Post by madmac on May 22, 2024 15:36:32 GMT 12
Its only slightly short of 400 pages,
etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/4845/1/Dye14PhD.pdf
and is rather overkill for most of us, but it does demonstrate the huge scale that the RAF was operating at in 1918. See this extract below:
By November 1918 the Air Ministry had over 20,000 aeroplanes and seaplanes on charge with new machines being produced at a rate of 4,000 per month. By March 1919, there were still 20,300 aircraft on inventory, notwithstanding a policy of scrapping the less valuable machines. In March 1920, it was announced that the entire stock of surplus aeroplanes and seaplanes, aeronautical engines and spares had been sold by the Ministry of Munitions to the Aircraft Disposal Company Ltd for £1m and 50% of the profits on reselling. The stock comprised: 10,000 aeroplanes and seaplanes; 35,000 aero-engines; and an immense quantity of spares and ground equipment (including hangars) together with 500 to 1,000 tons of ball-bearings, 350,000 spark plugs and 100,000 magnetos.
Just image the RNZAF turning over its entire fleet every 5 months.
etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/4845/1/Dye14PhD.pdf
and is rather overkill for most of us, but it does demonstrate the huge scale that the RAF was operating at in 1918. See this extract below:
By November 1918 the Air Ministry had over 20,000 aeroplanes and seaplanes on charge with new machines being produced at a rate of 4,000 per month. By March 1919, there were still 20,300 aircraft on inventory, notwithstanding a policy of scrapping the less valuable machines. In March 1920, it was announced that the entire stock of surplus aeroplanes and seaplanes, aeronautical engines and spares had been sold by the Ministry of Munitions to the Aircraft Disposal Company Ltd for £1m and 50% of the profits on reselling. The stock comprised: 10,000 aeroplanes and seaplanes; 35,000 aero-engines; and an immense quantity of spares and ground equipment (including hangars) together with 500 to 1,000 tons of ball-bearings, 350,000 spark plugs and 100,000 magnetos.
Just image the RNZAF turning over its entire fleet every 5 months.