AMERICAN PLANES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 March 1941, Page 4

AMERICAN PLANES

DELIVERIES TO BRITAIN AT INCREASING RATE. MANY IMPROVEMENTS MADE. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 9.20 a.m.) LONDON, March 21. “The Aeroplane” states that 1.900 United States built war planes were delivered to Britain and Canada in 1940, compared with 300 in 1939. Only 275 were delivered in the first half of 1940, the remainder in the second half including machines modified and improved to meet R.A.F. demands. Improvements include an air cannon with a mile range, firing a high-explosive shell capable in most instances of knocking out any aeroplane, and also power-driven gun-turrets, usually embodying multiple machine-guns. AERO ENGINES STATEMENT BY MR KNUDSEN. WASHINGTON. March 20. Mr W. S. Knudsen, Defence Production Administrator, announced that 3470 high-powered aeroplane engines, an increase of 343 over the previous month, were delivered by American manufacturers in February. The United States army and navy took 2767,’ and the remainder are for Britain. He branded as “stuff and nonsense" reports that American planes are unsatisfactory to the British in many respects. "I am no flyer myself, but they keep taking them. That’s all I need to know."