| CA-15 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Fighter |
| National origin | Australia |
| Manufacturer | Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation |
| Status | Scrapped |
| Primary user | Royal Australian Air Force |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | 4 March 1946 |
| Retired | 1950 |
TheCAC CA-15 was an Australianpropeller-drivenfighter aircraft designed and built by theCommonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) duringWorld War II. Due to protracted development, the project was not completed until after the war, and was cancelled after flight testing, when the advent ofjet aircraft was imminent.
During 1943, following its success in rapidly designing and mass-producing theBoomerang fighter for theRoyal Australian Air Force (RAAF), CAC began design work on a fully-fledgedinterceptor andescort fighter. Because the Boomerang had become more and more obsolete against Japanese fighters like theMitsubishi A6M Zero, SirLawrence 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 specification2/43, enabling work to commence.[2]
The design was inspired by contemporary fighters – especially the GermanFocke-Wulf Fw 190, details of which were available to the designers through Allied intelligence reports on captured aircraft.[3] Although the CA-15 bore a superficial resemblance to theNorth American P-51 Mustang,[4] the CAC design was not based directly on the American aircraft and had quite different performance objectives.[4] For much of its development, the CA-15 was designed aroundradial engines, rather than theinline engines used in fighters like the Mustang. In fact, development of the CA-15 was slowed by a recommendation from Wackett, that CAC build Mustangs under licence, rather than bear the cost of developing a unique design. Nevertheless, it was believed that the CA-15 promised capabilities that would enable it to replace the P-51.[5]
At first, the CAC designers planned to use the 2,300 hp (1,715 kW) radialPratt & Whitney R-2800, with aturbocharger. However, that engine became unavailable,[6] causing further delays in development, and it was decided to fit an in-lineRolls-Royce Griffon Mk 61 (2,035 hp/1,517 kW). Engines for a prototype were leased from Rolls-Royce.[5] It was intended that any production engines would have a three-stagesupercharger.
Development was further slowed by the end of the war, with the prototype flying for the first time on 4 March 1946,[6] and was flown by CAC test pilot Jim Schofield, who also flew the first Australian built P-51. The prototype was assigned RAAF serial number A62-1001. According to aviation historian Darren Crick, it achieved a calibrated level flight speed of 448 mph (721 km/h) at 26,400 ft (8,046 m). Test flights came to an abrupt ending whenFlt Lt J. A. L. Archer suffered a hydraulic failure (later found to be a leaking ground test gauge) on approach to Point Cook on 10 December 1946, which left him no choice but to orbit and burn off fuel. The main gear was only halfway down and unable to be retracted or lowered any further but the tail wheel was down and locked. On landing, the tail wheel struck the airstrip first causing the aircraft to porpoise and finally, the airscoop dug in. The aircraft settled back on the fuselage and skidded to a stop, heavily damaged.[5] After repairs at CAC, the aircraft was returned toARDU in 1948. Archer reportedly achieved a speed of 502.2 mph (803 km/h) overMelbourne, after levelling out of a dive of 4,000 ft (1,200 m), on 25 May 1948.[7]
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]
Data from Commonwealth CA-15: The 'Kangaroo' Fighter[8][9]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
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