17 NEW PLANES TO BE PURCHASED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 48, 19 November 1937, Page 5

17 NEW PLANES TO BE PURCHASED

— Preu Asaooiation I

Training oi Territorial Air Force MINISTER'S STATEMENT

(By Te!egr*pb

CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. The increasing attention being paid by the Defence Department to bujldxng up the Royal New Zeaknd Air Force is indicated by the decision oftiie Government to purchase another 17 Blackburn Baffin aeroplanes. In making this announcement the Minister for Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, said ' these machines would be additional to the 12 already on order. The 17 machines which had just been decided to purchase were recently placed undei^j otter to the New Zealand Government by the British War Office. They Were to be used for traiixing Territorials in various Dominion centres. They had done very Jittle flying and were reported to be in exeellent condition. They were very similar in performance to the Vickers Yildebeest bombers at present in the Dominion. Thq Minister added tliat the new - machines were mostly suitable for training purposes, reconnaissance and anti-submarine work. The first shipmOnt of the original order of Blackburn Baffin aeroplanes would arrive in New Zealand next month. The delivery of the remaining machines now on order would be effected some time next year, when the total number of this type of aeroplane available for the training of Territorials would be brought to 29.