BRITAIN LEADS IN AIRCRAFT.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1921, Page 10

BRITAIN LEADS IN AIRCRAFT.

U.S. ENGINEER’S ADMISSION. One bf America’s leading aeronautical engineers, Mr. C. L- Egtvedt, who has just arrived hack in the States from a tour of inspection of aircraft plants m England, France and Germany, states that Great Britain is making the great- : est development, and Germany is progressing experimentally, though handicapped in producing machines by the terms imposed by the Allies. “Wherever I went in Europe I found aircraft operating,” he said. “The public generally is interested in flying, but there are still many people who hesitate to leaVe the ground. “British manufacturers and inventors are getting considerable support from the Government. At the Air Conference just held in London, civilian and Government reports were produced indicating intense interest in England concerning the development of airplanes commercially, not only in Great Britain but throughout the world. There is fact concerning aviation that the British Air Ministry does not secure and place at the disposal of British subjects. “It was interesting to learn that £250,000 worth of freight has been transported by airplane out of the United Kingdom this year. This freight was carried in cargo planes to France, Belgium, Denmark, Spain and Holland. Planes coming into England from the Continent carried £500,000 worth of imports., “This last year 1325 airplanes have arrived from tl«e Continent and landed passengers and freight in Great Britain. They included 1079 British machines, 236 French planes, 9 Belgian and 1 Swiss. The planes departing from Britain lor the Continent aggregated 1455. Of these 1206 were British, 341 French, 7 Belgian, and 1 Swiss. In analysing conditions, however, the Air Ministry credits the United States Air Service as being the most successful mail service on earth. "A round trip by airplane between London and Paris costs £lB, while by rail and steamer it is about £B. One way costs £lO by airplane, £4 by. rail and steamer. Freight by airplane is cheaper than the old method, parcels and small packages Posting one-third of a penny a pound by airplane, and from 4d to a pound by the old metljod. “The British Air Ministry also makes available for general use information on trade conditions, opportunities and problems in all countries. The British hope by this method to establish their airplanes in foreign markets, principally in their colonial possessions and in South America.” BRITAIN BARED SECRETS It will be remembered that recently America protested against being unable to compete in airplane manufacture with a large consignment of British aircraft sent into the United States after war use. It was stated that at the big airplane factory in Berkeley, California, j a staff of some 1500 had been reduced to

less than 150 hands, in consequence of inability to obtain orders in the States by this leading manufacturer. Efforts were initiated to prevent further consignments from being admitted from Britain,' and now the action of the American courts in excluding a big shipment of British airplanes sent by the Aircraft Disposal Company and Handley Page, is being strongly protested against in England as an unfair attitude. The companies intend to make a further legal battle, advices to New York state, as it is believed that the’ present injunction is only temporary. When seen on the subject, Mr. Handley Page said: “I am not' worrying. Even if the Wright Corporation succeed, when the real action is heard, they will have done themselves no good. It is a very short-sighted policy to oppose distribution in American territory of the best aircraft in the world. They have practically no soundly-constructed machines, which might encourage business men in aviation. Their complaints that British machines infringe their patents seem unfair when we consider that during the war the British manufacturers sent all designs and blueprints to American makers and no royalties were paid.”