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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 1268.PDF
MAY 2, 1940 proportion of all classes of stores. The object of this is that if one Depot were destroyed by enemy bombing or by accident the whole supply of one article would not be dried up. In such an event it has been arranged that the neighbouring Depots would at once take over the supplying of the units in the geographical area pre- viously served by the Depot which had been destroyed. The Depots, therefore, work on a geographical basis, and they issue direct to the units in their area. The cumbrous system of '' regular channels of communication'' is cut out. On that red-tapey system the unit would apply to its operational Group, which would pass the indent on to its Command, which might next apply to some Depart- ment of the Air Ministry, which would then communi- cate with the Maintenance Command, and so the indent would go down the ladder until the Depot received orders to issue the article to the unit. Perhaps that never actually happened, but it is the system which at one time was considered ideal by a certain type of official mind. At any rate, nothing of that sort happens now. The operational unit, squadron or school, or so forth, indents direct on its local Depot, and gets its requirement with the minimum of delay. Dispersal 0/ Depots New ideas have also been introduced in the layout of the Depots. The buildings are not grouped together, as that would make a good target for bombing, but are spread about over a tract of land, often with working farm land in between, which the Command prefers not to buy. In one case the Commanding Officer of a Depot has to drive eleven miles to get from one of his buildings to another. Of course, that is a nuisance to the officer, but it makes for safety. In issuing its stores a Depot is not tied to any one method, but may use rail- way, post or air as is most convenient. The Aircraft Group receives machines from the manu- facturers and holds them in store until they are required. While they are stored it keeps them in proper condi- tion. It also distributes direct to the operational units, and its storage Depots are arranged on the same prin- ciple as the Depots of the Equipment Group. The Armament and Fuel Group also works on the Universal Holding basis. Its Depots likewise are hid- den and protected, with underground stores in many cases. One group of buildings has been erected so that it looks like a village. The Depots in this Group do not issue direct to the units, but to Air Armament Parks, which issue to the units. Heavy bombs require special methods of delivery. The supplies of petrol and oil are regulated by the Government Oil Board. This Group also deals with oxygen. The Command is now well placed as regards supplies of oxygen, and there are producing plants all over the country. The Repair and Salvage Group is rather in a state of transition. At present it uses Service airmen for repairs, but Lord Nufneld is the Director General of Maintenance at the Air Ministry, and is organising a system by which repairs will be undertaken by civil firms. That will mean that the work will be done by civilians, older men, and so set free young Service men for other work. As the Nuffield organisation grows, the repair side of this Group will hand over its work to it, and probably will eventually confine its energies to special cases. Salvage In Salvage work, the principle laid down is to remove a crash quickly. Nobody wants it to remain on the spot a moment longer than necessary. The farmer does not want it in his field, and it is bad for public moral to leave it about. If the crash is repairable, it is hurried to the repair hangars; if it is a write-off, then it is re- moved and "reduced to produce" also with celerity. The Group is itself building up an understanding with civil firms, mostly in the motor trade, whereby they undertake the removal of crashes, and this has been working very well. But the Salvage Centre has a num- ber of mobile sections which are self-contained. They sometimes vanish into the moors and are lost to human ken for a couple of nights, but they eventually turn up, quite happily, having either effected repairs in situ and had the machine flown away, or having brought it in for the Repair Section to deal with, or having dealt appropriately. with a write-off. In all probability the scrap will ultimately go to the Nuffield organisation. This Command has not the glamour about its work which goes with the work of the Bomber or Fighter Commands, but those who have had experience of such work know that there is a great fascination in the efforts to keep the R.A.F. in the air. One must respect, too, the versatility of the Maintenance Command. It does not only deal with aircraft, engines, armament, and the parts thereof. It stores and issues clothing, furniture, office equipment, and, in fact, everything which the R.A.F. needs, excepting only buildings and food. AIR YOUR KNOWLEDGE The answers to these questions will be found on " Industry " page ] What aircraft were used for the first flights over Mount Everest ? 9 Which has the heavier armament, the Spitfire or the Wellington ? ^ Who made the first double crossing of the English Channel ? A What is the trade name of the quick- feathering airscrew now being made by De Havillands ? 5 What was the most notable feature of the wings of the wartime Fokker D.7 biplane ? f. What is the correct name for a " rev. counter " ? 7 When did the pusher biplane finally disappear from the R.A.F. I Q How long did Amy Johnson take on her first England-Australia flight ? (J When and where was the first Sehneider Trophy race held ? 0 What new American twin-engined transport aircraft has been designed for a pressure cabin ? 1 Are the bombs on the Short Sunder- land carried internally or externally. 2 Which unit of the Bristol Pegasus series has a two-speed supercharger ? What is the engine shown belcw
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