CAC CA-6 WACKETT

The CAC CA-6 Wackett was an Australian low-wing training aircraft from the Second World War. The flight of the prototype took place in 1939. The machine was put into service in 1941. The drive was provided by a single Warner Scarab engine with 175 HP. The length of the aircraft was 7.92 meters with a wingspan of 11.28 meters. The machine did not have on-board weapons. The CA-6 was designed by Lawrence Wackett (hence the name of the aircraft) at the Melbourne-based Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation. It was commissioned by the Australian Air Force (RAAF) as a basic pilot training aircraft. The aim was to simplify its structure to the maximum and the lowest possible production costs. Hence, a very conservative aerodynamic system and the use of a relatively large number of wooden elements. Interestingly, while the airframe structure was developed very quickly, it took a relatively long time to choose the power unit. Finally, it was decided to use the Warner Scarab engine. About 200 machines of this type were created in the course of production, which during World War II were one of the basic RAAF training machines. After 1945, some of these machines were sold to foreign recipients (e.g. Indonesia), and some went to the civil market, where they played various roles - e.g. agricultural aircraft.