CAC CA-15
CA-15 "Kangaroo" | |
---|---|
Role | Fighter |
National origin | Australia |
Manufacturer | Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation |
First flight | 4 March 1946 |
Retired | 1950 |
Status | Scrapped |
Primary user | Royal Australian Air Force |
Number built | 1 |
The CAC CA-15, also known unofficially as the CAC Kangaroo, was an Australian
Design and development
During 1943, following its success in rapidly designing and mass-producing the Boomerang fighter for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), CAC began design work on a fully-fledged interceptor and escort fighter. Because the Boomerang had become more and more obsolete against Japanese fighters like the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, Sir Lawrence Wackett (as head of CAC) proposed designing a new high-performance fighter from scratch. Fred David, who had designed the Boomerang, was to lead an in-house design team at CAC.[1] In June 1943, the design concept proposal was approved by the government and RAAF, which issued specification 2/43, enabling work to commence.[2]
The design was inspired by contemporary fighters – especially the German
At first, the CAC designers planned to use the 2,300 hp (1,715 kW) radial
Operational history
Development was further slowed by the end of the war, with the prototype flying for the first time on 4 March 1946,
By this time, however, it was clear that jet aircraft had far greater potential and no further examples of the CA-15 were built. The prototype was scrapped in 1950, and the engines were returned to Rolls-Royce.[5]
Operators
Specifications
Data from Commonwealth CA-15: The 'Kangaroo' Fighter,[8][9]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 36 ft 7 in (11.15 m)
- Wingspan: 35 ft 6 in (10.82 m)
- Height: 15 ft 7 in (4.75 m)
- Wing area: 253 sq ft (23.5 m2)
- Airfoil: NACA 66 series[10]
- Empty weight: 7,540 lb (3,420 kg)
- Gross weight: 9,500 lb (4,309 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 12,340 lb (5,597 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 220 imp gal (260 US gal; 1,000 L) in two wing tanks + 30 imp gal (36 US gal; 140 L) in one fuselage tank and 2 optional 100 imp gal (120 US gal; 450 L) under-wing drop tanks
- Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Griffon 61V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 2,035 hp (1,517 kW) with 18 psi (120 kPa) boost
- Propellers: 4-bladed Rotol, 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) diameter constant-speed propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 442 mph (711 km/h, 384 kn) at 25,600 ft (7,800 m) and 368 mph (320 kn; 592 km/h) at sea level
- Range: 1,150 mi (1,850 km, 1,000 nmi) on internal fuel
- Ferry range: 2,540 mi (4,090 km, 2,210 nmi) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m) at 1,600 rpm
- Service ceiling: 34,000 ft (10,000 m)
- Rate of climb: 4,900 ft/min (25 m/s)
- Time to altitude: 20,000 ft (6,100 m) in 5 minutes 30 seconds
- Wing loading: 37.5 lb/sq ft (183 kg/m2) normal load
- 48.8 lb/sq ft (238.3 kg/m2)
- Power/mass: 0.243 hp/lb (0.399 kW/kg)
Armament
- Guns: 6 × 0.5 in (12.7 mm) machine guns
- Rockets: provision for 10 × rockets
- Bombs: 2 × 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Boeing XF8B
- Fisher P-75 Eagle
- Grumman F8F Bearcat
- Hawker Sea Fury
- Kawasaki Ki-100
- Lavochkin La-9
- Martin-Baker MB5
- Republic XP-72
- Supermarine Spiteful
Related lists
References
Notes
- ^ Martin, RL (1994). "The CA-15 Fighter: An Item of Aeronautical Engineering Heritage Australasian Conference on Engineering Heritage (1st : 1994 : Christchurch, N.Z.)". Institution of Engineers, Canberra, 1994: 115-120.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ Martin, RL (1994). "The CA-15 Fighter: An Item of Aeronautical Engineering Heritage Australasian Conference on Engineering Heritage (1st : 1994 : Christchurch, N.Z.)". Institution of Engineers, Canberra, 1994: 115-120.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ Ross 1995, p. 321.
- ^ a b Air Enthusiast October 1972, p. 179.
- ^ a b c d Crick 2003[page needed]
- ^ ISBN 1875671080.
- ^ "Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation CA-15 'Kangaroo'". 17 June 2015.
- ^ Donald 1996, p. 121.
- ^ Bridgman, Leonard, ed. (1947). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1947 (35th ed.). London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. pp. 92c–93c.
- ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
Bibliography
- Crick, Darren. "RAAF A62 CAC CA-15" Archived 8 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine adf-serials.com, 2003.
- Donald, David. "Commonwealth CA-15: The 'Kangaroo' Fighter". Wings of Fame, Volume 4, 1996, pp. 118–121. London: Aerospace Publishing. ISBN 1-874023-71-9. ISSN 1361-2034.
- Francillon, René J. The Royal Australian Air Force & Royal New Zealand Air Force in the Pacific. Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers Inc., 1970. ISBN 0-8168-0308-0.
- Green, William, ed. "Antipodean Finale". Air Enthusiast, October 1972, Vol. 3. No 4, pp. 178–180.
- Martin, RL (1994). "The CA-15 Fighter: An Item of Aeronautical Engineering Heritage Australasian Conference on Engineering Heritage (1st : 1994 : Christchurch, N.Z.)". Institution of Engineers, Canberra, 1994: 115-120.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - Ross, A.T. Armed and Ready: The Industrial Development and Defence of Australia 1900-1945. Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia: Turton & Armstrong, 1995. ISBN 0-908031-63-7.
- Wilson, Stewart. Wirraway, Boomerang & CA-15 in Australian Service. Fyshwick ACT, Australia: Aerospace Publications Pty. Ltd., 1991. ISBN 0-9587978-8-9.