▁of ▁service ▁due ▁to ▁acc idents ▁and ▁maintenance ▁problems , ▁while ▁the ▁cheap ▁subs id ised ▁mail ▁rates ▁offered ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁attract ed ▁a ▁flo od ▁of ▁letters ▁that ▁the ▁British ▁Air ▁Ministry ▁never ▁expected . ▁To ▁shift ▁this ▁huge ▁quantity ▁of ▁mail ▁while ▁their ▁own ▁fleet ▁stead ily ▁dimin ished , ▁Imperial ▁Air ways ▁sc oured ▁Europe ▁for ▁aircraft ▁on ▁short ▁term ▁le ases , ▁including ▁American ▁Douglas ▁air lin ers ▁from ▁Swiss air . ▁An ▁official ▁review ▁of ▁the ▁Sch eme ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁then ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁mail ▁to ▁be ▁carried ▁at ▁peak ▁times ▁like ▁the ▁Christmas ▁season ▁could ▁never ▁be ▁lifted ▁without ▁an ▁une conom ic ▁number ▁of ▁‘ res erve ’ ▁aircraft ▁that ▁would ▁then ▁be ▁idle ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁year . ▁The ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁brought ▁the ▁Sch eme ▁to ▁an ▁end ; ▁by ▁then , ▁British ▁officials ▁had ▁concluded ▁the ▁original ▁selection ▁of ▁flying ▁boats ▁was ▁a ▁mistake , ▁and ▁British ▁av iation ▁needed ▁to ▁shift ▁back ▁to ▁land plan es . ▁However , ▁the ▁dem ands ▁of ▁war ▁prevent ed ▁British ▁industry ▁from ▁building ▁new ▁prototype ▁land plan es ▁for ▁which ▁orders ▁had ▁been ▁placed , ▁the ▁F aire y ▁FC 1 ▁and ▁the ▁Short ▁S 3 2 . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Bibli ography ▁Christopher ▁Bar nes ▁( 1 9 8 9 ) ▁Short s ▁A ircraft ▁since ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁London : ▁Put