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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 0505.PDF
and AIRCRAFT ENGINEER First Aeronautical Weekly in the World Founded 1909 No. 2151 Vol. LVH. THURSDAY, 16 MARCH 1950 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR G. GEOFFREY SMITH, M.B.E. EDITOR MAURICE A. SMITH. D.F.C. ASSISTANT EDITOR H. F. KING, M.B.E. TECHNICAL EDITOR C. B. BAILEY-WATSON, B.A. ART EDITOR JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices : - ., DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON. S.E.I. Telegrams : F/ifhtpres. Sedist. London. Telephone : WaterUxt 3333 <S0 lines). Branch Offices : COVENTRY 8-10, Corporation Street. Teleyrcms • Autocar, Coventry, . Telephom : Coventry 5210. BIRMINGHAW, 2. King Edward House-, r New Street. Telegrams : Autopress, birtningham. Telephone : Midland 7191 <7 lines). MANCHESTER, 3. 260, Deansjace. Telegrams : Miffe, Manchester. Telephone : blackfrian 4412 (3 lines). Deonsfote 3595 (2 lines). GLASGOW, C.2. 26b, Renfield Street. Telegrams : Hiffe, Glasgow. Telephone : Central 4857. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Home and Overseas : Twelve months £3 Is. Od. Six months, £1 10s. 6d. U.S.A. and Canada. £10.00. BY AIR : To any country ifi Europe (except Poland). Twelve months. £5 Is. Od. Six months, £2 10s. 6d. Canada and U.S.A. Six months, «I6. '»» this Air-ferry Pantechnicons? 334 At Readiness .... 340 Producing the Canberra 343 Flying-ship on the Stocks 344 Quest for Efficiency - - 346 Four Up . . - - 352 A Slightly Sharper Sword THERE was a time when the annual estimates for the Fighting Services de-manded the closest attention and interest from the aircraft industry and• from the individual Services themselves. By comparison, this year's Statement on Defence, summarized on page 342, is an unenlightening and some- what unenlightened document, though a little help is given by the memorandum published on the following day, and placed before Parliament by the Air Minister, Mr. Arthur Henderson. In the introduction to the Statetnent on Defence, a greal deal is said about commitments, but little enough in plain language about how the country is to meet them. Over all the Services (though over the Air Force most and the Navy least) hangs the shadow of manpower shortage. Fighters for all-important home defence are being delivered—delivered to stores, for want of the men to maintain them! The unfortunate contraction of Transport Command, described earlier as an economy measure, was also, it seems, to some extent dictated by a secondary economy, namely, the need to transfer ground-crew from this to other operational commands. An uncompromising attitude is adopted by the Prime Minister in his statement, reported on page 341, concerning the curtailment of orders for the Hastings transports. It would be comforting to be certain that provision in the R.A.F. of living conditions as attractive as those in civilian life would ensure adequate recruitment in regular engagements. Such conditions would be little enough to offer, and the probability is thai something even better than civilian life would be required to attract sufficient men to the non-flying branches who—let us face it—have in the main less interesting and lower-paid work to do. The attack on the married- quarters problem at home and abroad is a most welcome step. That more money is to be made available for the R.A.F. and for research, the bulk of which concerns the R.A.F., is good news indeed. The net total of air estimates is £223 million, an increase of £15,550,000, most of which would be spent on production and research. The importance of the intended strengthening of radar defences cannot be over-estimated, for it is long overdue and has been the cause of real concern, especially in Fighter Command, which is so dependent upon such aids. It is to be hoped that more tangible evidence of the results of earlier research programmes will be apparent in all branches of defence in the coming year. There are still some appalling gaps in our defences. New Equipment We have already commented on what seems to us a policy of dubious wisdom—. the supplying of numbers of modern jet fighters to Allied foreign governments when some of our own Auxiliary squadrons are still far from adequately equipped. This year, it is learned, the plans to double the jet-fighter strength of Fighter Command will be completed. Again, good news; but let us hope that the double figure—naturally undisclosed—is nearer to being an adequate one for our needs and commitments than has been the case since the war. It is stated that Canberras will be delivered this year, but it seems very doubt- ful indeed whether any Canberra squadrons could be operational before the Spring of 19=11. Like the Venom fighter, also now ordered for the R.A.F., Canberras are expected to prove most versatile. Photo-reconnaissance, pathfinder, intruder, and even night-fighter duties may come their wa5'. The Venom may be capable of adaptation for two-seater night-fighter duties In the same way as the DH 113, "but it is regrettable that week after week passes without announcement of a definite order for a jet night-fighter, the need for which has been apparent for months past. On the information now available, it is clear that the striking power of the R.A.F. and the Navy, in both attack and defence, will be appreciably increased in the coming months, even though the overall numerical strength in men and aircraft may be increased only by small amounts.
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