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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 2103.PDF
JULY 25, 1940 enough to hold a disciplined army when demoralisation sets in, but with a civil population (not united by the bonds of a common adherence to tradition as is a mili- tary unit) demoralisation is fatal. To the attacker, adequate and correct intelligence of a new kind is essential. To the defender, ability to cope with widely separated areas of destructive attack is of paramount importance, as is his ability to maintain com- munications. Whatever means of communication and transportation are relied upon must be duplicated, not once, but many times, so that at no time is it possible for the attacker to cut off sections of the population which is being subjected to air blockade. And not only must the defender have a widely distributed system of stock storage, but he must have ample arrangements for the interlocking and interchange of distributive arrange- ments so that any breakdown in any section can be com- pensated from another section without delay. It appears to be, at least theoretically, sound to postu- late that the nation which is forced to take the defensive against an air blockade must incur vast expenditure of a non-military nature. This expenditure, while neces- sary to prevent defeat, cannot of itself transmogrify the nation incurring it to a condition in which victory is assured; that process requires still more expenditure, in other directions, more directly military in character. This power, which air blockade possesses, of wearing down the financial capacity of an opponent, is something new in war air strategy. And it is something which will require carefully watching by the authorities in Great Britain while we are striving to overcome the effects of the years which the locusts have eaten''—to use again the quotation which Lord Caldecote quoted when he was Sir Thomas Inskip some short time ago. Still, our own immediate experiences of German methods of air blockade will enable us to apply air blockade against Germany to the maximum effect when our turn comes to possess the biggest air force. NEWS FROM CANADA WITH fast-changing conditions in Europe, Canada has beenforced to develop the British Commonwealth Air Train- ing Plan without help from Great Britain. Originally Great Britain was to supply aeroplane engines and some aircraft for the training plan, but now engines are being imported from the United States and the aeroplanes are being built in Canada. It was officially announced at the beginning of July that 200 elementary training craft had already been delivered by Canadian plants, that by the end of 1940 all such training aircraft needed for the plan would have been produced by Canadian plants, and that one company was turning out more than two aeroplanes per day. Such great strides have been made by the Canadian aircraft industry that the larger part of the original programme, which covered two years, has been compressed into a one-year plan, according to Transport and Munitions Minister Mr. C. D Howe. * # * Meetings were held in Western Canada during the latter part of June and early part of July by the Board of Trans- port Commissioners, appointed by the Canadian Government to look into unnecessary duplication of air services in Northern Canada. The Beard heard transport operators flying into the North-West Territories on the minimum services necessary to cover that area. The survey was made so " that appro- priate steps could be taken to prevent such unnecessary dupli- cation of service to the end that economies may be effected and the personnel and equipment released from such services to help meet the present national emergency," the Board stated. Meanwhile the 1939 report of Mackenzie Air Services, Ltd., Edmonton, one of the large operators into the North-West Territories, showed that the war reduced traffic last year, and that only 2,361 passengers were carried, as against 4,125 in 1938, freight and mail being down from 826,000 to 662,200 pounds. The company sold four Noorduyn Norseman aircraft from its fleet to the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1939 for the sum of $95,475. # * # Two aeroplanes of Canadian Airways, Ltd., were used in June to fly the annual Indian treaty money to the Northern Ontario Indians. Piloted by ArttSchade and Rod Grattan, the Junkers and Fairchild aircraft carried the paying party and a doctor into the bush of Northern Ontario at a season when the black bush flies were at their worst. It was a three- week trip, which before the use of the aeroplane took three months. The planes landed on northern lakes about which the Indians had been told to gather. # # * Canadian Airways Ltd. has bought two twin-engined Beechcraft transports for service in the Canadian Atlantic coast provinces. Each plane is fitted with " black-out blinds " controlled from the pilot's compartment, which cover all windows in the eight-place passenger cabin. Wartime regu- lations require that these blinds be drawn while over certain area-, for protection against espionage from the air. # * * The plant of Cub Aircraft Corporation, Ltd., at Hamilton, Ont., is expected to be completed by the end of July, and will have floor space of 15,000 sq. ft. A hangar is also building. * # K Until only a few weeks ago well over ^2,500,000 worth of con-" struction contracts had +>een let in connection with Canada's war efforts. The sum only covers buildings and other struc- tures, and does not include the provision of runways and other airfield facilities. Work is rapidly going forward on 169 separate undertakings throughout the Dominion, the programme including air force and national defence projects, building for military purposes, and developments in connection with the manufacture and supply of munitions. The war establishment of the Royal Canadian Air Force has been increased by nearly 14,000. The total personnel for which provision has been made is now 30,400 men, of whom 2,400 are officers and 28,000 airmen. Less than four years ago, in 1936, the strength of the R.C.A.F. consisted of only 190 officers and 1,115 airmen, while there were no more than 172 aircraft. Aircraft Production THE August issue of our sister journal Aircraft Production(is. 6d. net), on sale this week, is particularly informa- tive. As usual, a wide variety of subjects are dealt with, all of interest to the man engaged on the manufacture of aircraft, aero engines or equipment. That the construction of even the primary structure of aero- planes in plastics may not be as far away as many think is shown by an article on the Timm monoplane. Here it might be mentioned that in next week's issue of Flight there will be a description of a patented process for forming large curved surfaces, such as fuselages and wings, of impregnated wood. In addition to a continuation of the description of the pro- duction of the Napier Dagger engine, there are articles on the very important subject of riveting, reviewing the different tools and methods which can be adopted; on the use of com- pressed laminated wood for dies in press work on light alloys ; on stack-cutting aircraft parts; and an interesting contribution from a Lancashire sub-contractor on jig design for manufac- turing small parts. Needless to say, all the regular features of the journal are found as well, such as the pages dealing with modern machine tools, shop equipment and small tools, technical abstracts, and a review of recent patents. Readers are reminded that it is necessary to place a definite order with a newsagent. Air Wreckage T^HE Air Ministry warns the public not to touch or remove J- wreckage of any aircraft they may come upon—whether British or enemy. It is of vital importance that all such wreckage should be left untouched, otherwise the examination or reconstruction of the damaged aircraft' may be made diffi- cult or impossiDle. There is also the danger of concealed delayed-action bombs. The exact location of all wrecked air- craft should at once be reported to the police.
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