AMERICAN AIRCRAFT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 July 1940, Page 4

AMERICAN AIRCRAFT

TYPES or MACHINES AVAILABLE PURCHASE FOR AUSTRALIA. MANY VALUABLE TYPES. It is evident from the interesting and profitable researches made by our New York correspondent that some United States aircraft factories can immediately supply Australia with fighters, bomber-reconnaissance, and training types to strengthen the R.A.A.F. (recently wrote the aviation correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald.”) Aviation experts in Australia are aware that several United States factories producing training and military aircraft of recognised worth and striking power are either not supplying any or all of their output to the Allies or to the United States’army and navy air services. Moreover, some of the factories supplying aircraft to the Allies and for America’s own requirements have not reached anything like full production capacity with existing equipment.

It may logically be asked why the Allies have not lapped every available source for United States aircraft. Apparently, the policy, at least up to the present, has been to minimise -the number of different types of air frames and engines so as to facilitate maintenance. Most of the Allied orders have gone to the Lockheed, Douglas, Curiss and Consolidated companies. The latest aeroplanes of the U.S. army and navy air services will be supplied bj' the Brewster, Grumman, Douglas, Curtiss, Vought-Sikorsky, Bell, Republican. North American, Consolidated, Vultee, and Ryan companies. COMPANIES AVAILABLE. Australia might, therefore, obtain training and some military types from the Beech, Bellanca, Fairchild, Phillips, St Louis, Stearman, BarkleyGrow, Cunningham-Hall, Dart, Harlow, Howard, Laird, Luscombe, Piper, Rearwin, Spartan, Waco, and other companies. Some of these firms are at present specialising in civil machines only, but experience has shown that certain types could be converted at the factories before export for training and service use. Our New York correspondent reports that the Republican Aviation Corporation (formerly Seversky), even though it is supplying the formidable XP-41 pursuit ’plane to the U.S. Army Air Corps, could deliver aircraft in response to any Australian order in less than two months, that the Bellanca Aircraft Corporation can ’ supply us v,->;h interceptors, pursuits, light day bombers, troop carriers ,and trainers in eight weeks, and others types in from four to five months, and that the Douglas Aircraft Corporation can undertake December deliveries of D.C.S. general service transports. These D.C.S. transports could be quickly modified into useful bombers and reconnaissance aircraft by special arrangement before they left the factory. Amother well-known bomber factory informed cur New York representative that, although they would be unable to fulfil immediate deliveries, they could deliver any number daily in about 16 months. The Republican and Bellanca pursuit, interceptor, bomber, troop carrier, and trainer types can be fitted with Pratt and Whitney twin-row and single row engines for Wirraway trainers are already being made by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in Melbourne, and a factory for twin-row Pratt and Whitney engines is being built at Lidcombe. Australia’s Lockheed Hudsons are fitted with twin-row power units, and they are also destined for the new Bristol Beauforts. If Pratt and Whitney engines were installed in any new United States types it would mean complete standardisation in engine maintenance. ’ FORMIDABLE PLANES. The Republican Aviation Corporation which has offered immediate deliveries to Australia, makes formidable one and two place pursuit planes, with maximum speeds of up to 320 miles an hour. They are at least 129 miles an hour faster than Australia’s Wirraway, and 60 miles an hour faster than the Lockheed Hudsons, and would be able to deal drastically with any ship-borne aircraft sent to attack our cities and industrial centres. Although it has been stated that the Fairey Battle plane can cope with any shipborne aircraft, .it is far slower than the •latest deck-based types produced by foreign Powers. The Republican EP-1 Model 100 oneplace pursuit plane has a maximum speed cf 320 miles an hour and a cruising speed cf 290 miles an hour. Its service ceiling is 31,000 feet, and its rate of climb 2800 feet a minute. It is fitted with a Pratt and Whitney twinWasp engine, and can be armed with both machine-guns and cannon. Such refinements as constant-speed, control-lable-pitch air screws, de-icing apparatus, and a full range of the latest blind-flying instruments are considered standard equipment.

The same company's 2PA model 200 two-place pursuit ’plane, which can also carry bombs, has a maximum speel of 315 miles an hour, and a cruising speed of 285 miles an hour. This machine is also fitted with Pratt and Whitney twin-Wasp engines. The Bellanca Company, which also offers immediate deliveries, puts out a formidable machine in the model 28110 two-place fighter-bomber, with a top speed of 290 miles an hour and a cruising speed of 255 miles an hour, rhe Bellanca model 77-320 torpedo bomber, twin-engined twinfloat seaplane, has a maximum speed of 225 miles an hour and a cruising range of 900 miles. Other Bcllancas include three-place Cruisair and general passenger and cargo types.

MANY ENGINES. Apart from aircraft there is a huge assortment of United States aero engines. These include the Franklin Akron, Allied, American, Continental. Jacobs. Ken-Royce, Kinher, Lenape, Lycoming. Menasco, Monocoupe, Pratt and Whitney. Ranger Wright and Warner power units, suitable for a wide range of planes. In view of the hopeful evidence from our New York representative that Australia can still strengthen its Air Force and training fleet with supplies from ndependent factories in the United Slates, both R.A.A.F. and civil aviation authorities in Sydney think that the Federal Government should take immediate aclicn. It is pointed out that South American, Balkan, and Far Eastern States are about to place new orders in the United States. If these neutral orders are placed before any Australian requisitions, the foreign deliveries will receive priority, and we shall have to wait our turn. [ A number of foreign countries have

previously bought supplies of American types, and have been satisfied with them. They now require later designs. It is thought in aviation circles that Mr Casey, Australian Minister at Washington, who was largely responsible for buying the Lockheed Hudsons with which the R.A.A.F. is now equipped, should be empowered to secure the best possible landplane fighters, bombers, and training equipment, and, 'f possible long-range ocean reconnaissance flying-beats. While some types can be secured immediately, delay in placing orders for others may mean that those which can now be secured in about a year may not be available for two years, or. p°rhaus. not at all.