Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-27
New Planes May Give
r, AT. Still Greater
in Air
Britain Believed Building
Sky Fighters Much Better
Than Any Nozis Have
BY JOSEPH s. EDGERToN.


against the numerically superior
German Luftwaffe, based upon SUI
periority of individual aircraft and
pilots, may be further increased In
the near future by the production
of warplanes of greatly improved
performance.
There are increasing indications
that British aircraft factories, de-
spite constant German attacks, are
changing over to production of new
fighting plane models, greatly SUI
perior to anything the Germans
have yet displayed.
The extent to which this change
over may develop, however, is ex-
pected to depend upon the volume
of American aircraft deliveries to
Britain. Any change in models of
aircraft involves considerable delay
in production due to the necessity
of changing tools, jigs and dies
The British could not afford to
make extensive changes in models
unless the resulting production gap
were bridged by increasing Ameri-
can production.
Huge New Bombers Tested.
There is no longer any doubt,
despite wartime censorship, that the
British have turned out two new
models of long-range, four-engined
commandment airplaneS, which now
are through the preliminary flight
test stage and presumed to be in
the service test stage. 1t is thought
here that some of these big bombers
may have participated in the two
raids on the Skoda armament fac
tories in CZecho-Slovakia.
Recent reports from England in
dictate the existence of a new sim
gle-seat fighter with speed much
in excess of the famous Spithre
and carrying an even heavier gun
battery. Much of the superiority
of the British Spitfire and Hurri-
cane fighters to the German war;
planes has been attributed to the
fact they carry eight guns and can
overpower the more lightly armed
German fighters and bombers.
The Ministry Of Aircraft Produc-
ton, however, is reported to have
still another fighter in production
which eclipses any yet developed.
Its cruising speed alone is reported
to be in excess of the -mile-per-
hour top speed of the German Mes
serschmitt Ito, generally regarded
as the most deadly of the German
fighters.
Spitfires, Hurricanes Improved.
Air Marshal Sir Philip Joubert in
a recent broadcast announced that
developments were in progress to
improve greatly the performance of
Spitflres and Hurricanes. They
would be faster, climb higher and
carry more guns and protection.
He said that the Defiant, origi-
nally designed as a night fighter
and used ,experimentally for while
for day operations, had now been
restored to its proper role and that,
with certain developments, 1t should
be very effective.
son the stocks" he said, I'VE have
several types of new and better
fighters which should be as much of
an Improvement on the Spitf1re and
Hurricane as these last were upon
their predecessors, the Fury and the
Gladiator. Our new bombers will
be equally as good"
Sir Philip said that by next
spring, when the flow of American
aircraft became flood" the Brit
ish should return to Germany with
seven-fold interest the bombings
England has had to endure.
Five New Types Being Built.
1t is understood that in all five
new types of fighters are in produc-
ton in England, and that some of
them already have seen action with
the Royal Air Force. British pub
locations have put the cruising speed
of certain of these new models at
400 miles per hour or better and
reported they are able to maneuver
at attitudes in the vicinity of 10000
feet.
Among these new fighters is a
long-range airplane "of which ex-
ceptional things are expected"
This airplane is expected soon to
offer protection to British bombers
far beyond the present ranges pos
sible with escort fighters.
Britain also is reported to be de-
veloping new type of airplane for
cooperation with land forces. The
ship is described as so advanced as
to make obsolete the German dive
bombers which were so effective in
Flanders and France
Germany May Face Problem.
To achieve quantity production in
time for it's European offensives,
which really got under way with
the invasion of Poland, Germany
had to freeze" warplane models
three and four years ago. With