Beyond The Sprues
Modelling => Completed GBs => Group and Themed Builds => 100th Anniversary of the RAAF GB => Topic started by: apophenia on December 13, 2021, 11:00:59 AM
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Dare I suggest anyone do a RAAF Hammerhead since we all know about the 'fake' US markings used to disguise the obvious RAAF platforms even though everyone in the know can spot RAAF Base Williamtown.
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The CAC-43 Beizam was an Australian-assembled variant of the American BANGG-LockMart SA-43 Hammerhead strike-fighter. [1] The local type name - Beizam - is one of many Torres Strait Islander languages' names for the hammerhead shark.
Like its US counterpart, the CAC-43 Beizam was classed as an Endo/Exo-Atmospheric Attack Craft (EEAAC). The Beizam operated primarily from the RANEAV Canberra space carrier. [2]
The CAC-43 shown belonged to No.75 Sqn, RAAF, making its 'home station' RAAF Base Tindal in Northern Territory. Ideally, Tindal is where No.75 Beizams would return for major maintenance (although, in some cases, Beizams would be rotated through Spaceport Woomera where CAC had MRO facilities).
In unofficial RAAF parlance, the CAC-43 was dubbed the 'Pig'. This seemingly unflattering epithet came from a much earlier RAAF strike aircraft - the strictly-atmospheric F-111C. Other than performing similar roles, the F-111C also had an ejectable crew capsule which was similar - conceptually, at least - to the Beizam's escape module.
Image 'Seek and Strike' - No.75 Sqn Commonwealth CAC-43 Beizam at Tindal, Winter 2065-66. Inset is the special 'hammerhead' markings applied for the 145th anniversary of the RAAF. On the Beizam's retractable twin tailplanes were No.75 Squadron's emblems. However, only when these tails were raised in-atmosphere would the No.75 'Magpies' be visible.
Commonwealth CAC-43 Beizam Specifications
- Role : Primary space and atmospheric attack fighter
- Crew : (Human) 1 x pilot (in fwd control/escape module)
- Crew : (Mechanoid) 1 x astromech (slotted in behind cockpit)
- Power: 2 x NASA JPL SCRAMjet He3-X2 endo/exo-atmospheric engines
- Armament: Fore & aft auto-targetting/tracking EM railgun turrets
- Armament: Up to 6 x Spartan SpSpMs or Boondi ASMs
- Size : Wingspan 12.5 m, length 11.5 m, height 1.7 m (tails retr.)
- Range: 2,000+ Megametres (in atmosphere, from re-entry point)
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[1] As the name suggests, BANGG-LockMart was a strategic partnership between the Boeing-AeroVironment-Northrop Grumman-Gulfstream Corporation and Lockheed Martin Aerospace. Major airframe components and SCRAMjet engines were imported for assembly with locally-made components by the Commonwealth Astronautics Corporation.
[2] The CAC-43 Beizam could, of course, also operate strictly on endo-atmospheric attack missions. On rare occasions, No.3 Squadron flew endo-exo strike missions - taking off from land bases, hitting targets, and recovering aboard the orbiting RANEAV Canberra.
RANEAV stood for Royal Australian Navy Exo-Atmospheric Vessel ... a generic description but RANEAV Canberra was always described as a 'carrier', having no other exo-atmospheric role.
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:smiley: :smiley:
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Best part of Space Above and Beyond made even better
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Very nice Stephen!