Author Topic: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby  (Read 29743 times)

Offline apophenia

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'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« on: May 22, 2014, 02:03:36 AM »
'Super Boomer' - The Story of the Commonwealth Aircraft CA-14 Wallaby

With the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation CA-12 Boomerang in production, developments and replacement designs were considered. CAC's Ca-15 was to be world-class, frontline fighter of entirely new design. The simpler CA-13 development would standardize production line improvements to the CA-12 series. The CA-14 concept was to review more powerful engine options for the 'Boomer'.

Initial candidate powerplants for the evolved CA-14 were the large Wright R-2600 and Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radials. Unfortunately, the United States could make neither of these engines available in a timely fashion. Then, a third radial engine candidate appeared from a most unexpected source.

Ships returning from supplying the Australian Army in the Western Desert bought back the damaged remnants of the newest German fighter aircraft. CAC design staff had already been briefed on RAF reports of a captured Fw 190A-3. But the parts retreived from Tunisia represented the latest model Fw 190A-4/Trop. Further Focke-Wulf components arrived from Sicily at CAC's Fisherman's Bend plant.

RAAF Intelligence units had yet to recover an airworthy Focke-Wulf fighter but Fw 190 remains shipped to Australia included near-complete engines, damaged fuselages, and intact wings and tails. The RAAF Intelligence Section assumed that CAC would make a study of these Focke-Wulf components to determine what could be useful in the designing of the advanced CA-15 fighter.

[To be continued]
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline apophenia

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2014, 02:05:31 AM »
'Super Boomer' - The Commonwealth Aircraft CA-14 Wallaby - Part 2

Even the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation's chief, Lawrence Wackett, was startled when CA-12 designer Friedrich 'Fred' David suggested that CAC could 'leap frog' to the CA-15 Kangaroo by simply reverse-engineering the Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-4. Thanks to RAAF recovery efforts, Australia already had on hand all the Fw 190 components that it required. And the Fw 190A-4 possessed a distinct performance advantage over the Japanese type then being encountered in the Pacific Theatre.

Wackett ordered a feasibility study of Fred David's proposal. It quickly became apparent that there would be nothing 'simple' about reverse-engineering the Fw 190A-4. To speed development of the CA-15/Fw (as CAC's Focke-Wulf 'clone' became known), the monocoque fuselage was replaced by a welded steel-tube structure more in line with then-current CAC production practices. A mockup of this CA-15/Fw (03) concept was created using recovered Fw 190 components.

RAAF reviews of the CA-15/Fw (03) concept were, on the whole, positive but the mockup's tight cockpit and narrow canopy came under universal criticism. RAAF pilots, now use to the more generous proportions of US cockpits, demanded more space and an improved rearward view. To address these concerns quickly, Fred David evolved the CA-15/Fw (05) which incorporated the cockpit and canopy of the CA-12 Boomerang into the CA-15/Fw design.

The revised cockpit design of the CA-15/Fw (05) satisfied the reviewing service pilots. But the CA-15/Fw concept now faced another major hurdle. To build the CA-15/Fw, CAC also intended to reverse-engineer the Fw 190's BMW 801 engine. The resulting CAC R-2560 radial -- expected to produce 1,675 hp for take-off on 100 octane fuel -- was to power both the Ca-15/Fw Kangaroo and the revised CA-4B Woomera bomber. But the plan was a step too far. CAC simply lacked the design personnel for such a major undertaking at that time.

[To be continued]
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline Cliffy B

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2014, 02:09:33 AM »
Oh my!!!  Beer and popcorn at the ready, you may proceed  8)
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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2014, 02:52:43 AM »
Looking good. :) A different approach to the one I have for getting the Fw190 into RAAF service... ;)

One minor nitpick (and please don't take this the wrong way):  I somehow doubt reverting to the CA-12 style cockpit/canopy would result in "improved rearward view" over that used for the Fw190.  If anything, it would be the opposite.
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Offline Logan Hartke

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #4 on: May 22, 2014, 03:14:44 AM »
Looks more "right" than it should!

Cheers,

Logan

Offline Silver Fox

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2014, 04:01:43 AM »
Very interesting!

Of course if the reversion to an earlier style glazing had not taken place, we wouldn't get to enjoy it's later modification. :)

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #6 on: May 22, 2014, 01:58:05 PM »
Love the look of the CA-14 Wallaby, the Boomerang canopy & tail suits it well. 8)

This must have been before CAC developed the CA-14 turbo-supercharged Boomerang variant (for some reason CAC numbered each "block" of Boomerangs differently; CA-12, CA-13, CA-14(A) & CA-19).

In my mind I can see a CAS variant with inverted gull wings, 4 x 20mm cannon & rockets/bombs, too. CA-16 Thunderbird?

Edit: Sorry, CA-15/Fw .... The title & in-article references are somewhat confusing. :-\
« Last Edit: May 22, 2014, 02:11:21 PM by Old Wombat »
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Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #7 on: May 22, 2014, 02:30:10 PM »
Inspiring.
Just wonderful vision on that, I agree with Logan.. it really does look more right than it should
Time until somebody builds one.. 10...9...8...
Les.. are you out there ?



Offline Old Wombat

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2014, 02:52:31 PM »
Time until somebody builds one.. 10...9...8...
Les.. are you out there ?

I've put it on my 1/72nd To-Do list but, like everything these days, it may take a while before I get to it.
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Offline Weaver

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2014, 07:03:54 PM »
Wow - that looks great as a "westernised" Fw-190: I'm a big 190 fan.  8)
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Offline Kerick

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #10 on: May 23, 2014, 01:10:15 AM »
Perhaps a canopy was scrounged from a damaged P-38 to replace the Boomerang canopy?
« Last Edit: May 23, 2014, 01:17:24 AM by kerick »

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #11 on: May 23, 2014, 02:36:54 AM »
Or even one from the real world CAC CA-15? 8)
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Offline apophenia

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #12 on: May 23, 2014, 06:33:13 AM »
Many thanks for the responses folks!

Greg: You're probably right about the rear vision issue. I had in mind some burly, beef-fed Aussie lad banging his noggin on the narrow Fw canopy when craning for a look behind. As for the Wallaby itself, stay tuned for gradual cockpit cover changes ... as Silver Fox has already anticipated  ;)

"Looking good. :) A different approach to the one I have for getting the Fw190 into RAAF service... ;) "  Do tell!  :D

Old Wombat: The RW CA-14 designation followed the engine twist-and-turns I mentioned ... other than the BMW 801, of course ;)  But why CAC applied designations as they did is anyone's guess  :icon_surprised:

CA-16 Thunderbird: Love the idea of applying names from extinct animals to aircraft. Dromornis:
http://k31.kn3.net/taringa/4/7/1/9/5/4/5/matias1097/647.jpg?9116
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline apophenia

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #13 on: May 23, 2014, 06:36:10 AM »
'Super Boomer' - The Commonwealth Aircraft CA-14 Wallaby - Part 3

With the CAC R-2560 engine on hold, designer Fred David was forced back to the drawing board. A lack of suitable engines had also stalled the CA-14. But a CAC Engine Division development put the CA-14 project back on top. CAC was now scheduled to produce an enlarged Twin Wasp derivative for the Woomera bomber. Engine Division suggested applying some of the lessons learned from the stalled R-2560 project to the licensed Pratt & Whitney R-2000 for the Woomera.

Most noticeably, the CAC-built R-2000 would incorporate the BMW's cooling fan as well as its armoured cowling ring and protected oil cooler. The BMW 801's Kommandogerät (now redubbed the ECU -- for Engine Control Unit) would also be incorporated into the CAC R-2000. Following the pattern of CAC-produced R-1830 Twin Wasps, the new R-2000 was to power both bombers and fighters -- in this case, the revised CA-11B Woomera and the CA-14 Wallaby fighter.

The CA-14 (04) concept envisioned a CA-12 Boomerang airframe re-engined with the new, fan-cooled CAC R-2000 engine. But Fred David successfully argued for a more advanced design -- the CA-14 (06)  -- which would also incorporate the CA-15/Fw's wing and undercarriage into the revised concept.

With its 1,350 hp R-2000 radial, the resulting fighter would be almost as potent as the planned CA-15/Fw. The CA-14 Wallaby featured a lengthed CA-12 steel-tube fuselage. Extra forward fuselage bays tied in to wing and engine mounting points. The relative rearward positioning of the cockpit also meant that the depth of the CA-12 frames could be lessened. The result was a much reduced frontal area compared with the Boomerang and a good turn of speed for the new CA-14 Wallaby.

[To be continued]
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #14 on: May 23, 2014, 01:17:33 PM »
Had to modify this link "http://k31.kn3.net/taringa/4/7/1/9/5/4/5/matias1097/647.jpg?9116"

to this http://k31.kn3.net/taringa/4/7/1/9/5/4/5/matias1097/647.jpg to view the image.

However, for clarity re: this Mean-Mother-Chicken (Dromornis, lit. Thunder Bird)



I may have to build the CA-16 idea, too, just to get that on the cowling! ;)
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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #15 on: May 24, 2014, 05:06:39 AM »
[Slight thread deviation]


"Looking good. :) A different approach to the one I have for getting the Fw190 into RAAF service... ;) "  Do tell!  :D



My story is a bit more than just the Fw-190 (as you will see below) - the info below is just the bare bones and needs to be better developed and filled out.  It was all originally inspired by this image by Clave:



Basically, it starts with the 1936 RAAF  technical mission to Europe (which included the UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy) and the USA to evaluate modern aircraft types and select a type suitable to Australia's defence needs and within Australia's capabilities to build. In the real world, the three-man mission (which included CAC's Sir Lawrence Wackett) lasted five months and on its return advised that the North American NA-16 was the most suitable type…which eventually led to the Boomerang, CA-15 etc…

In my spin off, the team visit Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG where Lawrence Wackett befriends Kurt Tank (both being decorated WWI veterans and highly capable aircraft designers).  Impressed with the innovation of Kurt Tank's designs (especially the emphasis on maintainability and ruggedness), Lawrence Wackett (and the team) recommend that the RAAF pursue a licence to produce the Focke-Wulf Fw 56 Stösser advanced trainer with possible extension to also build the Focke-Wulf Fw 159 fighter which shared components.  This further develops into a full partnership between Focke-Wulf and CAC with Kurt Tank taking up a proposal to emigrate to Australia to work with his friend Lawrence Wackett.

Always a keen business man, Lawrence Wackett is especially intrigued to rapidly build Australia's (and CAC's) aerospace capability, not only for military platforms but more so for civilian.  Of course, WII eventually leads to a focus on combat aircraft.  This eventually centres upon the following designs:

CA-1 Wirraway advanced trainer (aka FW-56)
CA-2 Currawong medium sized trainer/transport/liason/medium sized airliner aircraft (aka FW-158)
CA-3 Bilyara long range airliner/WII maritime patrol aircraft (aka FW-200)
CA-12 Boomerang (aka FW-190A series)
CA-14 Improved Boomerang  (aka TA-152)

Anyway, enough of that - it still needs a lot of work.  Back to your normal programming now.

[Slight thread deviation ended]
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline Volkodav

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #16 on: May 24, 2014, 08:45:25 AM »
Thankyou , that's my FW190A-8 sorted  :)

Offline apophenia

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #17 on: May 25, 2014, 09:37:09 AM »
Ack! I've just read that the RW CA-14A had a cooling fan inspired by the Fw 190's BMW 801! Well, so much for original concepts  :P

Greg: I'm liking your CAC/Focke-Wulf connection concept. I'm looking forward to seeing where you go with this :)
________________________________________

'Super Boomer' - The Commonwealth Aircraft CA-14 Wallaby - Part 4

The production Wallaby was to be the CA-14A and very high priority was assigned. But delays are inevitable in such programmes and the Wallaby was no exception. To speed the process, CAC fitted the prototype Wallaby with a 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S3C4G Twin Wasp from the CA-12 Boomerang. With this temporary engine, the unarmed prototype was able to first fly on 30 October 1943.

[Top] Prototype CA-14 Wallaby (A56-010) as rolled out. The wing and undercarriage of this aircraft were reclaimed Fw 190A-4 components. As a security precaution, CA-14 ADF serials followed the sequence applied to RAAF P-43 Lancer fighters.

The first R-2000 radials completed by CAC Engine Division were intended for CA-11B Woomera bombers. Despite lacking a gun synchonization gear, this engine was selected to re-engine the CA-14 prototype and to power the pre-production run of CA-14A Wallabys. As a result, the planned 6-gun fighter armament was abandoned in favour of twin .5" Browning heavy machine guns in the outer wing positions. All nine pre-production CA-14As were assigned to No. 5 (Tactical Reconnaissance) Squadron of the RAAF.

[Bottom] The fifth CA-14A Wallaby Mk.IA, 'Recce Robin' of No. 5 (TR) Sqn while based at Bouganville in the Soloman Islands, 1944. Flown by P/O C. Rasmussen, this aircraft was A56-015 but the serial has been overpainted with a coat of locally-mixed PR Blue applied to all lower surfaces.

[To be continued]
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline upnorth

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #18 on: May 25, 2014, 05:00:58 PM »
Great concept and some very fetching profiles. I'll be following closely.  :)
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Offline apophenia

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #19 on: May 26, 2014, 05:20:20 AM »
'Super Boomer' - The Commonwealth Aircraft CA-14 Wallaby - Part 5

The CA-14A Wallaby Mk.II fighter went to war armed with six .5" Browning guns. In theory, the weight of fire was equivalent to the RAAF's imported Kittyhawk fighters. But, in reality, four of those guns were synchronized to fire through the propeller disc. To increase the weight of fire, CAC had proposed reverse-engineering the Fw 190's Mauser MG 151/20 cannon.

While CAC's design work on the Mauser gun was quickly accomplished, Canberra concluded that the Australian armaments industry was over-stretched. But it was not only the RAAF that was interested in the MG 151/20. Captured examples of the Mauser had also been examined by the Australian Army and the RAN. Both services realized that the MG 151/20 would make a superior light AA cannon to the 20mm Oerlikon. A 'shadow factory' scheme was approved.

What became known as the AC-20 was acknowledged as a CAC design but actual assembly was by the Lithgow Small Arms Factory (Lithgow, NSW) with component production shared among WT Carmichael Ltd (Sidney, NSW) with Diecasters Ltd and Gregory Steel Products Pty (both of Collingwood, VIC). Ammunition for the AC-20 was produced by 'MC' Munitions Finsbury (SA) and 'MF' Munitions Footscray (VIC). Initially, 'AC' was for 'Auto Cannon' but that was soon changed to 'Australian Cannon' to reflect this weapons 'universal' status.

Priority delivery for the AC-20 was to major RAN warships (to replace twin Oerlikons) and RAAF fighters (replacing the wing 'Fifties' in later CA-14A Wallabys and Hispanos in late-production CA-13 Boomerangs). Neither the Australian Army nor the RAAF would receive any ground mount AC-20s prior to the end of the War in the Pacific.

« Last Edit: May 27, 2014, 07:18:34 AM by apophenia »
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline apophenia

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #20 on: May 27, 2014, 07:20:51 AM »
'Super Boomer' - The Commonwealth Aircraft CA-14 Wallaby - Part 6

The first production CA-14A Wallaby armed with the AC-20 cannon was the Mk.III. Due to initial shortages of AC-20s, cannons were installed only in the wing-root bays with .5" Browning machine guns retained in the outer wings. Surviving Mk.IIIs were later fitted with outer wing bomb racks as Wallaby Mk.IIIAs. These aircraft replaced CA-12 Boomerangs in No.5 Squadron service in 1945.

[Top] A factory-fresh CA-14A Wallaby Mk.III at Fisherman's Bend, awaiting delivery to its RAAF unit.

The full armament of twin cowl-mounted 'fifies' and four wing-mounted AC-20 cannons first appeared on the Wallaby Mk.IV. The Wallaby Mk.V was essentially similar other than minor changes to electrical systems. A more noticeable change was its revised canopy. The reduced framing on this sliding hood was meant to address on-going pilot complaints of poor rearward vision.

[Bottom] 'Hot Stuff!' of 'B' Flight, No.78 Squadron, shows recognition marks in the form of white bands (on the spinner and chord-wise across the wings, and on the tailplane). This white 'reco' markings were applied in the field after a No.5 Sqn Wallaby was shot down by a USAAF P-38 (which, apparently, mistook the Australian fighter for a Japanese Hayabusa).
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline Logan Hartke

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #21 on: May 28, 2014, 11:52:36 AM »
Those look great, apophenia! Especially the bottom one of the two with the new canopy and white tail!

Cheers,

Logan

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #22 on: May 28, 2014, 08:37:31 PM »
I'm loving this plane! :-*
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Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #23 on: May 29, 2014, 06:37:46 AM »
Yes lots of love here as well.
It just looks right and the storyline is well crafted as well.


Offline Silver Fox

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Re: 'Super Boomer' - CAC CA-14 Wallaby
« Reply #24 on: May 29, 2014, 08:50:49 AM »
That's areal pretty plane. It just looks...right. :)