CAC Boomerang

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAC_Boomerang

The CAC Boomerang is 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.

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.

The Boomerang had a new single seat cockpit located directly over the center of
the wing, which was furnished with a sliding canopy which had 1.5-inch
bulletproof glass and armor protection. Common to many of the latest fighters at
the time, the Boomerang was equipped with automatic cannons; as no such weapons
had previously been manufactured in Australia, a pair of British-made
Hispano-Suiza 20 mm were used. Allegedly, an example which an Australian airman
had collected as a souvenir in the Middle East was reverse engineered. Other
armaments fitted included four Browning .303 machine guns along with provisions
for up to four 20 lb smoke bombs; all of these were mounted within the wings.


Role
Fighter aircraft

National origin
Australia/United States

Manufacturer
Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation

Designer
Fred David

First flight
29 May 1942

Introduction
1943

Status
Retired

Primary user
Royal Australian Air Force

Produced
1942–1945

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)
Wing area: 225 ft² (20.9 m²)
Empty weight: 5,373 lb (2,437 kg)
Loaded weight: 7,699 lb (3,492 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radial engine, 1,200 hp (895
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)
Wing loading: 34.2 lb/ft² (167.1 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb (256 W/kg)

Armament

Guns:
2× 20 mm (0.787 in) Hispano or CAC cannons
4× 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns

Bombs: Could be fitted when the large drop tank was not carried




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