Thanks Greg. More to come on 'bubble'
Boomers
Commonwealth Army Co-operation - From Brumby to Boomerang IIPrior to the war's end, as CA-19
Boomerang production wound down, CAC had been working on replacement aircraft. Two designs were evolved simulatneously. The first would emphasize commonality with the CA-17, making maximum use of
Mustang Mk.20 parts. The second was a similar concept evolved from both the CA-19 and the experimental CA-14.
The CA-20
Brumby was a proposed 'Advanced Army Co-operation Fighter' using CA-17
Mustang Mk.20 components but powered by the CAC R-2000 radials originally intended for the CA-14
Boomerang. Engineering work on the CA-20
Brumby was abandoned when the RAAF expressed a preference for the less risky (and less expensive) CA-22
Boomerang II design.
[Top] Conceptual CA-20
Brumby powered by a fan-cooled CAC R-2000 14-cyl radial engine.
The CA-22
Boomerang II was a follow-on to the CA-14B and CA-19
Boomerangs. Structurally, the CA-22 resembled CA-19 airframe. The cockpit was to be moved aft by one fuselage bay and the fuselage fuel tank relocated in front of the cockpit. The object was to improve the fighter's stability with a full overload fuel load.
It was assumed that any reduction in the pilot's view resulting from the relocated cockpit would be more than compensated for with the introduction of the CA-17
Mustang's 'bubble' canopy. Work on the original CA-22 concept ended with the war's end but, in simplified form, the CA-22
Boomerang II would later be resurrected.
[Bottom] Conceptual CA-22
Boomerang II with rear-placed cockpit,
Mustang canopy, and CAC fan-cooled R-2000 engine.
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