Country of origin:

Australia

Description:

Two-seat trainer and ground attack aircraft

Power Plant:

One 7,305 lbst Rolls Royce/Turbomeca RB-172 Adour turbofan

Specifications:

Armament:

(Proposed) Gunpods, bombs, guided missiles or fuel tanks on two underwing pylons

History:

In 1964 the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) was considering the development of an advanced supersonic aircraft to meet a future requirement for the RAAF for a supersonic trainer which could also be used for weapons training. The aircraft was to be along the lines of the Northrop T-38 Talon, but smaller and less expensive to build and operate than the Mirage IIID, but which would have similar handling characteristics.

The initial design was the CA-31, which was a double delta-winged tailless design with a max take-off weight of 3,175 kg (7,000 lb) with a General Electric J-85 engine providing 4,100 lbst with afterburning, which was to have a max speed of Mach 1.5. A full-scale mock-up was built.

Further development commenced in 1968 and a new series of designs appeared ranging from the AA-103 to the AA-109. The CAC AA-107 (Anglo/Australian 107) was a high-set, variable geometry, swing-wing trainer / attack aircraft seating two in tandem, and it became a joint project with the British Aircraft Corporation at Warton in North Lancashire in the United Kingdom.

At about that time BAC was seeking to sell the BA Jaguar to the RAAF but that aircraft was larger than required. Also, BAC was seeking to replace the RAF’s Folland Gnat T.1 trainer, the Lockheed T-33 and the Dassault Mystere IV with the French Air Force.

A series of designs was prepared, engines being considered being the General Electric J85-15 or the Rolls Royce / Turbomeca Adour, a couple of designs having two engines, others a single engine. The AA-107 was considered to be the most promising, with a single Adour engine. It was expected to exceed Mach 1 and could provide some ground attack capability. An arrester hook was to be installed in order to reduce the field length. Fuel was to be carried in two fuselage tanks, and armament was expected to be two 20 mm cannon. Control surfaces were to be powered by hydraulic servo actuators. Pitch control was by symmetric movement of the taileron, with roll control by differential tailerons, augmented by spoilers when the wing was extended. Yaw control was by conventional rudder.

Work continued with the design for some time but eventually it was found that at a maximum the RAAF would only require 30 aircraft, which was not enough aircraft to place the type into production, and at that stage there was no British requirement for such an aircraft, the Royal Air Force later obtaining the BA Hawk to replace the Jet Provost. Further, an RAAF re-appraisal decided that supersonic capability was not a vital necessity in a training aircraft.

No orders were expected to be forthcoming from the Royal Australian Navy, or other air forces in the region, such as the RNZAF, and development was stopped. BAC at about this time was working on what was known as the P-59, a similar aircraft with a fixed wing, which also was never built. By then the RAF considered the AA-107 to be too complex for its requirements. On 22 May 1970 the Minister of Supply in the Federal Parliament announced the cancellation of the design.

A full-scale wooden mock-up of the AA-107 was built by CAC during development and this has survived, being placed in storage for many years in Melbourne, VIC until it was restored and placed on display at the Ballarat Air Museum.