مجموعة ٥/٧٣ "سلاح الجو الأفغاني: تقارير" [ظ‎‎١‎٠‎٩] (٤٣١/٢١٨)

5•(contd)
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(b) Nine students recruited from various schools in Kabul have also
joined txhe Air Force, and have been placed under Mr. J Bradley for
training as mechanics and fitter's.
6. Airfields
(a) There is no change to report on the Sherpur airfield.
(b) At Khwaja Be.wash work is in progress on the construction of the
administrative offices and buildings, but work on hangers and workshops
is held up for lack of cement and other materials. It is stated that j
about 2000 tdns of cement are required for these buildings. King Zahir
Shah inspected the airfield at Khwaja Rawasn in June^an the request of
the Air Commandant. The reason for tnis inspection is believed to have
been the desire of the Air Commandant to interest His Majesty in Air
Force matters, and secure funds fpr the completion of,tnis airfield. ^
The Minister of Defence has apparently been trying to curtail expendit
ure on the Khwaja Rawa.sh project and on tne Air Force generally.
(c) One or two petrol tanks are reported to nave been installed on the
airfield at Mazar-i-Sharif and the party sent there to install them has
returned to Kabul. The storage capacity of the,, tank or tanks is not
known, but it is understood that no avia.tion phtrol has been despatched
to Mazar-i-Snarif from Kabul.
7. Aviation Petrol
(a) No aviation petrol has been despatched from Kabul to the provinces
during the quarter.
» (b) It is now reported that about. 10,000 gallons of the petrol in
•store on the Sherpur airfield has lost its pctane value. This petrol is
•however being expended against the advice of the British instructors.
(c) The position regarding reserves of aviation petrol held on the
Sherpur airfield shows a slight decrease, as 2000 gallons out of the
stocks previously held there have been expended during the- quarter.
Steps have now been taken to bring the stocks of petrol held up to the
figures given in paragraph 7 (a) of my report for the quarter 1st
November, 1S42 to 31st January, 1943.
3. British Instructors
(a) Mr. H Pearson, Messrs Rolls Royce mechanic, who it was anticipated
would relieve Mr. D.W.R. Robinson early this year, has now left England
,and is expected to arrive in Kabul during August.
(k) ^he one year contract of S/L B.D. Wigginton, R.A.F., pilot inst-
^ ructor to the Afghan Air Force, expires on 16th August, and the Atghan^
Government have asked for tne loan of the services of another officer for
a further year. The Afghan. Chief of the General S-^aff and the Commandant
of the Air Force have expressed to the Military Attache 1 their satisfact
ion with the services rendered by S/L V.igginton during his attachment to
the Air Force but it appeared tnat they were somewnat disappoinued to
learn that he did not wish to stay in Kabul for a second year.
U.S.A. Stearman Trainer Aircraft
The ’’Stearman” trainer aircraft was formally nanded over to tne
Afghan Air Force on 25th May by the American Minister in Kabul. Its
performance has been disappointing, and the aircraft has^all the dis
advantages of the Italian Romeo when used on airfields witn a high
altitude. The wing loading is too high for the altitude .with^the result
that the Stearman can enly take off after a long run. This aircraft nas
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