BUILDING PLANES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 October 1940, Page 3

BUILDING PLANES

EXPANSION OF AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION I CANADA’S BIG PROGRAMME. I MASS PRODUCTION BASIS. J OTTAWA. The Canadian aircraft industry has responded splendidly to the emerI gency created bj' Great Britain’s inability to ship components under the terms of the joint air training scheme, ! according to the Hon. C. D. Howe, Min--1 ister of Munitions and Supply in anouncing the appointment of R. P. Bell, of Halifax, to the Executive Commit- , tee of the Department. Mr Bell, who is serving without remuneration, will have the responsibility of co-ordinat-ing the entire aircraft production throughout the Dominion and accelerating, even beyond its present speed, the output of the aviation industry. In whipping air might into fighting trim to aid the United Kingdom the ability and willingness of the operators and workmen of the industry have made it possible to compress the larger part of the original programme which covered two years, into one year. The Government will be able to complete both the Canadian programme and the whole joint air training programme on the basis of the Dominion’s own resources and without assistance from overseas, the Minister said. “Work is well advanced on all the orders for planes required under the joint air plan,” said Mr Howe in summarising the progress made in aircraft production. “Arrangements have been completed for the purchase of some 5,000 engines. Originally most of these engines were to have come from Great Britain. Orders have also been placed for instruments and the other necessary equipment of the aircraft production programme. “Under the air training plan, pilots receive their first air experience in elementary flying training schools. There they fly fleet trainers and De Havilland Tiger Moths. According to the plan, some 800 of these elementary machines are needed. One Canadian plant is producing more than two of these planes a day. Nearly 200 of this type of plane have already been delivered from Canadian plants. By the end of the year Canada will have produced all the elementary training planes required. “To fulfil her part of the training plan, Great Britain was to have provided 400 Gipsy engines for . the Tiger Moths. To replace these, 400 Menasco engines have now been purchased. The engines required for the fleet trainers also have been bought. “As the pilots graduate from their elementary training, they are taught how to handle the bigger and faster craft. These include Harvards, Fleet j 60’s and Ansons. ,

“Orders have been placed in Canada and the United States for more than 800 Harvard training planes. Some of these will be used instead of the Fairey Battle planes which were to have come from England. To replace, in part, the Harvards thus diverted to other uses, orders have been awarded and work is in progress on the production of 200. Fleet 60’s for battle pilot training purposes. “The production in Canada of Ansons, Harvards, and Fleet 60’s has been so scheduled that they will be available as pilots graduate from their preliminary training in the elementary planes. Deliveries of Harvards will begin within a month. “The Anson programme, involving the construction of 1,509 twin-engined craft, is proceeding vigorously in the nine Canadian plants that are manufacturing the various major component parts. “To co-ordinate the output of all Anson parts and to expedite the production of the complete Anson machine — one of the most important units in the Air Training Plan-—steps have been taken to segregate this work from the remainder of the aircraft programme and place it under one management and direction. A company has been formed for this purpose. . “Canadian plants are now directing their efforts toward turning out both training and service planes, including bombers and fighters, on a mass production basis, rather than on that of filling individual orders.”