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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 0327.PDF
and AIRCRAFT ENGINEER Editorial Director ti. GEOFFREY SMITH, MB E. Editor - -CM. POULSEN Assistant Editor - MAURICE A. SMITH, D.F.C. (WING CDR. R.H.F.V.R.) Art Editor - - JOHN YOXALL FIRST AERONAUTICAL WEEKLY IN THE WORLD .• FOUNDED WO9 Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices : DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.1 Telegrams : Flightpres, Sedist, London. Telephone : Waterloo 3333 (69 lines). COVENTRY: 8 - 10, CORPORATION ST. Telegrams : Auto:ar, Coventry. Telephone : Coventry 5210. BIRMINGHAM, 2:KING EDWARD HOUSE, NEW ST'REET. Teltirams: Autopress, Birmingham.Telephone : Midland 7191 (7 Ifnes). MANCHESTER, 3: 260, DEANSGATE. Telegrams: Iffffe, Manchester Tefcohone. Blackfriars 44U (3 lines). Deansgace 3595 (2 lines). GLASGOW, C.2 26B, R E N Fl E LD ST. Telegrams : Iliffe, Glasgow. Telephone : Central 4857. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Home : Twelve months, £3 Is. Orf. BY AIR : To an/ country in Europe (except Poland). Twelve months, £5 Six months, £1 10$. 6d. Is. Oi. Six months. £2 10s. Overseas: Twelve months, £2 18s. 6i. 64. To Canada and U.S.A. Six months, No. 2096. Vol. LV February 24th, 1949 IFe Outlook Thursdays, One Shilling Our Defence ProgrammeP ERUSAL of the Government's White Paper, State- ment on Defence, 1949, gives little cause for com- placency, especially if considered in conjunction with recent decisions taken in America. The complete absence of any reference to bombers, new or old, and the American cancellation of huge orders for modern aircraft types in favour of existing ones, combine to point the inescapable conclusion that there is now in the highest quarters a much greater sense of urgency. While one should not assume that war is regarded as inevitable in the fairly near future, one is .entitled to form the opinion that the Western Governments do not rule out this possibility, that short-te^m policies which "• will give more rapid results are taking the place of the more forward-looking, and that we and America are agreed on the need for quick action. If our interpretation of the situation is correct, the omission from the Statement on Defence of any men- tion of bombers lends force to the rumours which have been current for some time, that the R.A.F. may soon be flying some American bombers, and that examples of the huge Convair B-36 may visit this country. While srjch a step would be resented on certain grounds, it should be remembered that we should have only ourselves to blame for it. It was announced with a fanfare of trumpets some years ago that the R.A.F. was to be re-equipped with jet-propelled bombers, and that no more piston-engined ones -wocld be ordered. At the time we uttered a warning that the jet power plants were still in an early stage of development, and that there might be hold-ups which would leave an un- fortunate gap before the new bombers could go into service. So far not a single jet-propelled bomber has emerged, even in prototype form, due to the fact that the Air Ministry had second thoughts on the perform- ance needed. If their requirements had not been stepped-up, we might have had a few jet bombers now. Thus, whatever offence might be given to one's amour propre, it would be sensible to give Bomber Command the best aircraft available, irrespective of nationality, now that we find ourselves in this lamentable situation. A Phraseological Hint ?T HERE may be some significance in the phrasing of the Defence-Statement paragraph which deals with equipment: "The Royal Air Force pro- gramme continues, at an increasing rate, the re-equip- ment of the fighter squadrons with the latest types of jet aircraft and piovides for the gradual replacement of transport ^and training aircraft by modern British types." The insertion of the word "British," which at. first sight appears somewhat superfluous (one notes that-it is not used >in conjunction with "Common- wealth "), may or may not be intended to convey that certain other types will not be British. In this sentence the word "gradual" presumably refers to the Hastings in the transport class, and to the Prentice, Balliol and/or Athena among the trainers, which would infer that there is less urgency where these types are concerned than in the case of the jet fighters. Of the war potential the Statement has this to say: " In the aircraft industry the specialized nucleus of firms which design airframes and aero-engines and would lead and train newcomers if we had to mobilize industry for war has been maintained." Not referring specifically to the aircraft industry, bat very significant, is the further statement: '' Plans for the transition from peace to war production are being prepared, and a start has been made on the compilation of a register of industrial capacity earmarked for specific purposes." Only a very dull intellect could fail to be impressed by the gravity of the position disclosed as much by what is left out of the Statement as by what it contains
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