https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAC_Boomerang
The CAC Boomerang was a fighter aircraft designed and manufactured in Australia
by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1942 and 1945. Approved for
production shortly following the Empire of Japan's entry into the Second World
War, the Boomerang was rapidly designed as to meet the urgent demands for
fighter aircraft to equip the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The type holds
the distinction of being the first combat aircraft to be both designed and
constructed in Australia.
Different variants of the Boomerang were manufactured under a series of
corresponding production contract numbers CA-12, CA-13, CA-14 and CA-19, the
aircraft supplied under each subsequent contract would incorporate various
modifications, typically aimed at improving the aircraft's performance. The
effectiveness of the Boomerang has been contested, the aircraft proving to be
slower than contemporary fighter aircraft and thus rarely engaging in aerial
combat. During early wartime operations, the Boomerang was mainly dispatched to
equip home-based squadrons, freeing up other fighters for use elsewhere
overseas. In later service, the Boomerang would commonly be used for ground
support duties, cooperating with Allied army units, in addition to secondary
roles such as aerial reconnaissance and air sea rescue.
While British manufacturers were the main source of RAAF aircraft, by 1942, the
British aircraft industry had long been hard-pressed to meet the needs of the
RAF for the ongoing War in Europe. Although United States companies possessed
enormous aircraft manufacturing capacity, their output was at this point
destined for the air units of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), which
were themselves engaged in the conflict. Even where capacity was found for new
aircraft to be built overseas, their delivery would involve them being shipped
over long distances in wartime conditions, with consequent delays and risking
considerable losses, in particularly due to the German U-boat threat. While
that were damaged during service in Australia could be rebuilt by Australian
workshops and loaned to RAAF units, they were not available in sufficient
numbers either.
The Boomerang was a small single-engine monoplane fighter aircraft, designed
with an emphasis on high manoeuvrability. It had a stubby appearance, which had
resulted from the structure being derived from the smaller Wirraway being paired
with a considerably larger engine in the form of a 1,200 horsepower (890 kW)
Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radial engine, which drove a three-bladed de
Havilland-built propeller. The engine was closely cowled with a two air scoops
fixed to the upper and lower sides, the upper being for the carburettor and the
lower for the oil cooler. Fuel was divided between one fuselage-housed 70 gallon
self-sealing fuel tank and a pair of 45-gallon tanks within the center section
of the wing.
Role
Fighter aircraft
National origin
Australia
Manufacturer
Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
First flight
29 May 1942
Introduction
1943
Status
Retired
Primary user
Royal Australian Air Force
Produced
Number built
250
While RAAF records show that the Boomerang was never recorded as having
destroyed any enemy aircraft, the type proved to be more useful in its capacity
as a light ground attack aircraft used by Army co-operation squadrons, often
replacing the lightly armed Wirraway in this role. In this vital mission, the
Boomerang directly contributed to the extensive ground war in the jungles of the
South West Pacific theatre was often characterised by widely dispersed, small
unit actions, which typically fought at close quarters and with uncertain front
lines. In addition to strafing Japanese ground forces with cannon and machine
gun fire, Boomerangs would often deploy smoke bombs to mark valuable targets for
other units to attack. The aircraft also used for artillery spotting, aerial
supply drops, tactical reconnaissance, and anti-malarial spraying.
The aircraft proved to be ideal in this ground attack role due to a number of
qualities that it possessed. The Boomerang had the range to go wherever it was
needed when it was based close to ground operations; had heavy armament; was
agile and easy to fly, meaning that pilots could get close to ground targets,
avoid ground fire and rough terrain; and featured extensive armour plating along
with a wood and aluminium airframe that could withstand significant battle
damage. Some of the aircraft were shot down, including two accidental "kills" by
US forces, and many were damaged during accidents while landing, often because
the Boomerang was prone to ground looping.
Specifications (CA-12)
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 25 ft 6 in (7.77 m)
Wingspan: 36 ft 0 in (10.97 m)
Height: 9 ft 7 in (2.92 m)
Empty weight: 5,373 lb (2,437 kg)
Loaded weight: 7,699 lb (3,492 kg)
kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 305 mph (265 knots, 491 km/h) at 15,500 ft (4,730 m)
Range: 930 mi (810 nm, 1,500 km)
Service ceiling: 29,000 ft (8,800 m)
Rate of climb: 2,940 ft/min (14.9 m/s)
Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb (256 W/kg)
Armament
Guns:
Bombs: Could be fitted when the large drop tank was not carried
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