33. Captain BALFOURasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air the number of experimental types of civil aircraft owned by the Air Ministry; the uses to which such aircraft are put; the ultimate purpose for which they are to be utilised; and if any further experimental civil aircraft are to be constructed for the Air Ministry during the present year?
§ Mr. MONTAGUEThere are at present no experimental types of civil aircraft owned by the Air Ministry, but five aircraft of such types are now under construction to the Air Ministry's order. 382 These aircraft—a large float seaplane, a freight-carrier landplane, a flying boat, a monoplane landplane and a biplane landplane—are intended to achieve definite advances in design over existing types. On completion they will be flown experimentally under operational conditions, and the ultimate use to which they will be put will depend upon the results of these experiments. The question of selecting and placing orders for further experimental types of civil aircraft is under consideration.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYAmong these types of experimental construction, is there any aeroplane on the auto-gyro principle?
§ Mr. MONTAGUENot in those to which I have referred.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs it intended to experiment with one?
§ Mr. MONTAGUEI cannot anticipate any future experiments. I have answered the question fully as to existing experiments.