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John Dallman · March 22nd 06, 10:51 PM posted to rec.aviation.military.naval

In article lJ2Uf.838592$x96.5146@attbi_s72, (~Nins~)
wrote:

Post-WWI, Britain, didn't they build up their air power during that
period, number of planes?

Not my field, but the Ten Year Rule - that military spending could be cut
very hard given that there was no prospect of major war within ten years -
was applied to all the UK services from about 1920 to about 1935. Then
there was a considerable build-up.

Just after WWI, the problem was disposing of the vast numbers of surplus
planes. We were fortunate in the that engine that some fool had decided to
standardise on for all RAF aircraft hadn't quite made it into service. The
"ABC" was hopelessly heavy and unreliable, but thanks to the end of the
war that only cost money rather than lives.

The RAF did get to experiment with colonial policing from the air -
bombing people is not calculated to make them think you're policing them
fairly - but basically did not get to grow very much until Hitler started
to look like a serious threat. Progress in aircraft design was fairly
gradual until the all-metal monoplane with heavy wing-mounted armament
popped up at just the right time.

The RAF's notable achievement between the wars was building the world's
first Integrated Air Defence system. That, plus Goering, won us the Battle
of Britain.

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