Selected as a major participant in the Canadian Government's mew $35,000,000 national defence programme, Boeing Aircraft of Canada Lid, Vancouver, B. C, has been awarded a contract for the construction of eleven Blackburn Shark reconnaissance planes. The contract price was not revealed.
Announcement of the award by the Canadian Department of National Defence reflects the government's policy building up its air force with home-manufactured equipment of British design, as part of the coordinated defence programme embrace ing the entire British Empire. The planes will be built in Vancouver under licence of the Blackburn Air. craft, Ltd., of Great Britain, and will be delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force within two years. Production will begin as soon as company representatives return from Great Britain with necessary technical data.
The Blackburn Shark is a popular British military plane used both. as a torpedo-bomber and a reconnaissauce plane. It isa single-engine two-place biplane with metal mono-coque; fuselage and wings of metal structure, fabric covered. It has a wing span of 46 ft, length of 35 ft, 234 in, maximum speed of 152% m. p. h. at 5,500 feet, landing speed of 62% m. p. h, service ceiling of 16400 feet and cruising range of 550 The Canadian planes will normally be equipped as twin float seaplanes, although interchangeable land gear and skis will be provided.
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