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.
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