Government procurement policy and the establishment of manufacturing: Aircraft industry in Australia, Canada and South Africa 1918-39

摘要

The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the different aircraft procurement policies of the Canadian, Australian and South Africa air forces in the formative years of the industry in each country between the world wars. In doing so, it will highlight some of the strengths and weaknesses exhibited by the different approaches taken by the three governments attempting to build up aircraft manufacturing in the inter-war period (1918–39). Before 1938, the Australian and South African governments made no attempt to attract investment by British and American aircraft manufacturers, the opposite of what Canadian Government did; as a result, the industry was less developed in the former two countries when the Second World War broke out.