A correspondent has identified the "new" Russian aeroplane, of which a photograph was recently published in "The Times" as an old British machine, and refers to the irony of naming this, an aeroplane formerly in the service of the British Government, "Ultimatum," after the famous Note sent by Lord Curzon of Kedleston to the Soviet Government.
Th is aeroplane, no doubt, is only one of many former British machines which are now in the hands of the Russians. The process was begun during the war, when machines were taken from the Wrangel and other expeditions, and since the war many obsolate aeroplanes placed in the hands of the Aircraft Disposal Company have been sold to the Soviet Government.
For the last two years at least the transactions carried out have been on a comparatively large scale and j the sales are still proceeding. In 4 the course of this year it is estimated that between twenty and thirty aeroplanes which have at one time er another been used by the Royal Air -Force will be dispatched to Russia.
Machines in every sort of condition have been bought cly the Soviet. Some of them were complete, others were incomplete or smashed, and reconditioned, but all those that have passed through the hands of the Aircraft Disposal Company are obsolete and have been taken off the service list of the Air Ministry.
These sales are regarded as part of the normal disposals work. Old aeroplanes have been sold to almost every country, Dominion, and colony, except France, Germany, Italy, and the United
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.