Warbird Information Exchange

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While not full size warbirds, and perhaps more correctly placed in the model section of the forum, I thought you may be all interested in this modelling collection recently completed in Australia by a father and son team and depicting the wartime products of the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation including many variantsbut with modifications to create the prototype CA-2 Wackett and CA-14 and CA-14A Boomerang, but also scratch built Tuggan Gannets, Woomera's and CA-15.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/47751/message/1244751593/Commonwealth+Aircraft+Corporation+sub+collection.

very impressive

Regards

Mark Pilkington

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20th Century - The Age of Manned Flight
"from Wrights to Armstrong in 66 years -WOW!"

Thats some very nice work and exceptional dedication to purpose! (and a wheelbarrow full of plastic body filler)

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Wow, that is awesome

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Wow, those look great! Thanks for sharing. I love the CAC machines.

Interesting Wackett with the Gypsy motor?

Cheers,

David

Very impressive!

Rich

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Rich Kolasa
www.crystalgraphix.com

David,

The Wackett was originally designed to use the 145HP Gipsy Major but was found to be to under powered, and the two prototypes were later fitted with a Gipsy Six but the increased power was negated by the increased engine weight, and instead the production examples were fitted with the 165HP Warner Scarab.

It is interesting to note the Wackett Trainer was specified in 1938 as an ab initio cabin monoplane trainer, and the prototypes first flew in 1939, and although of wooden wing and steel tube fuselage frame construction, its inline engine layout bears a strong resemblence to the post war DHC Chipmunk.

In fact had WW2 not commenced in Europe, causing the need for the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) program and standardisation on the DH Tigermoth throughout the Commonwealth nations, it is likely the Wackett would have remained in the elementary flying training role for the RAAF as the lead-in trainer to its big brother the Wirraway, and Australia might never have built Tigermoths.

In the end Australia built over 1000 Tigermoths to meet the EATS program requirements and only 200 Wacketts were built, some serving in Elementary Flying Training Schools (EFTS) as an intermediate trainer, but the rest being used in Wireless Air Gunnery schools (WAGS) for wireless training.

regards

Mark Pilkington

_________________
20th Century - The Age of Manned Flight
"from Wrights to Armstrong in 66 years -WOW!"

Thanks Mark

great collection, can you add any more details on the Boomerang with the 4 blade prop assembly?


Shelldrake

, G'day Mark,
What a great line up of CAC types. I want to take my hat off the builders. I've often wondered how many Wackett trainers might have been built had we not adopted the Tiger Moth as our standard ab initio trainer.

Cheers,
Ross.

[quote="Mark_Pilkington
In fact had WW2 not commenced in Europe, causing the need for the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) program and standardisation on the DH Tigermoth throughout the Commonwealth nations, it is likely the Wackett would have remained in the elementary flying training role for the RAAF as the lead-in trainer to its big brother the Wirraway, and Australia might never have built Tigermoths.

An interesting viewpoint from down under. The RAF also had a monoplane basic trainer in the Miles Magister, but the consensus of instructors opinion was that the Tiger Moth was not only the better trainer but the best trainer around. The Luftwaffe also used biplane trainers, as did the US military so I don't think the issue here is about modernity but suitability. The ideal feature was that it should be easy and forgiving to fly, but hard to fly well.

There were 249 production Boomerangs built across the CA-12, CA-13 and CA-19 models which had relatively minor differences.

The 250th example was the CA-14, A46-1001, fitted with the P&W 1830 as per other Boomerangs, but modified to carry a GE turbocharger from a B-24 in the rear fuselage on the starboard side. This modification arose from combat trials between an early Boomerang, P-39 and P-40.

Other than the turbocharger fitted on the starboard rear fuselage, there was an air intake on the port rear fuselage, the fin had a modified leading edge/tip.

The CA-14 improved performance at altitude with 348mph at 28,000' compared to 305mph at 15,500' for a standard Boomerang, However the CA-14 suffered heating problems.

The intention of this design work was to produce a revised Boomerang fitted with an R2000, and to overcome the heating problems A46-1001 underwent modifications to become the CA-14A.

The CA-14A deleted the air intake from the port rear fuselage, and instead took its air from the cowling, the turbocharger remained on the starbard rear fuselage, and the fin and rudder were squared off.

A major improvement in cooling was achieved through the use of a geared engine cooling fan fitted behind the propellor, and a moveable intercooler exhaust duct behind the canopy.

The improvements of the CA-14A was intended to achieve a speed of 372mph at 27,000' and a climb rate of 1,700' per minute at 30,000' compared to the 500' per minute of the standard Boomerang.

While the CA-14 and the CA-14A both flew with the standard 3 blade propellor, it appears that another R&D Boomerang A46-157 was trialled with a four blade Curtiss Electric prop in preparation of the intended use of R2000 in production examples.

An improved version of the Boomerang was originally concepted around the R2800 but limitations of the steel tube fuselage resulted in the focus around a R2000 development.

The CA-14A and R2000 development gave way to a new fuselage development and return to the R2800 powerplant that began the design evolution of the CA-15.

Although the Griffon powered CA-15 is considered by many to simply be a P-51 derivative, its design is a direct extension of the CA-14A and the Cannon Fighter Wright Cyclone developments planned for the Boomerang, and the need to develop a new fuselage to carry the R2600.

The models show the CAC Factory trials Boomerang A46-157* with its 4 blade prop, in front of the CA-14A A46-1001 with its 3 blade prop and prototype yellow "P" marking, closer to the camera from that model is the earlier CA-14 A46-1001 sporting its air intake on the port side of the fuselage.

* It is unclear to me if the 4 blade prop was fitted to the CA-14A A46-1001, or the standard Boomerang A46-157 which was used by CAC for other development work, and was also fitted with the geared fan, this model shows the modified tail of the CA-14A, but does not carry the yellow "P" marking which A46-1001 carried to its demise at Laverton from scrapping, I therefore think this model is actually portraying A46-157, although I am unaware of it carrying the modified fin/rudder? However I know these modellers have sought significant assistance by historians so it would be expected to be accurate.

regards

Mark Pilkington

_________________
20th Century - The Age of Manned Flight
"from Wrights to Armstrong in 66 years -WOW!"