AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17117, 12 April 1921, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE.

EIGHT SQUADRONS. The Commonwealth Defcneo Department has decided that tho new Australian Air Force is to consist of eight squadrons, with headquarters in Sydney and Melbourne. Each squadron will consist of 18 machinos, giving a war formation of thrco flights of six machines each. Three of the squadrons aro to, l>o stationed in New South Wales, and four in Victoria, the eighth or training squadron to be located at Point Cook. Tiie site of the New South Wales headquarters lias" not yet been decidtid, but it is understood that both' lUehmdhd and Mascot have been rejected, the former as boing too far away from Sydney, and tho latter as being within the range of shell-fire from sea; There are rumours that the llandwick rifle range is beiug considered, but aviators point out that this si to-would be open to the same objection as Mascot, and would, in fact, be more easily shelled by an > enemy vessel at,sea. - •' ,■ " Experienced members of the Australian Air Force, who held responsible positions in France, and-so have personal knowledge of war requirements, sav that thy most suitable centre for tho New South Wales' headquarters would bo at Liverpool, whore sufficient land i* 'available for an admirable aerodrome, which would be far enough awav from the -sea to bo"safo lrom shcli-fire from warships, and yet quito convenient to Sydney on the* main ■line to Melbourne. Tho feeling amongst members of .the New South Wales Aero Club is that Liverpool will eventually be chosen, and they are also of opinion. that the Defence Department will find it advantageous to later place a training squadron at this ccntro. The Avi-o has been decided upon as the standard land machine. Thero are 48 Avros in stock at Point Cook. Those are the gift machines from England, and wUI probably he used 'for the first two squadrons and the "culls" for the training squadron. The suitabUy of Australian timbers,, for airplane construction is, ,at the request of the Federal Government, being tested at tho Mascot works under , tho supervision of .Mr Broadsinith, who was constructional engineer ut tho Avro works at Manchester during tho last years of tho war. As it.lms been found hard to gel. «u Australian wood sufficiently light to take satisfactorily tho place 'of spruce, what is technically known as the "box strut" is being introduced, and it is believed that this will enable a strut as light, hut very much stronger than spruce, to be made from Australian timber, preferably white ash and blue fig. By this means it is anticipated 'that the'finished machine will be' within a few pounds of tho weight of tho standard English Avro, and will meet, in evei-y particular . tho requirements of the British Air Ministry and the Aeronautical Inspection Department of the "Federal Government. ,