of their engineering departments are developing new planes, engines, propellers and other accessories to make flying even faster, more reliable and more economical. New manufacturing equipment is also contributing to the pro- gress in producing better planes. For the last six years the manufacturers have devoted to development work approxi mately 10 per cent, of their gross sales. Reports received by the Aeronautical Chamber in recent weeks show that the industry is continuing to make improvements more rapidly than ever before, because with increased business it can aflord greater expenditures for research and engineering. New R.A.A.F. Chief Arrives AIR MARSHAL SIR CHARLES BURNETT, who has latelybeen appointed to take charge of the much-expanded Royal Australian Air Force, arrived in Darwin on February 12 with Air Vice-Marshal Williams who is returning from England after a period of duty there. On their way south to Melbourne, they met the Cabinet at Sydney. Canadian Aircraft Contracts 'T'HE British High Commissioner in Ottawa (Sir Gerald -«- Campbell) has announced that the British Government has let contracts to the value of nearly $27,000,000 (£5,400,000) for the manufacture of aircraft in Canada. The Canadian scheme for the production of Handley Page Hampdens is organised under Canadian Associated Aircraft, Ltd., and de- tails of it were given in Flight for February 8 on page 137. Fire in the Air FROM Australia comes a story of cool piloting in adangerous emergency. Captain Croucher was flying anAustralian National Airways Douglas—probably a DC 2—be- tween Melbourne and Adelaide on the one-day Melbourne- Perth run. When near Dimboola, and at an altitude of 6,000 ft., a bump was felt and the starboard engine stopped. Informing the ground station by radio, the pilot set out for the nearest emergency landing ground at Nhill, but within a few minutes the engine had caught fire. By this time the aeroplane was being watched by people on the ground and, following it in their motor cars, they saw it side slipped skilfully to keep the flames away from the cabin and the wing tanks. When about to make a landing and onlv looft. above the ground, the watchers were amazed to see "the engine fall out. But even this did not deter the pilot who. avoiding some trees, landed the aeroplane, and after conclusions with a fence, came to rest. No one was hurt, and the chemical extinguisher checked the flames. The whole in- cident reflects great credit on Captain Croucher for getting his passengers and aeroplane out of an exceedingly dangerous situation without casualties or major damage. Aircraft Construction in AustraliaI T has been announced that the Commonwealth Government will spend ^25,000,000 on aircraft construction within the next two and a half years, largely to provide machines for the Empire Air Training Scheme. The announcement states that something like 3,000 aircraft will be needed for the scheme, about 1,000 of the bigger types of which, such as Fairey Battles and Avro Ansons, will be provided by the British Government. As has already been stated in Flight the earlier part of the flying training will be done on Tiger Moths and Wirraways which will be manufactured in Australia. The Bristol Beaufort is another type which will be made in the Dominion, but is, of course, not intended for training. A Help for Finland REPORT has appeared in the Norwegian paper Aften- posten that Finland is to receive 700 aircraft from abroad. It is stated that the Western Powers are to send 400 and Italy 100. A Spanish contribution of war material to the value of 5,000,000 kroner is also reported, but no indication is given as to the source of the remainder of the aircraft. (At the present rate of exchange of 17.70 kroner to £1, 5,000,000 kroner is equal to over £280,000.) There is no confirmation of this report. The Finnish Consulate in Toronto announces that twenty Canadian airmen are leaving there to go to Finland. Judg- ing by latest reports of the fighting in Finland, help is urgently required if Russian aggression is to be prevented from tramp- ling down the boundaries of this gallant little democracy.
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