§ 16. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked the Secretary for War whether the Royal Flying Corps possesses at the moment any proper transport for aeroplane squadrons travelling by road; whether the Royal Flying Corps possesses a motor-driven travelling workshop; and whether proper trailers which can be attached to motor cars exist for the purpose of carrying aeroplanes by road?
§ Colonel SEELYThe Military Wing has motor vehicles for transport of the squadrons by road; the full equipment is not yet complete. The supply of a motor-driven travelling workshop is now in hand, and trailers of the nature mentioned are now being manufactured.
§ 17. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked whether the twenty-six aeroplanes belonging to the Military Wing of the Royal Flying Corps, which are said to be in flying order, include a number of monoplanes recently delivered; if so, whether alterations are to be made in these monoplanes; if so, whether they can be classed as being in flying order; and whether any officers of the Royal Flying Corps have had experience of flying these machines?
§ Colonel SEELYThe twenty-six aeroplanes mentioned include thirteen monoplanes of which only three have been delivered during the last three months. The monoplanes are being examined and any improvement found to be necessary will be made; they are in flying order, though possibly some improvement may be desirable. The reply to the last part of the question is in the affirmative.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSWill these monoplanes come under the consideration of the Committee appointed to consider the general question?
§ Colonel SEELYYes, Sir. All monoplanes must now be examined with a view to a full report from the Committee.
§ 18. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked whether, in view of the fact that it is the general custom in the Royal Flying Corps for an officer to fly the same machine, the Secretary for War will consider the advisability, in the interests of the safety of such an officer, that others should be 395 prevented from flying his machine; and whether the absence of any hard and fast rule on this subject is due to the fact that there are insufficient machines to provide a separate machine for each officer who flies?
§ Colonel SEELYIt is usual for officers in the Royal Flying Corps to fly the same machine, but by no means invariable. Quite apart from the question of the number of machines, it is not considered advisable to limit the discretion of officers commanding squadrons in allotting machines.
§ 19. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked the Secretary for War whether it is advisable that officers who are on probation with the Royal Flying Corps should do their course of training on machines belonging to the Military Wing in view of the fact that such officers are liable to damage these machines, which ought, in fact, to be in a fit condition to be used on active service at short notice; whether he will consider the advisability of buying a number of smaller, low-powered, cheaper machines on which such officers should practice without risk of damage to the materiel of the fighting squadrons; whether a new high-powered and high-priced aeroplane was recently broken up by such a learner on the day of its delivery to the Military Wing; and whether, in the public interest, he will prevent money being expended in this way when we admittedly have an insufficient supply of aeroplanes both for tuition and for active service purposes?
§ Colonel SEELYAs regards the first part of the question, it is not proposed to interfere with the discretion of the officer commanding the Military Wing in this respect. As regards the second part of the question, the necessity of having aeroplanes for practice has been borne in mind in placing orders. The reply to the third part of the question is in the negative, and the fourth part of the question accordingly docs not arise.