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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 1188.PDF
276 FLIGHT, 23 August 1957 The Australian Industry A SUB-TITLE to this article could well be "An Industry MarksTime," for the tailing-off of aircraft orders has not yet been followed by concrete plans for the future. It is difficult to be specific on thesubject of Australia's aircraft industry, apart from quoting the govern- ment-declared policy decision that aircraft manufacture will be con-tinued. As indicated in this report from Australia, the size and shape of the industry structure after 1957-58 have not yet been determined.These are certainly matters of major concern for an early decision. THE last twelve months have indeed constituted a year ofproblems for the managers of Australia's aircraft factories,and the new financial year has opened with the horizon still clouded. Of the three establishments engaged in the manufactureof aircraft, only one—the works of the Australian de Havilland Company at Sydney—had orders which would sustain a produc-tion line for more than two years, even at the most nominal rate of delivery that could be contemplated in times of peace. De Havilland's 1955 order for a further batch of VampireTrainers for the Royal Australian Air Force resulted from the survey of jet trainers offering in non-communist countries in1954/55. No more suitable trainer for R.A.A.F. purposes could be located, but important design-changes included in the specifica-tion will give the Vampire Mk 35 a long span of life in the Service. The first of these new trainers will be flying at about the time thissurvey of the Australian aircraft industry appears in print and the delivery programme is planned to extend over a period of somethree years. The managers of the two Melbourne factories—conducted onadjacent sites at Fishermen's Bend by the Government Aircraft Factories and by the privately-owned Commonwealth AircraftCorporation respectively—had the same problem on July 1, 1956. That was the knowledge that their major production orders—Canberra bombers and Jindivik aircraft at the Government fac- tories and Avon Sabre fighters, Winjeel trainers and Avon enginesat the company-owned factory—were drawing steadily to a close. And no new orders of any consequence could be foreseen tooccupy the experienced tradesmen who were progressively becoming surplus. Reduction of factory work-forces had been planned to take careof the changing situation, including the diversion of effort to an increasing volume of production of maintenance spare-parts.Unfortunately, funds available to the Department of Air under the Budget for the Defence Services for procurement of spareswere less than had been expected and spares manufacture also had to be restricted. The combined effects of these two factors can be seen mostclearly from the fall in total employment in the Australian defence aircraft industry from approximately 11,400 in June 1956 toapproximately 7,850 in June 1957. Most of the reductions were made between September 1956 and March 1957. At present, totalemployment in the industry is relatively static. During this period of adjustment in the aircraft industry, theCommonwealth Government had been deliberating on the shape of things to come in the era of transition from the so-called con-ventional weapons to the missile age—the same problems that concurrently faced and still face the governments of all countrieshaving other than token defence forces and defence commitments and with an awareness of the costs to the taxpayer in paying forthose commitments. Australia's membership of S.E.A.T.O., A.N.Z.U.S. and A.N.Z.A.M. involves the acceptance of jointresponsibilities with the other countries concerned in mutual defence matters in the Pacific, and these responsibilities have notbeen lightly assumed. The outcome of these deliberations at government level wasrevealed to the Australian people by the Prime Minister early in April. Significant points from the Prime Minister's statement ofpolicy as they concern the aircraft industry, both in Australia and in the United Kingdom, included the following: — In the event of war, Australia would, it seemed clear, be fightingside by side with the United States. It had been decided, therefore, in aircraft, artillery and small arms to fit Australia for close co-opera-tion with U.S.A. in the South-East Asian area. The Fleet Air Arm would continue to consist operationally of one aircraft carrier, one naval air station and a front-line establishmentof 40 aircraft in five squadrons. A second carrier would be restored to a flying-training role.National Service training for the Air Force would end. in the air, it had been decided to standardize on types of aircraftwhich would enable the R.A.A.F. to co-operate with American Air Farces with common lines of supply, A unique Australian product is the Jindivik target aircraft. It had been decided that an aircraft manufacturing industry should be maintained in Australia.The first Australian ground-to-air guided-weapons unit would be introduced and would be located in the Sydney defence area. Subsequently, the Minister for Defence, Sir Philip McBride, leda Defence Mission to the United States of America. He was authorized to consult with the United States Defence leadersregarding the selection of an American fighter aircraft, with the intention that manufacture of the aircraft selected would be under-taken in Australia. Following his return to Australia, he announced that negotia-tions were proceeding for the purchase of 12 Lockheed C.I30 transports, which would make a major contribution to the strategicand tactical mobility of the Australian defence forces—an impor- tant objective of the Government's current Defence policy.On the subject of fighters, he stated that there was not available in the United States of America at this stage an aircraft whichcombined the special characteristics of high performance, long range and operational versatility which were essential to meet theR.A.A.F. operational needs. For this reason, it had been decided that the R.A.A.F. would continue to rely on Avon Sabres for itsfighter squadrons for the time being. These developments during the financial year recently endedmade it clear to the Australian aircraft industry that it was Govern- ment policy for preparedness reasons to maintain facilities forAustralian production of aircraft, particularly fighter aircraft, even though new orders were not placed during the year. The decision not to equip the R.A.A.F. with Lockheed F-104Starfighter aircraft from the U.S.A. was strongly defended earlier this month by the Australian Minister for Air, Mr. F. M. Osborne,who said that a young country like Australia with special obliga- tions of development and population could not afford all the airdefence it needed. Mobility in the Armed Forces and simplicity in weapons were essential, Mr. Osborne emphasized, and it wasno good giving in to those armchair critics who demanded "super- sonic glamour-fighters" for the R.A.A.F. Other interesting developments in the Australian aircraft indus-try during the same period included the ordering by the Royal Swedish Air Board of 12 Jindivik pilotless radio-controlled targetaircraft as used at the Woomera rocket range. These aircraft were practically ready for shipment at the close of the financial year andare expected to go into service in Sweden early in 1958. Produced at the Government Aircraft Factory, Melbourne, andincluding an Armstrong Siddeley Viper engine and British tele- metery, radio control and other equipment, the Jindivik has beenan outstanding success at Woomera. The Swedish sale is the first tangible recognition of this success outside the Commonwealth.Another product of the Government Aircraft Factories, indica- tive of the continued diversion of some of the factory design-effortto the missiles field, is the Malkara anti-tank guided weapon, the existence of which was disclosed during June 1957. Designed anddeveloped by the Government Aircraft Factories in collaboration with the Weapons Research Establishment at Salisbury, SouthAustralia, Malkara has been proved over many tests to possess great accuracy and can destroy a tank at long distance. Details ofthe weapon have not been disclosed but a number are being manu- factured for Service testing. The future structure of the Australian aircraft industry cannotbe seen clearly at this stage of transition. There will inevitably be some adjustments and rationalization of facilities as the Canberra,Jindiyik and Winjeel projects terminate, and some of the plans for additional work for the industry will doubtless prove fruitful.It is the stated objective of the Government to see that the productive capacity and the tradesmen's skills developed over theyears by the aircraft factories will be used in the best interests of the Australian people—for defence purposes to the extent neces-sary; for the rest, to help speed the industrial development of the Australian nation.In the field of general aviation unconnected with defence, the year's picture is brighter in that a brand-new agricultural air- •.•*$• •-
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