World War 2 In Review: North American Aviation NA-16 T-6

No. 12 Squadron Wirraway over Darwin, 1941.

The CAC Wirraway (an Aboriginal word meaning "challenge") was a training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) between 1939 and 1946. It was an Australian development of the North American NA-16 training aircraft. The Wirraway has been credited as being the foundation of Australian aircraft manufacturing.

During the Second World War, both Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) deployed a number of Wirraways into combat roles, where they served in a makeshift light bomber/ground attack capacity, striking against the advancing forces of the Empire of Japan. While the type had been primarily used as a trainer and general purpose aircraft, being present in small quantities within the majority of front-line squadrons for these purposes; the aircraft was often pressed into combat when required. Typically, fighter versions of the Wirraway were operated over theatres such as New Guinea to perform ground attack missions and other Army co-operation tasks over extended periods until more advanced aircraft had become available in sufficient quantities. On 12 December 1942, the Wirraway achieved its only shoot-down of an enemy aircraft -- thought to be a Mitsubishi A6M Zero at the time, but later determined to be a Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa -- while flown by Pilot Officer John S. "Jack" Archer.

Following the end of the conflict, the Wirraway was operated for over a decade as a trainer by the RAAF, the newly formed RAN Fleet Air Arm, and the squadrons of the Citizen Air Force. During 1957, the last of the RAN's Wirraways was retired, having been replaced by the newer jet-powered de Havilland Vampire; as the CAC Winjeel came into squadron service, the RAAF phasing out its remaining fleet of Wirraways during the late 1950s. Officially, the last military flight to be performed by the type was conducted on 27 April 1959. Notably, the Wirraway had also functioned as the starting point for the design of a wartime "emergency fighter", which was also developed and manufactured by CAC, known as the Boomerang.

During the mid-1930s, some political leaders observed that both the Empire of Japan and Nazi Germany had the appearance of having been making strides towards a heavy preparedness for war, which in turn led to several other countries commencing their own preparations in response. However, in the case of Australia, the nation had no domestic aircraft industry, partially due to a historical preference for the procurement of both civil and military-orientated aircraft to be sourced overseas from manufacturers based in the United Kingdom, which had come about through strong political and cultural ties between the two nations. Around the same time, the Australian government decided to embark upon the development and expansion of the RAAF into a fighting force capable of defending the nation against external aggressors, in line with recommendations made by a formal evaluation compiled by Sir John Salmond in 1928. Allegedly, the move in Australia had been heavily influenced by a British decision taken in May 1935 to massively increase the front-line strength of the Royal Air Force (RAF).

However, it was recognized that, while Britain had traditionally been the main source of aircraft for Australia, comprising around 50 per cent of all operational aircraft at one point, British industry was already coming under strain to meet the demands for the RAF, let alone satisfying major orders from other nations. Coincidentally, figures such as the industrialist Essington Lewis had taken an interest in the development of a domestic aircraft industry within Australia. These factors cumulated in a special conference held by the Australian government at which the first plans for syndicate-operated factories to produce both aircraft and aero engines were formulated. Accordingly, during early 1936, three Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) officers, led by Wing Commander Lawrence Wackett, were sent on an overseas evaluation mission to inspect aircraft production in Europe, Britain, and the United States, as well as to support the selection of an aircraft design for local production in Australia.

In light of the industrial circumstances, the production of cutting-edge high performance fighter aircraft, such as the Supermarine Spitfire, were viewed as being too ambitious and a potential jeopardy to the whole venture. The government's position focused on the establishment of an industrial base capable of producing aircraft; thus, it was determined that the first aircraft to be domestically manufactured should be a reliable and established general purpose aircraft, while a long term goal of proceeding to locally produce high-performance fighters would take around five years to attain. The question of what specific aircraft should be manufactured was a more complex question, as it was quickly recognized that there was no existing aircraft in RAAF service that was attractive to pursue local production of.

On 17 October 1936, with the encouragement of the Government of Australia, three companies came together to form a joint venture, registered as the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC), which had the initial goal of assessing the viability for developing a self-sufficient aircraft industry in the nation. Early on, CAC set about planning for the establishment of both engine and aircraft manufacturing and testing facilities at Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, purchasing tooling and equipment from manufacturers in both Britain and the United States. The newly formed company quickly decided that it would initially pursue the development and production of a single-engine armed advanced trainer aircraft, which would likely be a license-built version of an existing aircraft. An investigation of various European and American-sourced aircraft was conducted to judge candidate designs for suitability.

The aircraft selected by CAC was the North American Aviation (NAA) NA-16. The selection was heavily fueled by the relatively low level of difficulty involved in the manufacture of both the airframe and its Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial engine. The application for the NA-16 was often viewed as being suitable for the trainer aircraft role, but that it could also play some role as a fighter-bomber as well, although there were doubts voiced by senior figures over its combat suitability. The selection was not without controversy as some voices within the Australian government were keen for aircraft manufacturing and development to be kept within the Commonwealth of Nations. In 1938, an inspection by Sir Edward Ellington of the then in-development Wirraway in 1938 led to him to express his opinion that the type should only serve temporarily in combat roles, and that the choice should be delayed to await the testing of a suitable British aircraft for the mission.

Nevertheless, the proposal of producing a modified variant of the NA-16, known as the Wirraway, received official approval. During 1937, CAC was informed to prepare for the production of an initial batch of 40 aircraft, if the type proved satisfactory. In late June 1938, the Australian government announced that it had placed an order for 40 Wirraways; it stated at the time that the price involved was competitive with comparative imported aircraft. Ellington's report on the aircraft's suitability was hotly contested, especially by the Australian Air Board, which had been subject to considerable criticism by Ellington; the board defended the Wirraway as being the best available aircraft in its class.

During 1937, production licenses for the type were obtained from North American Aviation along with an accompanying arrangement to domestically produce the Wirraway's Wasp engine from Pratt & Whitney. Additionally, a pair of NA-16s were purchased directly from North American to act as prototypes. The first of these two aircraft was the fixed undercarriage NA-16-1A (similar in design to the BT-9); the second was the retractable undercarriage NA-16-2K (similar to the BC-1). These two aircraft were also known by their NAA project accounting codes (NA-32 for the NA-16-1A and NA-33 for the NA-16-2K) sometimes leading to confusion; these accounting codes (or "charge" codes) were used internally by NAA to track their projects and were not the actual aircraft model numbers. During August 1937, the NA-16-1A arrived in Australia and, following its re-assembly, flew for the first time at Laverton on 3 September of that year, exactly two years before war was declared on Nazi Germany by the United Kingdom and France. During September 1937, the NA-16-2K arrived in Australia and likewise flew shortly afterwards. These aircraft were given the RAAF serials A20-1 and A20-2 within that organization's numbering system.

The NA-16-2K model was the type selected for initial production. The design featured several detail and structural changes, such as provisions for the fitting of a pair of forward-firing guns instead of the NA-16's single gun, and the strengthening of the tail and wings to better facilitate dive-bombing operations. Other modifications included the adoption of a single gun set on a swiveling mount to the rear of the cockpit, along with the installation of cameras and radio sets. On 27 March 1939, the first CA-1 Wirraway, RAAF serial A20-3, performed its maiden flight. This aircraft was subsequently retained by CAC for evaluation and trials for a number of months; on 10 July 1939, the first pair of Wirraways to be delivered to the RAAF, serials A20-4 and A20-5, were received by the service.

By the outbreak of the Second World War, the RAAF had received a total of six Wirraways. Early on, it became clear that CAC's rate of manufacture of the airframes outstripped Australian capacity to produce the Wasp engines to power the type. During 1940, having observed an excess of Australian capacity, Britain issued an offer to procure any Wirraway airframes that could be produced that had not already been allocated to fulfill RAAF orders, intending to fit US-built Wasp engines to power them. This led to the placing of an initial British order for 245 aircraft, the last of which was to be delivered before the end of 1942. During October 1940, this order was expanded to cover 500 aircraft, 300 of which being scheduled for delivery during 1943. While these orders were ultimately unmet due to the implementation of the extensive American-led Lend-Lease arrangement, the British government did finance the procurement of aircraft for Australian use within the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Forty CA-1 Wirraways were constructed before the improved CA-3 variant entered production. Although there were detail changes to the design, the change in designation had more to do with the next batch of Wirraways being built to a different government contract than any real difference between the two sub-types. During February 1942, the Australian War Cabinet issued its approval for the production of 105 Wirraway interceptors as "reinsurance against [an] inability to obtain fighter aircraft from overseas". Around this time, the War Cabinet also decided to reject an order for 245 Wirraways that had been received from Britain. In July 1940, at which point the United Kingdom was the sole European nation fighting against German in the war, the Australian Government issued a statement advising that "from this date onward Australia can rely on England for no further supplies of any aircraft materials or equipment of any kind.

The CA-5, CA-7, CA-8 and CA-9 models were all broadly similar to the CA-3; only the CA-16 variant featured substantial design changes; amongst other purposes, several wing modifications had been made to allow for the carriage of a heavier bomb load, along with the addition of dive brakes for dive-bombing. Sets of 'dive bomber' wings (as fitted to the CA-16) were built under the designation of CA-10A (the CA-10 model was a proposed dive-bomber variant that remained unbuilt), and retrofitted to CA-3s, −5s, −7s and −9s; 113 Wirraways were converted. Seventeen Wirraways were modified post-war and delivered to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the modifications were incorporated under the CAC designation CA-20. These 17 aircraft included a CA-1, a CA-5 and numbers of all subsequent variants; they were operated under their original RAAF serials. Production of the type continued even after the end of the Second World War. In July 1946, CA-16 A20-757, the last aircraft to be built of a total of 755 Wirraways, was delivered to the RAAF.

The CAC Wirraway was a training and general purpose military aircraft. The fuselage comprised a welded framework composed of chrome and steel, which was construction from four separately produced sections bolted together during final assembly. The sides of the fuselage featured fabric covering supported by aluminum alloy frames, while the underside and decking has metal coverings instead. The single-spar wings, which were built in five individual sections, were composed of spaced ribs and a stressed skin. The control surfaces were metal-framed with fabric covering; the split-flap arrangement of early Wirraways were supplemented on later-built aircraft via the addition of dive brakes. An all-metal stressed skin construction was used for the tail plane and fin; both side of the tail plane were interchangeable.

The Wirraway was powered by a single 600 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial engine, license-built by CAC. the engine drove a three-bladed variable-pitch propeller developed by de Havilland Propellers. Fuel was stored within a pair of 45 gallon tanks. The two-man crew sat within a tandem cockpit, complete with a fully enclosed sliding canopy; both positions were fitted with flying controls. In addition, the rear cockpit featured a rotatable folding seat for the gunner/bomb-aimer, as well as a prone bombing position in the floor of the aircraft. The Wirraway could carry a light armament of a single 500 lb bomb or a pair of 250 lb bombs under the wings; light bombs or flares could also be carried underneath the centerline section. Additionally, a pair of forward-firing Vickers Mk.V machine guns were fitted along with a single swivel-mounted machine gun positioned at the rear of the cockpit.

Operational History

In June 1939, in light of the declining situation in Europe and the increasing likelihood of a major conflict, the Chief of the Air staff recommended the expansion of the RAAF to a total of 32 squadrons; of these, preparations for 9 general purpose squadrons, which were intended to be equipped with the Wirraway, were immediately put into motion. On 25 August 1939, one month after the first deliveries of the Wirraway had occurred, an official State of Emergency was declared; on 3 September 1939, as the Second World War broke out in Europe, Australia decided to mobilize the entirety of its air force, placing all squadrons on short call for combat operations. However, during the first year of the war, the Wirraway was still being introduced in quantity within many squadrons; this effort was delayed by a temporary shortage of available spare parts.

As its American "cousin" the T-6 (both types having been derived from the NA-16) did for many Allied Air Forces during the Second World War, the Wirraway served as one of the RAAF's main trainer types from 1939. Beside serving as a trainer aircraft they were also operated in combat roles, including as an emergency fighter. At the outbreak of the Pacific War in December 1941 Wirraways equipped seven RAAF squadrons: Nos 4, 5, 12, 22, 23, 24 and 25. A group of five Wirraways based at Kluang in Malaya for training purposes was pressed into combat against Japanese ground invasion forces; these were generally flown by New Zealanders with Australian observers, and had some successes.

As early as 1941, reports on the capabilities of Japanese fighter aircraft fueled the perception that the Wirraway would be incapable of effectively engaging such aircraft; however, the type was judged to possess some merits in combat despite being considered to be obsolete. Regardless, the type was often put into action against the advancing Japanese forces. On 6 January 1942, Wirraways of No. 24 Squadron attempted to intercept Japanese seaplanes flying over New Britain; only one managed to engage an enemy aircraft, marking the first air-to-air combat between RAAF and Japanese forces. Two weeks later, eight 24 Squadron Wirraways defended the city of Rabaul from over 100 Japanese attacking bombers and fighters, resulting in the destruction or severe damage of all but two of the Australian aircraft.

On 12 December 1942, Pilot Officer J. S. Archer shot down a Japanese fighter aircraft (thought at the time to be an A6M Zero, but found after the war to be a Ki-43) after having spotted it around 1000 feet (about 300 meters) below him and dived on it, opening fire and sending the Zero hurtling into the sea. This was the only occasion that a Wirraway shot down another aircraft (and is one more than the total of aircraft shot down by its fighter offspring, the Boomerang).

In response to a request by Sir Thomas Blamey for an army cooperation squadron operating a relatively slow aircraft, No. 4 Squadron, equipped with the Wirraway, was dispatched to Port Moresby during early November 1942. Operating over New Guinea, the type performed aerial reconnaissance, photography, artillery spotting, communication, supply drops, dive-bombing, ground attack and propaganda drops. In this capacity, the Wirraway proved to be fairly suitable; however, due to the risk of being misidentified as a hostile Zero, altitude restrictions were often imposed to deter incidents of friendly fire from Allied anti-aircraft gunners. Having become known for its versatility, fighter versions of the Wirraway operated over New Guinea for some time on ground attack and other Army co-operation tasks until other RAAF aircraft such as the Boomerang and American Curtiss P-40s were made available in sufficient quantity to replace them.

By mid-1943, nearly all frontline use of the Wirraway had come to an end, having been replaced by the newer Boomerang, itself a fighter-orientated derivative of the Wirraway. The majority of front-line squadrons of the RAAF had at least one Wirraway attached to serve as a squadron 'hack', that is, an aircraft employed on errands such as visits to headquarters or other bases. At least one aircraft (formerly A20-527) flew as part of Headquarters Flight 5th Air Force in full United States Army Air Forces markings.

Post-war the Wirraway continued in RAAF service as a trainer at Uranquinty and Point Cook and was taken on strength by the newly formed RAN Fleet Air Arm in 1948. Wirraways also served with the squadrons of the Citizen Air Force (a flying reserve force of the RAAF established in 1948) alongside CAC Mustangs, partially equipping No. 22 (City of Sydney), No. 23 (City of Brisbane), No. 24 (City of Adelaide) and No. 25 (City of Perth) Squadrons. Duties were not limited to training flights: a Wirraway patrolling for sharks crashed on a beach at Maroochydore on 30 December 1950, killing three children and injuring 14 other people.

The RAN retired its Wirraways in 1957, replacing them with de Havilland Vampires. After CAC Winjeels started to enter service, the RAAF commenced phasing out its Wirraways on 4 December 1958 with a farewell flypast held at Point Cook to mark its retirement from that base. The last military flight was on 27 April 1959 when CA-16 A20-686 was flown to Tocumwal for disposal. The Wirraway had been gradually phased out of service after having been replaced by the newer Winjeel trainer.

In 1954, Super Spread Aviation, based at Moorabbin Airport, bought two CA-16 Wirraways and modified them to perform aerial application operations. Both were almost brand-new, one having flown 9 hours and the other 12 hours; the modifications included the fitment of a hopper and spraying equipment. In a reflection of much of what was asked of the type during wartime, the two aircraft proved to be inadequate for the task and both were de-registered on 10 April 1956 and later scrapped. Despite the scrapping of these two aircraft and hundreds of others, a healthy number of Wirraways survive today, in aviation museums in Australia, Papua New Guinea and in the United States; and with 10 on the Australian civil aircraft register in 2011; either flying or under restoration to fly as warbirds. A Wirraway being operated as a warbird crashed during an airshow at Nowra in 1999, killing the two occupant.

Role: Trainer/general purpose

Manufacturer: Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation

First flight: 1937 (see Development)

Introduction: 1939

Retired: 1959

Primary users:

Royal Australian Air Force

Royal Australian Navy

Produced: 1939–1946

Number built: 755

Developed from: North American NA-16

Developed into: CAC Boomerang

Crew: 2

Length: 27 ft 10 in (8.48 m)

Wingspan: 43 ft 0 in (13.11 m)

Height: 8 ft 8¾ in (2.66 m)

Wing area: 255.75 ft² (23.76 m²)

Empty weight: 3,992 lb (1,810 kg)

Maximum takeoff weight: 6,595 lb (2,991 kg)

Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radial engine, 600 hp (450 kW)

Maximum speed: 191 knots (220 mph, 354 km/h)

Cruise speed: 135 knots (155 mph, 250 km/h)

Range: 720 miles (630 nm, 1,158 km)

Service ceiling: 23,000 ft (7,010 m)

Rate of climb: 1,950 ft/min (9.9 m/s)

Guns:

2 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers Mk V machine guns synchronized to fire through the propeller arc

1 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers GO machine gun on a flexible mount in the rear cockpit.

Later versions had no Vickers Mk V guns, but had provision for 2 × 0.303 (7.7 mm) Browning AN-M2 machine guns mounted under the outer wing panels.

Bombs: If no observer is carried,

2× 500 lb (227 kg) bombs

2× 250 lb (113 kg) bombs

Variants

CA-1: 40 built.

CA-3: 60 built.

CA-5: 32 built.

CA-7: 100 built.

CA-8: 200 built.

CA-9: 188 built.

CA-10: Unbuilt bomber version.

CA-16: 135 built.

Operators

Australia

Royal Australian Air Force

No. 4 Squadron RAAF

No. 5 Squadron RAAF

No. 12 Squadron RAAF

No. 21 Squadron RAAF

No. 22 Squadron RAAF

No. 23 Squadron RAAF

No. 24 Squadron RAAF

No. 25 Squadron RAAF

Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm

No. 723 Squadron RAN

No. 724 Squadron RAN

United Kingdom

Royal Air Force

'Y' Squadron RAF in Malaya 1941–1942, ex-21 Squadron RAAF aircraft

United States

United States Army Air Forces

HQ Flight, Fifth Air Force

Surviving Aircraft

A20-10: CA-1 on static display at the Australian National Aviation Museum in Melbourne. This airframe is the eighth production and oldest surviving Wirraway.

A20-13: CA-1 in storage at the Papua New Guinea Museum in Port Moresby.

A20-81: CA-3 airworthy with Paul Bennet in Rutherford, New South Wales. It is painted as A20-176.

A20-99: CA-3 under restoration to airworthy with the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society in Wollongong, New South Wales.

A20-103: CA-5 on static display at the Australian War Memorial in Campbell, Australian Capital Territory.

A20-511: CA-9 on static display at the Ballarat Aviation Museum in Ballarat, Victoria. It is painted as A20-502.

A20-649: CA-16 stored at the Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.

A20-651: CA-16 on static display at the Museum of Victoria in Melbourne, Victoria.

A20-652: CA-16 airworthy at the Queensland Air Museum in Caloundra, Queensland.

A20-653: CA-16 airworthy at the Temora Aviation Museum in Temora, New South Wales.

A20-687: CA-16 in storage at the RAAF Museum in Point Cook, Victoria. It is painted as CA-9 A20-561.

A20-688: CA-16 on static display at the Aviation Heritage Museum in Bull Creek, Western Australia.

A20-695: CA-16 airworthy at the Caboolture Warplane Museum of Caboolture, Queensland.

A20-704: CA-16 under restoration to airworthy Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.

A20-722: CA-16 airworthy with Borg Hajslund Sorensen in Wheelers Hill, Victoria.

Bibliography

Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (1940). Wirraway Overhaul and Repair Manual. RAAF Publication No. 76. Melbourne, Australia.

Gillison, Douglas (1962). Royal Australian Air Force 1939–1942. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 3 – Air. Volume 1. Canberra: Australian War Memorial.

Green, William (1967). War Planes of the Second World War: Bombers and Reconnaissance Aircraft: Volume Seven. London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers).

Francillon, René J. The Commonwealth Boomerang, Aircraft in Profile number 178. Leatherhead, UK: Profile Publications, 1967.

Hagedorn, Dan (2009). North American's T-6: A Definitive History of the World's Most Famous Trainer. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press.

Pentland, Geoffrey. Wirraway and Boomerang Markings. Dandenong VIC, Australia, Kookaburra Technical Publications, 1970.

The Commonwealth Wirraway, Aircraft in Profile number 154. Leatherhead: Profile Publications. 1967.

Wilson, Stewart. Wirraway, Boomerang & CA-15 in Australian Service. Sydney, Aerospace, 1991.

Smith, Peter Charles. T-6: The Harvard, Texan & Wirraway – A Pictorial Record. North Branch, MN: Specialty Press, 1995.

Smith, Peter C. North American T-6 SNJ, Harvard and Wirraway. The Crowood Press Ltd., Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 2HR; 2000.

Zbiegniewski, Andre R. and Nowicki, Jacek. CAC Boomerang & CAC Wirraway, Wydawnicto Militaria 43 (in Polish). Warszawa, Wydawnicto Militaria, 1997.

Three Wirraways of No. 5 No. 5 Service Flying Training School (SFTS), Uranquinty, NSW, in July 1941. It will be noted the center aircraft has no yellow cowling. Pilot Officer Jack Archer was flying the far machine at the time.

At the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory, employees move a partly constructed Wirraway to a more advanced position in the assembly line. Fishermen's Bend, Victoria, Australia on February 2, 1940.

A flight of Wirraways of No. 2 SFTS in August 1941. Of special interest is the aircraft on the right, A20-10 which was restored in 1970 at the Moorabin Air Museum.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, February 2, 1940. Mechanic making adjustments to Wirraway engine.

Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation CA-8 Wirraway (A20-252), No. 2 OTU, RAAF, Mildura, Victoria.

Wirraway, NV-M, No. 23 Squadron, RAAF, flying with gear down off Evans Head, NSW, 1943.

Commonwealth CA-16 Wirraway (A20-642), after a landing accident at Bathurst Island, 1 August 1944. This aircraft was the hack of No. 457 Squadron, RAAF, which was then flying Spitfires.

Flying Officer R.D. Lee-Warner with members of No. 4 (Tactical Reconnaissance) Squadron's ground staff who are engaged in attaching containers to the bomb racks on a Wirraway. The containers hold Christmas comforts given by American units in the Gusap area to men of the 7th Division, Gusap, Ramu Valley, New Guinea, 2 January 1944.

Wirraway A20-89 on Civil Drome, Darwin 1940. No. 12 Squadron RAAF Wirraways at the Civil Aerodrome in Darwin, January 1941.

SGT Graham Strout on a Wirraway, No. 12 Squadron.

SGT Royce Pedder and Army officer preparing for a flight in Wirraway, No. 12 Squadron, Bachelor, NT.

SGT Royce Pedder and Army Officer taxiing a No. 12 Squadron Wirraway from an aircraft bay for take-off, Bachelor, NT.

No. 12 Squadron Wirraways over Darwin, 1941.

Wirraways and Avro Ansons at a Fete held at Civil Drome Parap, Darwin by 12 Squadron, late 1939.

Wirraways of ‘C’ Flight, No. 12 Squadron on the tarmac at Parap Civil Aerodrome, Darwin, 1939.

Arming a No. 4 Squadron Wirraway with underwing bombs. Note the dust covers over the twin Brownings.

Wirraways of No. 12 (General Purpose) Squadron at RAAF Station Darwin, Northern Territory, c. November 1939.

Women working on a Wirraway fuselage, instrument reading and fitting course for WAAFs at Ultimo Technical College, Sydney, 29 October 1943.

New Guinea, 1943. Depicts a Japanese Zero being shot down by an Australian Wirraway, Pilot Officer J. S. Archer of No. 4 Army Co-Operational Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. The Wirraway was on a reconnaissance flight in the Sanananda area when the pilot sighted the Zero. The Zero was apparently unaware of the presence of the Australian plane.

Point Copok, Melbourne, Victoria, 1945. Portrait depicting Squadron Leader Harry Wharf, RAAF, flying instructor (Wirraway aircraft), at Point Cook Royal Australian Air Force, Air Base.

Pearce, Perth, Western Australia, 1943. Interior of Hangar, 25 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, West Australia with Vultee Vengeance aircraft in the foreground. Outside is a Wirraway and in the distance a hangar and aircraft of a Beaufort Squadron.

Port Moresby, Papua, Papua New Guinea, 1942. Head study of pilot, Flight Lieutenant Neil Hutchinson, from the No 4 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force.

The Australian Army signal transcript advising the observation of an RAAF CAC Wirraway shooting down a “Zero” aircraft in the vicinity of Gona, New Guinea on 26 December 1942 – this would turn out to be the Wirraway flown by J.S. Archer.

Pilot Officer John S (Jack) Archer and Sergeant J L (Les) Coulston, both from Melbourne, Vic, seated in No. 4 Squadron, RAAF, Wirraway A20-103, 8 January 1943.

RAAF Pilot Officer John S. (Jack) Archer of No. 4 Squadron seated in Wirraway A20-103 on 8 January 1943 in New Guinea.

Pilot Officer John S (Jack) Archer and Sergeant J L (Les) Coulston, both of Melbourne, Victoria in front of CAC Wirraway (A20-103) of No. 4 Squadron, RAAF, 9 January 1943.

Members of No. 4 (Wirraway) Squadron, RAAF with the Wirraway (A20-103) aircraft that Pilot Officer John S (Jack) Archer was flying when he shot down a Japanese Oscar fighter aircraft (originally thought to be a Mitsubishi Zero). Joe Booker is pointing to a Japanese flag that was painted on the nose of the aircraft to commemorate shooting down the fighter.

Buna, New Guinea. c. 1943. The Commanding General, Allied Air Force in New Guinea, Brigadier General Ennis C. Whitehead, inspects RAAF troops on parade for the ceremony at which four RAAF officers were awarded United States decorations.

Buna, New Guinea. c. 1943. Brigadier General Ennis C. Whitehead, Commanding General Allied Air Force in New Guinea, with Air Commodore J. E. Hewitt, Air Officer Commanding RAAF in New Guinea, on parade for the decoration of four RAAF officers "for services rendered to the United States".

RAAF Pilot Officer J. S. Archer is presented a US Silver Star medal by Brigadier Ennis C. Whitehead, the Commanding General Allied Air Force in New Guinea for shooting down a Japanese fighter aircraft in his CAC Wirraway aircraft on 26 December 1942. Buna, New Guinea, c. 1943.

Buna, New Guinea. c. 1943. While pinning the United States Silver Star to the breast of Flying Officer Elton Murray Ifould of Pymble, NSW, Brigadier General Ennis C. Whitehead United States Army Air Force, expresses the United States' appreciation of his gallantry in action. Ifould, while flying a Wirraway aircraft of No. 4 Squadron RAAF during the battle for Buna, fearlessly exposed himself to enemy fire while directing Allied artillery onto Japanese gun positions.

Laverton, Melbourne, Victoria, February 16, 1940. Corporal Robertson (Air Observer), No. 21 Squadron RAAF, in a Wirraway aircraft passes the machine gun to his Flight Sergeant.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, February 2, 1940. Four Wirraways ready for delivery to RAAF Supply.

Laverton, Melbourne, Victoria, c. February 1940. Wirraways A20-19, A20-22 and A20-21 of No. 21 Squadron RAAF, February 1940.

A Wirraway of the Royal Australian Air Force flies during a training mission.

Wirraway (A20-21) of No. 21 Squadron RAAF flying over Melbourne circa February 1940.

Wirraway (A20-21) of No. 21 Squadron RAAF flying over Melbourne circa February 1940. The pilot of this aircraft is Flying Officer D.J. Doughty and the gunner is Sergeant Ellis.

CAC Wirraways of No. 21 Squadron RAAF flying over Melbourne circa February 1940.

Laverton, Melbourne, Victoria, c. February 1940. Wirraway CA-1 (A20-21) of No. 21 Squadron RAAF, February 1940.

Laverton, Melbourne, Victoria, c. February 1940. Wirraways A20-19, A20-22 and A20-21 of No. 21 Squadron RAAF, February 1940.

Laverton, Melbourne, Victoria, February 27, 1940. Wirraway CA-1 (A20-21) of No. 21 Squadron RAAF,

Laverton, Melbourne, Victoria, February 27, 1940. Wirraway A20-19 of No. 21 Squadron RAAF.

Laverton, Melbourne, Victoria, February 27, 1940. Wirraway A20-?? of No. 21 Squadron RAAF.

Laverton, Melbourne, Victoria, c. February 1940. Hawker Demon in foreground with Wirraways in middle distance.

Wirraway CA-8 formation.

Fresh from the factory, a lineup of newly completed Wirraway aircraft receive the finishing touches from workers before assignment to units of the Royal Australian Air Force.

A CAC Wirraway aircraft, code name GA-B, serial no. A20-47, of No. 21 Squadron RAAF, with pilot and navigator, photographed from another squadron aircraft while flying over Sembawang airfield in the north-west sector of Singapore island, c. April 1941.

CAC CA-5 Wirraway A20-103 of No. 4 Squadron RAAF, piloted by Flying Officer Peter Ash over Canberra, ACT in October 1941.

Wirraway A20-109.

Wirraway A20-116.

Wirraway A20-142.

CAC Wirraway (A20-104) on the ground at RAAF base Fairbairn in early 1942. In the rear cockpit, manning the Vickers Go gun, is RAAF Fitter IIE Len Taylor; another Fitter IIE sits in the forward cockpit. The aircraft served with No. 4 Squadron, including flying combat missions in New Guinea. Fairbairn, ACT, 1942.

Wirraway A20-148.

A CAC Wirraway 'Challenge' trainer/general purpose aircraft of No. 4 Squadron RAAF showing twin mounted Vickers gas operated guns made up by the squadron's armorers New Guinea Campaign, c 1942.

Wirraway A20-176.

Canberra, ACT, c. 1941-1942. A20-160 and A20-103 (inverted) mirror flying over Fyshwick. A20-103 later shot down a Zero in New Guinea.

RAAF Station, Canberra, ACT, 1941. Three Wirraway aircraft and Stinson Reliant aircraft A38-1.

Wirraway A20-196.

Wirraway A20-200.

A Wirraway aircraft, A20-21, No. 21 Squadron RAAF. Pilot is Flying Officer James Herbert Harper; observer/gunner believed to be Sergeant H.F. Hogens. Laverton, Victoria. February 9, 1940.

A Wirraway aircraft flies overhead directing field artillery during the attack by Allied infantry and Australian-manned tanks on Buna. Papua. December 28, 1942.

Darwin, Northern Territory, c. January 1941. Wirraway A20-132, No. 12 Squadron RAAF Wirraways at the Civil Aerodrome.

Laverton, Victoria, October 1955. Wirraway trainer aircraft, A20-557, at the RAAF Station.

Nadzab, New Guinea. A Wirraway fighter aircraft of No. 4 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, 26 June 1944.

View of the top portion of the Wau airstrip, New Guinea, which was unique in that it ran up the slope of a hill requiring pilots to use judgment in landing. The aircraft are, from left to right, a CAC Wirraway of 4 Squadron RAAF (QE-L), a Douglas A-24 Banshee (41-15801) of the USAAF and a Stinson L-5 Sentinel (42-98060) of the 25th Liaison Squadron USAAF. 25 February 1944.

Arming a No. 4 Squadron Wirraway with underwing bombs. Note the dust covers over the twin Brownings.

Mareeba, Qld. Flying Officer M. A. Hough RAAF of Narromine, NSW, on the wing about to climb into one of No. 5 (Tactical Reconnaissance) Squadron's CAC Wirraway aircraft. 15 March 1944.

Popondetta Airstrip. Wirraway aircraft of No. 4 Squadron RAAF personnel left to right: Flying Officer John M. Utber pilot, Corporal Sid McGibbon Fitter IIE, Corporal Steve Maugher Fitter IIA. Circa December 1942.

Wirraways, Australia, February 26, 1943.

Commonwealth aircraft factory, Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria. c. May 1941. Wirraway nearing completion.

Wirraways flying in formation, Laverton.

Laverton, Melbourne, Victoria, c. February 1940. Wirraways A20-19, A20-22 and A20-21 of No. 21 Squadron RAAF, February 1940.

Wirraways flying in formation, Laverton.

(Date taken and location unknown). The Wirraway aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Pty Ltd. from July 1939 to July 1946, 755 Wirraways were produced by the CAC.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, c. May 1941. A completed Wirraway aircraft with a section of the cowling around the engine removed, on the aerodrome which adjoins the factory waiting to undergo adjustments and engine tests prior to its first flight.

Airborne somewhere in Australia. A CAC Wirraway aircraft photographed during a training flight during the Second World War. Large numbers of this aircraft were built by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation for the RAAF. As well as operating with front line squadrons, Wirraways were employed extensively in the Empire Air Training Scheme for pilot training.

Australia, c. 1940. RAAF CAC Wirraway aircraft in flight.

Australia, c. 1940. RAAF CAC Wirraway aircraft (A20-1) at an airstrip.

Wirraway, stationary, port side view, A20-28. Date unknown.

Commonwealth Aircraft factory, Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, c. May 1941. Wackett trainer A3-2 in foreground with Wirraway in background.

Darwin, NT, January 1941. Servicing Wirraway aircraft of No. 12 Squadron RAAF on the Darwin civil aerodrome.

Laverton, Melbourne, Victoria, c. November 1939. Instructor explains Wirraway engine.

Wirraway, believed to be A20-715. Late production, and not in camouflage pattern.

Laverton, Vic, October 1955. Wirraway trainer aircraft, A20-557, at the RAAF station.

Australia, c. 1940. RAAF CAC Wirraway aircraft at an airstrip.

Wirraways on the tarmac at a North Australian aerodrome, c. January 1941.

Darwin. A lineup of Wirraway aircraft from No. 12 Squadron RAAF, in front of the hangars, c. January 1941.

Men at work on a Wirraway at the Commonwealth Aircraft factory, Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, c. May 1941.

Laverton, Melbourne, Victoria, c. February 1940. No. 21 (GP) Squadron Wirraway pilot and observer, pilot officer W.D. Brookes and (in rear cockpit) Corporal Robertson. RAAF aerial training.

Wirraways and Wackett trainers under construction at Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, c. August 1941.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. Tradesmen making the final adjustments to a Wirraway aircraft at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory before it is tested.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. Tradesmen making final adjustments to Wirraway aircraft before testing at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. Partly assembled Wirraway aircraft at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory, awaiting fitting of engines and wings.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. Tradesmen working on the fuselage of partly assembled Wirraway aircraft at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. A tradesman fitting a component to the fireproof bulkhead of a Wirraway aircraft at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. The wings of Wirraway aircraft waiting for their flaps to be fitted at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. Commonwealth Aircraft Factory, fitting flaps to Wirraway wings.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. An assembly line showing partly constructed Wirraway aircraft and tradesmen working on fireproof bulkheads at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. Commonwealth Aircraft Factory, Wirraway trainer during construction.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. Tradesmen working on the centre section of a Wirraway aircraft at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. Tradesmen working on the center section of a Wirraway aircraft at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. Tradesmen at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation factory working on the center section of a Wirraway aircraft showing the tanks fitted and where the wheels fold up into the aircraft.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. Tradesmen fitting the retractable undercarriage to a Wirraway aircraft at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. Tradesmen working on a partly constructed Wirraway aircraft, fitting gun covers near the fireproof bulkhead at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory.

Darwin, Northern Territory, c. January 1941. Members of No. 12 Squadron RAAF, checking and cleaning Wirraway aircraft on return from patrol.

Commonwealth Aircraft factory, Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, c. May 1941. Wirraways on the main assembly line.

Commonwealth Aircraft factory, Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, c. May 1941. Men at work on a Wirraway.

Darwin, Northern Territory, c. January 1941. Members of No. 12 Squadron RAAF, checking and cleaning a Wirraway aircraft as part of regular maintenance.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. Tradesmen working on a Wirraway aircraft at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. A tradesman working on assembling a Wirraway aircraft at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory. In the background can be seen the wings that are ready to be fitted to the aircraft.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. A tradesman assembling a Wirraway aircraft at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. An assembled Wirraway aircraft outside a shed awaiting testing, at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, December 21, 1939. A tradesman spray cleaning the engine before testing a Wirraway aircraft at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, May 14, 1941. Final operation in the assembly of a Wirraway is screwing on fabric covering to the sides of the fuselage. engine cowling, wings, center section, part of fuselage cowling, are covered with dural alloy.

Laverton, Melbourne, Victoria, February 27, 1940. Men loading bomb under Wirraway. RAAF ground training.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, c. May 1941. Wirraway A20-273 nearing completion.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, c. May 1941. Men at work on a Wirraway

Commonwealth Aircraft factory, Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, c. May 1941. Wacket trainers in foreground and Wirraways in background, undergoing construction.

Commonwealth Aircraft factory, Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, c. May 1941. Wirraway wheel assembly.

Commonwealth Aircraft factory, Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, c. May 1941. On completion of assembly, the aircraft is inspected by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation inspectors. Part of the covering is removed to allow inspectors to do a thorough job. The aircraft is further inspected by aircraft inspection directorate inspectors. During inspection, the aircraft is "out of bounds" and bears a "quarantine" notice.

Commonwealth Aircraft factory, Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, c. May 1941. After the fuselage and center section have been fitted together, and innumerable small parts installed, the wings are bolted on. Wirraway wings are of the stressed skin type, which means the metal skin together with the main spars carry the load.

Commonwealth Aircraft factory, Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, c. May 1941. Assembling the hydraulic control shelf, the parts of which have been made in the foundry and machine shop, along with the thousands of parts for other sub-assemblies.

Commonwealth Aircraft factory, Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, c. May 1941. Cutting tubes for fuselage construction.

Darwin, Northern Territory, October 8, 1942. Part of the engines was all that was left of two Wirraway planes in a hangar at the Darwin Aerodrome after the Japanese had bombed the area in February 1942.

Wirraway A20-234 after a forced landing. This was the last CA-7 produced by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation.

Arming a No. 4 Squadron Wirraway with underwing bombs. Note the dust covers over the twin Brownings.

Cairns, Queensland, June 25, 1943. Wirraway aircraft taking part in the combined Australian and American invasion exercises.

Australia, c. 1943. Trainee RAAF pilots on tactical maneuvers in Wirraway aircraft "peel off" for a dive bombing attack. Wirraways from No. 2 SFTS (Service Flying Training School).

Darwin, Northern Territory, January 1941. A Wirraway aircraft of No. 12 Squadron RAAF returning to base at the civil aerodrome Darwin.

Australia, c. 1940. RAAF Wirraway aircraft in a mock attack on a Lockheed Hudson.

Richmond, New South Wales, 1939. Wirraways being overhauled in a hangar at the RAAF station.

Laverton, Melbourne, Victoria, c. February 1940. Wirraways in formation,

Laverton, Victoria. February 9, 1940. Wirraway A20-21, No. 21 Squadron RAAF. Pilot is Flying Officer James Herbert Harper; observer/gunner believed to be Sergeant H.F. Hogens.

Commonwealth Wirraway being loaded on troopship. Orontes, Melbourne. 27 July 1940.

Flying Officer J. Holden in charge of the loading of Wirraway planes on troopship. Orontes, Melbourne. 27 July 1940.

No. 5 Sqdn. Wirraway BF-O, A20-502, with flaking paintwork and before being reconditioned. Note the message pick-up hook and the two cords which assisted in the safe dropping of army field rations from bomb racks under the wings. Boomerang BF-H, A46-192 is shown here in May 1944 just one month after arrival at the squadron; this aircraft was lost near Mulloy on 5 November 1944 during low-flying practice; it had a white spinner as a flight identification marking.

Veteran Wirraway A20-502 in foliage green and white finish at the end of a No. 5 Squadron line-up at Bougainville in 1945. Affectionately dubbed “The Rocket” by her crews, she was three years old on 10 March 1945 and had by then flown 1100 hours and carried out 953 sorties, most of them over enemy territory. Normally flown unarmed, she depended on low-level maneuverability for protection but finished life in a blaze of glory at a spirited squadron New Year’s Eve party in December 1945.

Two No. 25 Squadron Wirraways, A20-111 at left and A20-112 on the right, at Pearce, 1941. The large medium sea gray squadron identification letter “V” was required to be as large as practicable.

Wirraways of No. 23 Squadron on a seaward patrol near Queensland coast in 1943. At this time the Wirraways were allotted a dive-bombing role against Japanese submarines which were causing havoc amongst Allied shipping. No serials are visible in this shot.

Wirraway A20-103, the only one to have scored a “kill” during World War II, shown here after a forced landing near Point Cook on 18 May 1954.

No. 4 Squadron Wirraway A20-507, Nadzab, 26 June 1944. Usually after the white tail markings were introduced, the fin flashes were still retained on this unit’s Wirraways, whereas those of its Boomerangs were not.

Wirraway A20-120 of No. 3 SFTS at Amerley, Queensland, in 1941, showing the early red, white and blue upper wing roundels still carried by some aircraft at this time. Note yellow bands.

The personal machine of Wing Comdr. Kingsley Strake of the Central Gunnery School (CGS) at Cressy, Victoria, in 1945. This Wirraway, A20-577, was probably the only RAAF aircraft ever to be painted with psychedelic yellow ailerons. Two further features were the non-standard rank pennants either side of the yellow cowling and a reflector gun sight in the cockpit. A20-577 had trained many pilots at No. 7 SFTS from April 1942 until January 1945 when it was delivered to its new unit to become the mount of the CO himself.

RAAF Base, Laverton, Victoria. Wirraway A20-715, late production, no camouflage.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, February 2, 1940. At the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory, employees move a partly constructed Wirraway to a more advanced position in the assembly line.

Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, January 20, 1941. Wirraways from No. 2 Service Flying Training School.

Flying from Mareeba, Queensland, March 17, 1944. A smoke screen laid over a beach by a CAC Wirraway aircraft of No. 5 (Tactical Reconnaissance) Squadron RAAF, local time 0740 hours. The aircraft is not in the frame.

Deniliquin, New South Wales, c. 1943. Aircraftman Albert Watson RAAF sitting in cockpit of a Wirraway. Previously enlisting in the Army, Private Watson joined the RAAF on 6 March 1943. He was discharged on 18 January 1946 with the rank of Warrant Officer.

Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, February 2, 1940. Employees at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Factory maneuver a Wirraway aircraft onto the flying field where final adjustments are made while the engine is running.

Batchelor, Northern Territory. April 25, 1943. A maintenance crew at work on a Wirraway aircraft engine. Left to right: Leading Aircraftman S. Rocke and Corporal A. Carrick.

Laverton, Melbourne, Victoria, c. February 1940. Parked Wirraway viewed head-on. Pilot is Squadron Leader I.J. Lightfoot. RAAF ground training.

Two RAAF Wirraway aircraft stand on the grass shortly after landing close together at Popondetta airstrip, Papua, December 12, 1942. Before Wirraway A2-103 (left) had come to a complete stop, its pilot, Pilot Officer (PO) J. S. Archer, had leapt from the aircraft and run across to the Control Tent where he had found the Control Officer talking to NX34655 Captain Alan Oliver Watson, Dental Officer with the 2/4th Field Ambulance. Puffing hard, PO Archer exclaimed excitedly, 'Sir, sir, I think I've shot down a Zero!' To this the Control Officer replied, 'Don't be silly, Archer, Wirraways can't shoot down Zeros.' 'Well, sir,' continued Archer, 'I went in to look at the wreck off Gona and I saw this thing in front of me and it had red spots on it, so I gave it a burst and it appeared to fall into the sea.' Within a few minutes, a dozen telephone calls from observers all around the Gona area confirmed Archer's story. While on a tactical reconnaissance mission over the Japanese ship wrecked in the sea off Gona, Archer and his observer, Sergeant J.F. Coulston, had sighted the Zero 1,000 feet below. After diving on the Japanese aircraft, they had fired a long burst into it with the Wirraway's two Vickers .303 machine guns, causing the Zero to crash into the sea. Archer was later awarded the DFC for his exploit. (Donor A. Watson) (Note: Archer's Wirraway is housed in the AWM. The aircraft on the right in this image is incorrectly identified as Archer's Wirraway in Dr A. Watson's video 'Kokoda War Diary'.)

Wirraway, believed to be A20-715, at RAAF Base, Laverton, Victoria, date unknown. Note that it is late production and not in camouflage pattern.

CAC Wirraway: Australian Trainer