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Hokitika Guardian, 19 October 1933, Page 4

The purchase of 16 new military aircraft for Dominion defence, which is one of the provisions of the new defence policy decided by the Government, entails a selection of the most modem types cf British military aircraft for coastal reconnaissance, as well as for carrying torpedoes. The aeroplanes, which are considered most suitable for operating under New Zealand conditions, must be designed to carry either an under-carriage for aerordome landings, or a float chassis for alighting on the sea. This reason becomes apparent when the length of coastline and the large areas of land in Now Zealand are taken into consideration. Five of the latest types with which squadrons of the Royal Air Force in England 'are at present equipped, appear to satisfy the condi-

lions as required for New Zealand, and

a choice of two of these types will most likely be made. One of these aeroplanes is the Bkickbum Ripon, which is vi two-seater with observer-gunner’s rear cockpit, capable of land and sea operation, ■ bombing or reconnaissance. It is fitted with either a Napier Lion or Bristol Jupiter engine, and has a maximum speed of about 130 miles an hour and a cruising speed of 110 miles an hour. Its armament consists of a forward fixed machine-gun, moveable rear machine-gun, torpedo or bombs. Another machine of the Blackburn type, which would be effective in coastal work, is the Baffin, which is at present undergoing tests in England, and will most likely show some performances distinctly in advance of its predecessor. The Vickers Vildeboest, yet another of the tor/pedocarrying type, has been adopted as a standard Royal Air Force machine. Its armament consists of one Vickers gun firing through the propeller, land a Lewis gun on a special ring over the back cockpit, in addition to the torpedo. The Fairey Gordon, a modern reconaissance [aeroplane, is almost identical to the Fairey lIIF., of which the are at present two at the Hobsonville air base. A different feature is the'installation of a 525 horsepower Armstrong-Siddeley Panther radical air-cooled engine, in place of the Napier Lion water-cooled engine as. fitted in the lIIF. The Westland Wallace is an aeroplane which has been developed as a general purpose two-seater military biplane, for uses such as bombing, reconnaissance and photography, while its greatly- improved performance renders it suitable in certain cases for fighting work.