Country of origin:

Australia

Description:

Two-seat basic military trainer

Power Plant:

One 131 kw (175 hp) Warner R500 Super Scarab seven-cylinder air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

Armament:

Eight light practice bombs, four under each wing on Light Series Bomb Carriers, electrically-operated; one Type G.42B and one Type G.22 camera guns

History:

The CAC CA-6 Wackett, named after its designer, Sir Lawrence Wackett, was developed by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation as an intermediate step between the elementary trainer, the de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth, and the more advanced trainer, the CAC CA-1 Wirraway. On 23 October 1939 CAC proposed to the Australian Government an order for 200 aircraft, this being announced in June 1940. A wooden mock-up was built to prove the design features, and this was followed by two prototypes, known as the CA-2, these initially being serialled A3-1 (c/n 101) and A3-2 (c/n 102).

The first Wackett, A3-1, was flown for the first time on 19 October 1939, although there is some conjecture about the actual date, a number of references giving different dates. It was powered by a 104 kw (140 hp) de Havilland Gipsy Major Series 2 engine. However, this engine was soon found to be inadequate and was removed on 2 January 1940 being replaced by a 149 kw (200 hp) de Havilland Gipsy Six which had been removed from a Tugan Gannet, this engine type also being fitted to A3-2. The latter was identical to A3-1, except that it had wing “slots”. With the two prototypes, 202 were completed.

Spin tests were performed and these involved the installation of an anti-spin parachute. With the Gipsy Six engine, the maximum speed was 266 km/h (165 mph) and climb was found to be over 305 m/min (1,000 ft/min). However, the extra weight of the larger engine had raised the stalling speed to what was considered to be a bit high for an ab initio military trainer.

At this stage it was found the English-built six-cylinder in-line Gipsy Six engine would not be available in sufficient quantities to meet the requirements of production CA-6 Wacketts and the decision was made to install the American-built Warner R500 Super Scarab engine in all production aircraft. This engine provided 131 kw (175 hp) at 2,250 rpm at sea level for one minute, 123 kw (165 hp) at 2,100 rpm, and was fitted with a Hamilton Standard, constant-speed, Series 2B20 two-blade propeller 2.3 m (7 ft 6 in) in diameter.

Following the installation of the Super Scarab engine, further testing was performed and this revealed that flying characteristics proved to be satisfactory for the aircraft in its intended role. An order was placed for 200 examples for the RAAF. Serial numbers A3-1 to A3-200 were allotted, the two prototypes then being re-numbered A3-1001 and A3-1002, becoming known as the CA-2A. Although a little under-powered, the Wackett was found to be a safe, relatively simple aircraft to fly and saw widespread use at RAAF training schools.

One example (A3-14) was attached to the Special Duties Flight at Laverton, VIC to carry out type trials and, although these trials commenced in June 1941, they were carried out with low priority and had not been completed when the last aircraft left the production line in 1942. It was reported handling was found to be adequate and it was statically and dynamically stable, ailerons were light and effective, stalling characteristics were good and recovery from an accidental spin was straight forward.

The CA-6, sometimes known as the Wackett Trainer, had a chrome molybdenum tube fuselage frame with metal and fabric covering. The wing was built as a single unit of wooden construction, with plywood covering and incorporating electrically-operated flaps and two 77.3 litre (17 Imp gal) fuel tanks. The fixed undercarriage had oleo shock absorbers, but a dummy set of undercarriage retraction controls were fitted in the cockpit to simulate the drill required in a more advanced aircraft. Blind flying instruments were fitted, and other controls were in a similar position to the Wirraway to ease later progression.

Eight light practice bombs could be carried on racks, four under each wing outboard of each landing gear shock absorber strut, and two camera guns were located in the leading-edges of the wing. The fuselage was built on a production line next to the CAC Wirraway line at the CAC facility at Fishermens Bend, VIC; and the wing, which was built as a single section, was also built at Fishermens Bend under sub-contract by General Motors Holden, the wing when completed being conveyed by vehicle the short distance to the CAC plant for completion of the aircraft.

By the end of 1941, 96 examples had been delivered, the following 104 by April 1942. In addition to training service, there being some 12 Elementary Flying Training Schools (EFTS), they were also used by Wireless and Air Gunnery Schools (WAGS). Units equipped with the type included No 1 WAGS at Ballarat, VIC, No 3 at Maryborough, QLD, and Nos 3 and 11 EFTS at Essendon and Benalla, VIC. When built they were delivered in an overall yellow trainer colour scheme but in 1942 camouflage was added to the upper surfaces. The Wackett was important to the RAAF and the Australian war effort in supplying pilots via the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Following the cessation of hostilities the Wackett became surplus to requirements and 30 were refurbished and supplied to the Netherlands East Indies Air Force (NEIAF), operated by a flying school at Kalidjati near Subang. However, problems were found with engine cooling and the NACA cowling had to be removed. In 1950 the survivors, along with other aircraft of the NEIAF, were transferred to the Indonesian Air Force (AURI). By this time they required a lot of maintenance and the AURI was short of skilled engineers. It is not thought they remained in service far into the 1950s.

In November 1945 Mr J J Brown applied to the Director General, Civil Aviation Department, seeking the allotment of 91 civil registrations to apply to ex-RAAF Wacketts, giving a list of serial numbers from A3-2 to A3-197, and registrations VH-AIM to VH-AIZ, VH-AJA to VH-AJZ, VH-AKA to VH-AKZ, and VH-ALA to VH-ALR were allotted to 84 aircraft, a further eight registrations (VH-ALS to VH-ALZ) being reserved for aircraft the serials of which were not known. However, in fact only a few of these registrations were actually allocated to the aircraft proposed. It was indicated at the time that six of the aircraft had been allocated for delivery to India but were remaining in Australia. This may well be a reference to aircraft for the NEIAF / Indonesia as the allotment of aircraft to India has not previously been noted.

As  noted, after World War II large numbers of military aircraft, including the Wackett, were offered for sale. Forty-six eventually appeared on the Australian Civil Aircraft Register, but attrition meant that only a few aircraft have survived. None is airworthy but VH-DGR (c/n 363) is under restoration in Sydney, NSW using an all-metal Yeoman Cropmaster wing, as the original was destroyed by vandals, and the registration VH-WKT has been reserved.

Kingsford Smith Aviation Service of Bankstown, NSW, the Australian agent for the Auster series of aircraft, importing over the years nearly 300 Austers, was a major maintenance operator and specialised in converting ex-military aircraft for civil operations.  Run by John T Brown and his son Peter, the Company purchased the entire RAAF inventory  of CA-6 Wacketts and the spares holding, totalling 92 aircraft, and sold 50 of them to the Netherlands East Indies Air Force for operation as trainers.

Many of these were placed on the Australian Civil Aircraft Register. Survivors have included: A3-22, which for many years operated as VH-ALV (c/n 256), has been restored and placed on display at the National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin, VIC.

VH-BEC (c/n 373 ex A3-149), which was recovered from the Simpson Desert, has been placed on display in Alice Springs, NT. This aircraft force landed in January 1962, having been on a flight from Moorabbin, VIC to Perth, WA. After leaving Whyalla, SA, it became lost, sparking off a large search-and-rescue operation. It seems the aircraft’s compass was faulty. The pilot perished before the aircraft was found three years later, and it was eventually recovered in 1972, restored and placed on display.

VH-AGP (c/n 401 – ex A3-167) has been under restoration; the fuselage and engine of one has been on display at Airworld at Wangaratta, VIC for some years; and another fuselage (A3-87) and engine has been on display at the Sid Beck Museum at Mareeba, QLD. This aircraft was obtained in March 2018 by the new Maryborough Aviation Museum.

One example (c/n 244) found its way to New Zealand where it operated for a period as ZK-AUC but has not survived. VH-AIY has been on display at the RAAFA WA Heritage Aviation Museum. A Cropmaster VH-FPB (later VH-SWC – c/n 112) has been under restoration at Werribee, VIC, being returned to Wackett configuration but using the fuselage and wings of the Cropmaster with a Wackett canopy, a Warner Super Scarab engine, and a Wackett tail.

For some years the Wackett was seen as a candidate for agricultural duties, and to this end Kingsford Smith Aviation at Bankstown, NSW produced the KSAS-3, this retaining the Super Scarab engine; and the Yeoman Cropmaster, also built at Bankstown, which was fitted with a modern six-cylinder horizontally-opposed engine. These are discussed in separate entries.