Abstract
SPEAKING in the House of Lords, in reply to a request from Lord Sempill, Lord Beaverbrook recently disclosed several facts of technical interest with regard to R.A.F. equipment. One significant statement was that the Napier 'Sabre’ engine has proved successful and is in production, both in Great Britain and the United States. This engine was put into production without going through the usual period of testing-a procedure contrary to all normal peace-time practice. It was designed by Major Halford, and develops a horse-power of 2,400. It is at present being fitted to the Hawker-Siddeley ‘Typhoon’, a new fighter capable of a speed of more than four hundred miles an hour, with a greater range than any previous single-seater type. Aircraft from the United States, including the new ‘Catalina B.P.Y.’ flying boat, the Curtiss ‘Tomahawk’, the Boeing ‘Flying Fortress and entirely Canadian built ‘Hurricane’ are now being received in quantities, nearly a thousand to date, and the air ferry system, by which many are delivered by air across the Atlantic, will soon be extended so that fighters as well as bombers may be sent in this way. Such journeys have been made in 7J hours, coast to coast, compared with 20 hours, the schedule time for the American Clipper to Lisbon. The fact wat disclosed that the only aircraft that has been loss during this service was unfortunately one that was carrying Sir Frederick Banting as a passenger (see p. 535 of this issue).
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Aircraft Production. Nature 147, 537 (1941). https://doi.org/10.1038/147537b0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/147537b0