Coll 5/73 ‘Afghan Air Force: Reports on’ [‎68r] (135/431)

pa g e..II
1* (d) (contd*) . , ^ ^
off in mid air. Tills acciaont. was clue x»j tine
shearing of tae rcta/ining holts of tiie propeller wan on
had been over tightened when fitted to the aircraft m
India i^fter some delay another propeller and nub were
secured from India at the end of October, and tne aircraft
was ready to leave Kabul for India early in November.
It is however possible tnat its departure may be further
delayed by a domestic event in the family of ^ne Bntisn
pilot instructor* * 4 *
The unfortunate accident to tne iiger ^xo^n div.
not at first affect Afghan opinion as to its suitability
for use as a trainer in Kabul, but later a few oxficers
in the air force appear to have been successful in
grousing suspicions in higher circles about the
capabilities of the Tiger Moth, and tms has caused delay
in securing a final decision from the Afghan Govt as ^0
the number" of Tiger Moth aircraft they wish to purchase*
At the end of October the Ministry of Defence stated that
they still wished to purchase 6 to 8 Tiger Moth aircraft,
and that once the prope3.1er position had beeh clearea up
they would communicate taeir final lecision to the Legation*
(e) The ^fga-ian Govt are still desirous of purCiiasing
aircraft to replace the almost useless Italian Rome^ s
and add to the number of serviceable operational aixcraxt
in their possession, but it is likely that they will
postpone a decision until after tne Afghan Military Mission
has concluded its visit to India in January 1945•
Afghan air force officers still snow interest in tne
Hurricane type of aircraft, but a. suggestion made by the
Britisn instructors that the British Henley aircraft mignt
suit Afghan requirements was received coldly on tne^ground
that it was now almost obsolete. Hints were given in
October to the Ministry of Defence that the Britisn Swordfish
aircraft mignt be suitable for use in Afghanistan -U-t a
reply was given to the effect tnat the Swordfisn witn a
ceiling of 12,000® with a full loan woulci not — e capa.ble
of crossing the Hindu Kush mountains and tnat for
Afghanistan an aircraft with a ceiling of approximately
20,000* was essential.
(d) Since the question of alleged American approaches
to the Afghan authorities for creating an interest in
rvf nimraft was taken up with the American
he.v« been
authorities for creating
American types of aircraft was taken up with the American
Legation no further instance of such approaches
reported.
(y) The Afghan Govt, and the military^and^air force,
authorities have been taking an interest in civil aviation
and in the Conference on \vcrld Vide Civil Aviation wmcii
is to be neld at Washington in November. Interest on the
part of the military and air force authorities is at present
slight, but it is known that tne x-ifgnan Govt wish to ^
develope a. civil air force of tneir own after tne war f 'j-
the purpose of conveying rra ils and occasionally passengers
from Kabul to provincial headquarters towns. Tne majority
ef young Afghan officia.ls are a^lso keen on having civil air
services liiaking Kabul with va.rious f oreign c-juntries.
It is therefore probable that the Afghan Govt^wouid like to
have a service from Teheran to Kabul and possibly on to^
India, but tneir real difficulty in this question lies m
tneir reluctance to grant facilities for a regular air
service from Russia to Kabul since they realise that it
would not be wise to grant facilities for^air services fr m
jfidia or Persia to Kabul while rex using similar facilities
to theii Northern neighbour.