Country of origin:

Australia

Description:

Light commercial transport

Power Plant:

Two 138 kw (185 hp) Napier Javelin six-cylinder in-line inverted air-cooled engines

Specifications:

History:

During 1933 Sir Charles Kingsford Smith was preparating to make a barnstorming tour of New Zealand with his Fokker F.VII/3m VH-USU ‘Southern Cross’ and a new aircraft which had been designed to his specifications by Wing Commander Lawrence J Wackett. This aircraft, known as the LJW.6 Codock, was to be flown on the tour by New Zealand pilot, Sqdn Ldr T W ‘Tiny‘ White.

The LJW.6 light commercial transport received the name Codock, as an abbreviation of Cockatoo Island Dockyard where it was built in Sydney, NSW. It was the sixth aircraft designed by Wackett. The Codock was a re-design of a similar aircraft (un-named and un-built) which had been designed by Wackett prior to his receiving the specifications from Kingsford Smith for the Codock. It was hoped, if the New Zealand tour was successful, further orders would be received.

Initial design studies centred around the installation of two de Havilland Gipsy (probably IV) engines but, when the more powerful Napier Javelin became available, this was chosen as the definitive power plant and modifications were made to the design to allow the installation of these engines.

At about this time Kingsford Smith had tendered to the Australian Government to operate the Australia to Singapore link in the Royal Mail service from England to Australia, the tender stating the Codock would be the designated aircraft. A feature of the design, and a proposed strong selling point for future production, was its ability to maintain a height of 1,524 m (5,000 ft) on one engine and thus possess the reliability of a multi-engined passenger aircraft.

The Australian aviation magazine ‘Aircraft’ in May 1934 reported: “Few persons – other than those who have sweated and suffered – realise the multitude of snags and delays which can interfere with the design, construction, test flights, airworthiness trials, and the final handing over as a commercial proposition, of a prototype aeroplane built in a factory without the advantage of previous construction of complete aircraft. Add to this a series of delays in obtaining delivery of engines, which are themselves just coming forward on a production basis, and you have cause for a real headache”.

Only one example VH-URP (c/n 1) was built. This aircraft was completed at the beginning of March 1934 and made its initial test flight on 6th March in the hands of Charles Kingsford Smith at Mascot, NSW. He reported that it had taken off well, but that fore and aft controls were heavy. Modifications were made and following a further flight the following day he was reported to be ‘obviously satisfied’.

However, as with a lot of projects, financial problems occurred and the proposed flight with the ‘Southern Cross’ across the Tasman did not eventuate. As Kingsford Smith failed in his tender for the Air Mail contract from Sydney to Singapore, the aircraft was offered for sale.

Sqdn Ldr White did a considerable amount of test flying in the aircraft with a number of specialists in the cabin, these including Harold Purvis as engineer; S V Colville, designer and builder of the radio equipment which was installed; and H Foster, a New Zealander, navigator and radio operator.

Consideration was also being given at this time for a further Codock to be built to the order of the Australian Air Board but this did not eventuate and the first example of the Codock’s successor, the Tugan Gannet, was obtained by the Air Board for the RAAF. On 10 April 1934 Sqdn Ldr White flew the Codock to Essendon, VIC, where on 9 June its Certificate of Airworthiness (No 479) was issued. Whilst in Victoria it made a number of visits to country districts, including Wilson’s Promontory, Warrnambool, Ballarat and Echuca, this being part of the scheme to run the engines in and allow the crew for the proposed Tasman trip time to acquaint themselves with the behaviour of the equipment and the aircraft in varied weather conditions.

Tests revealed that the Codock took off in 12 seconds in a 16 km/h (10 mph) wind with five persons on board, its endurance was 4 ½ to 5 hours and its cruising speed was 169 km/h to 177 km/h (105 mph to 110 mph) at 1,850 rpm to 1,900 rpm. Dual controls were not fitted but all instruments and controls were conveniently placed. Leg and head room for the pilot was adequate, and the field of view for pilot and passengers was said to be excellent. Doors were fitted on each side of the cabin, and there was a sliding hatch cover in the rear cabin roof through which the navigator could take bearings. Wheel brakes were operated by a pull-up lever at the pilot’s side. Differential braking operation for ground manoeuvring was provided by a linkage with the rudder bar.

The machine was sold and had a number of owners thereafter. First was Northern Airways Ltd of Mascot on 1 August 1934, later changing its name to Northern Airlines Ltd. It operated services between Sydney and District Park Aerodrome, Newcastle, NSW commencing on 11 June 1934. There were some 18 services a week in each direction. On 6 May 1935 it was damaged at Wollongong, NSW and the Certificate of Airworthiness was suspended. As the owner was not operating scheduled services at this stage to the old Wollongong strip this was probably a charter, this strip being beside the beach just south of the present city of Wollongong. After landing in heavy rain it ran over a rifle mound, the resulting jar tearing away the undercarriage and allowing the aircraft to settle on the fuselage.

The company then ceased services and ownership was transferred to Western & Southern Provincial Airlines Ltd (WASP) of O’Connell Street, Sydney, repairs being effected. This company commenced services between Narromine and Sydney on 28 March 1935 with a General Aircraft Monospar and eventually the Codock. Later Tugan Gannets were used, services going to Dubbo, Broken Hill and other New South Wales regional centres.

By this stage the aircraft was having problems, making forced landings at Murrawi on 20 November 1935; Leeton on the same date; Young on 19 February 1936; and Goodoogen on 22 March that year. However, WASP ceased services in August 1936 and the Certificate of Airworthiness expired.

The liquidator sold the aircraft and ownership passed to Mr Thomas Perry of Narromine, he having been a former Director of WASP Airlines, President of the Narromine Aero Club, and owner of both the Narromine and Dubbo aerodromes. He formed Intercity Airways at Mascot, commencing services in May 1937, the Certificate of Airworthiness being renewed. However, the aircraft again force landed, this time at Mascot, on 17 July that year, the pilot on this occasion being aviation identity Joseph R Palmer. It struck a soft patch of earth and nosed over during landing. Damage was not extensive and it was soon repaired. However, Intercity Airways did not use it again and it was sold to Southern Airlines & Freighters Ltd of Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC on 23 July.

The Codock then operated services from Mascot to Narromine and Broken Hill. However, Southern Airlines also went into liquidation and ownership was transferred to Mr Louis Patmoy of Bellevue Hill, NSW. By this time the Codock was at Mascot and needed some attention. The new owner stated to the Department of Civil Aviation he intended to re-condition the aircraft and fly it again, Mr L J R Jones being in charge of the work.

The aircraft then came into the hands of the Official Receiver of Bankrupt Estates and was sold on 22 May 1940 to the College of Civil Aviation for $150 (£75), a condition of sale being that it only be used for ground instruction and be dismantled for that purpose. The Codock remained at the College as an instructional airframe for some years and was eventually obtained by Penfolds Wines, being placed on a framework on a paddock at Minchinbury near the Great Western Highway west of Sydney where it remained for some years as an advertisement for the company’s wines until destroyed by fire set by vandals. The remains were placed in a ditch and buried.

It is interesting that Sir Lawrence Wackett was involved with his team at the Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney in the design of a number of other aircraft but none of these ever got past the initial design stage, although some drawings survive. These designs included the Codock Javelin in 1929 to 1932 with two Napier Javelin engines; the Wackett Wagtail in the period 1929 to 1932; the Cockatoo Island Dockyard Corella of 1930-1931, which was a four-engine monoplane development of the Codock, surviving drawings of parts for the aircraft being dated 1931; and an unnamed coupe monoplane of 1931.