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In 1939 the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation, set up three years earlier by the Australian government to create a national
aircraft industry, produced the CA-1 Wirraway advanced armament trainer, a licence-built version of the North American NA-33. The
first of two CA-1 prototypes flew in March 1939, and these were followed by 755 production aircraft, the first of which entered service in June 1939. Good performance and excellent manoeuvrability saw the type pressed into operational service in New Guinea in 1942.
| CREW | 2 |
| ENGINE | 1 x 600hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340-S1H1-G Wasp 9-cylinder radial engine |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 2991 kg | 6594 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 13.11 m | 43 ft 0 in |
| Length | 8.48 m | 27 ft 10 in |
| Height | 2.66 m | 8 ft 9 in |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 354 km/h | 220 mph |
| Ceiling | 7010 m | 23000 ft |
| Range | 1159 km | 720 miles |
| ARMAMENT | 3 x 7.7mm machine guns, 450kg of bombs |
| Robert Pitts, pittsrd(@)bigpond.com, 06.10.2008 My 90 year old father set up the plant for commonwealth aircraft Sydney division in Birnie Ave Lidcombe for the production of Pratt and Whitney radial aircraft engines. Should you require information re this aircraft engine he may be able to assist. | | Darryl Gibbs, darrylgibbs(@)yahoo.com, 01.04.2008 There is often confusion as to who set up CAC due to the use of "Commonweath" in the name, but Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation was a company which was set up by BHP and several other large Australian companies.
The one that was set up by the government was the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP). |
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