CAC Wackett
The CAC Wackett was a training aircraft manufactured in Australia by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation and the first aircraft which was itself developed. It was named after its designer Lawrenz Wackett.
History and construction
The Wackett was designed on the basis of the RAAF Specification 3/38 for a beginner trainer aircraft. The machine was a low-wing monoplane with fixed landing spur -wheel drive and a fabric -covered steel tube fuselage. Wings and tail were made of wood and also fabric covered. Teachers and students were sitting in a row. Despite the simplicity of the construction, which began with the construction of the first of two CA-2 prototypes, until October 1938 and was completed in September 1939. The prototype first flew on September 19, 1939 and was equipped with a de Havilland Gipsy Major. This engine proved for this aircraft to be too weak, so that the second prototype, equipped even before its first flight in November 1939, with a de Havilland Gipsy Six. Although the flight performance could be improved by the other motor, the performance at the start did not improve because the engine was heavier, so finally in mid-1940 both prototypes were equipped with the Warner Scarab radial engine.
The RAAF settled with their orders several months, it seemed for a while as if the trainer aircraft needs covered with other types. Finally, an order was placed in August 1940 but the Wackett and went into production. The first CA-6 Wackett from the series production flew on February 6, 1941 and was put into service in March of the same year. Due to problems with the propeller procurement, many completed aircraft could not be put into service immediately. After the outbreak of the war in the Pacific, the production rate was increased in order to make room for the production of the CAC Boomerang. The last Wackett was delivered on 22 April 1942, the RAAF.
In the 1950s, several aircraft from Kingsford Smith Aviation Service were converted to agricultural aircraft, which were called KS -2 or KS -3 Cropmaster. A KS- 2 had a chemical containers in the front cockpit, this model was the success denied, so that the machine has been converted to KS- 3 with the chemical containers in the rear cockpit. Four other Wacketts were converted to KS -3. The model was further developed and from this by the Yeoman Aviation a subsidiary that develops Yeoman Cropmaster.
Variants
- CA-2 Wackett Trainer: Prototype, two built
- CA-6 Wackett Trainer: production version, 200 built
Military use
- Australia Australia
- Netherlands Netherlands: The Dutch East Indies Army received 30 former Machinery of the RAAF.
- Indonesia Indonesia: Some former Dutch East Indies army of machines, after the independence of Indonesia