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AIRCRAFT PARTS
TO BE HELP
AUSTRALIA
STOPS
SURPLUS
. SALES
The Commonwealth '
has decided to retain \
£2 million worth of
wartime stocks of
standard aircraft parts,
which were recently
declared surplus and j
offered for sale
throughout the world.
This decision follows
closely the announcement
of the British Ministry of
Supply on Friday to with
draw some surplus service
stores from sale because the
services had decided they
now needed it.
The Commonwealth's deci
sion means that orders from
Prance and the East will have
to be cancelled, and many
Trade Commissioners will have
to suspend preliminary nego
tiations for sale.
The decision to curtail the
sales was made about a
month ago and the detailed
work is being carried out by
the Division of Aircraft Pro
duction.
The Department of Supply
and Development, which con
trols the Division of Aircraft
Production, today refused to
discuss the significance of
the Commonwealth's decision
against the background of
oversea affairs.
AID FOR RAF
Three reasons were given for
the Commonwealth's change in
policy-
Cl) The parts must be re
tained in Australia to meet
plans' to eripahd production of
service aircraft.
(2) A considerable proportion
of the parts withdrawn will be
needed for the servicing of
RAP planes from Singapore.
(3) Members of the wholesale
aviation trade panel want to
hold bigger stocks because of
the dollar shortage and for
other reasons.
The parts withdrawn from
sale are suitable for English
land American aircraft, and in
clude instruments and elec
trical accessories as well as big
quantities of nuts, screws and
bolts.
Aircraft production plans in
clude an additional order of
100 Mustangs to be completed
;at the rate oR two a week. The
current order is expected to be
finished at the rate of one a
week within the next 10 to 12
months.
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