§ 83. Colonel WOODCOCKasked the Secretary of State for Air whether the 30 Curtiss engines for aeroplanes recently purchased will be subjected to the inspection of the British Aeronautical Department: do these engines comply with the recommendation of the Aeronautical Fire Prevention Committee with regard to the position of the carburettor; and whether an engine of this type has been subjected to a type test at Farnborough, and what was the result?
§ Sir S. HOAREAs the answer is long, I will, with the permission of my hon. and gallant Friend, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ In answer to the first part of the question, the materials and manufacture of the engines referred to are being inspected 1372 during production by the Inspection Department of the United States Government. The engines will further be subjected by the Air Ministry to the same bench tests and internal examination as those applied to all British engines. As regards the second part of the question. I am not aware of any specific recommendation of the Fire Prevention Sub-Committee in regard to the position of the carburettors, but their general recommendations make it desirable that carburettors should be disposed, where practicable, in a different manner to that adopted in the Curtiss engine. I wish to remind my hon. and gallant Friend that a recommendation from the Fire Prevention Sub-Committee is only one of numerous considerations which the Air Ministry must bear in mind in determining Service requirements and it may be added that the position of the carburettors, in the Curtiss engine is similar to that of the carburettors in over 2,000 engines in regular use in the Royal Air Force at the present time. As regards the last part of the question, an engine of the type in question has been tested at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, and failed in a duration test after completing 78 hours instead of the full 100 hours laid down for the test. As a result of this test certain modifications have been incorporated in the 30 engines now on order.
§ 84. Colonel WOODCOCKasked the Secretary of State for Air the amount expended on the 30 Curtiss engines for aeroplanes which were purchased through a British firm but manufactured in America; and was he aware at the time of placing the order that the British firm who were to supply the engines were obtaining them from America?
§ Sir S. HOAREIt would be contrary to the general Government practice to give the information asked for in the first part of the question. The answer to the second part is in the affirmative.
Captain BENNIs it not in the best interests of the Air Force that the best type of engine should be secured from whatever source?
§ Sir S. HOAREYes, undoubtedly, but I hope that, normally, that source will always be British.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENW0RTHYIs it not a fact that up to now there is a 1373 practical monopoly in the 450 horse-power water-cooled engine and that this is an attempt to break the monopoly?
§ Sir S. HOARENo, Sir, this is not an attempt to break any monopoly; it is an attempt to make an experiment with a view to our obtaining the swiftest flying squadron of the kind anywhere in the world.
§ Colonel WOODCOCKDid this engine pass the test at Farnborough?
§ Sir S. HOARENo, Sir. In the answer which I have circulated, it will be seen that it has not yet passed the test, and I am not accepting delivery until it has.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs not this the engine which won the Schneider Cup the other day?
§ Sir S. HOAREI could not answer that question without notice.
§ 89. Major-General Sir FREDERICK SYKESasked the Secretary of State for Air the value of American-built engines and spare parts on order for the Air Ministry and the estimated value of further purchases which will have to be made abroad for maintenance or replacement?
§ Sir S. HOAREAs regards the first part of the question, one order involving the purchase of American built engines has been placed, but it would be contrary to the general Government practice to state the contract price. As regards the second part of the question, it is not possible to give an exact estimate of the value of the spare parts and replacements which will be necessary, but I would add that the present order is limited to the purchase of 30 engines for purely experimental purposes, and the expenditure in connection with the maintenance or replacement of parts for these should not be large.