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Good to hear from you again, Rower.
Many thanks for this additional data, which I have added to my database.
The Imperial Gift scheme was a splendid idea which made a contribution to the AFC and several other fledgling airforces in Canada, South Africa, India etc. But it was not quite the noble idea of the British Government that it seems.
The British Government was in severe difficulties for much of WW1 because of its tendency to over control the aviation industry with an inflexible bureaucracy and this continued after the sudden end of the war when some contracts were allowed to continue due to uncertainty about what the Germans would do next, and because civil servants were loathe to put their brethren in the Government Aircraft Factories out of work. The result was 1919 arrived with 25,000 surplus aircraft and a further 2000 or so new aircraft arriving every month.
The government set up the aircraft disposal company, run by a civil service unfettered by business accumen or initiative. And was once again castigated in parliament and the press.
In parliament, the member for Blackpool, Colonel Ashley, asked if surplus aircraft could be donated to the Dominions and Crown Colonies for use with the postal and other services. The Government grasped this straw with some relief.
Postscript; The drg no on the Melbourne prop is AB662C. And it has Right Hand rotation.
With kind regards,
Bob
Many thanks for this additional data, which I have added to my database.
The Imperial Gift scheme was a splendid idea which made a contribution to the AFC and several other fledgling airforces in Canada, South Africa, India etc. But it was not quite the noble idea of the British Government that it seems.
The British Government was in severe difficulties for much of WW1 because of its tendency to over control the aviation industry with an inflexible bureaucracy and this continued after the sudden end of the war when some contracts were allowed to continue due to uncertainty about what the Germans would do next, and because civil servants were loathe to put their brethren in the Government Aircraft Factories out of work. The result was 1919 arrived with 25,000 surplus aircraft and a further 2000 or so new aircraft arriving every month.
The government set up the aircraft disposal company, run by a civil service unfettered by business accumen or initiative. And was once again castigated in parliament and the press.
In parliament, the member for Blackpool, Colonel Ashley, asked if surplus aircraft could be donated to the Dominions and Crown Colonies for use with the postal and other services. The Government grasped this straw with some relief.
Postscript; The drg no on the Melbourne prop is AB662C. And it has Right Hand rotation.
With kind regards,
Bob
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