CAC CA-9 WIRRAWAY ‘IN TRAINING AND COMBAT’

The CAC CA-9 Wirraway was an Australian training and multi-role low-wing aircraft from the Second World War. The drive was provided by a single Pratt and Whitney R-1340 engine with 600 hp. The length of the aircraft was approximately 8.3 meters with a wingspan of approximately 13.1 meters. The maximum speed of the aircraft reached 352 km / h, and the range was 1,152 kilometers. The deck armament mostly consisted of three 7.7 mm Vickers machine guns. The CA-9 aircraft was designed by the Melbourne-based Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation. It was commissioned by the Australian Air Force (RAAF), which in the late 1930s aimed to introduce into service a multi-role aircraft produced by the domestic industry. It is worth noting that the original aim was to acquire such a machine in Great Britain, but due to the overload of the local aviation industry, it was decided to obtain the machine by a different route. In order to shorten the research and development work, the design of the American North American NA-16 aircraft was used, which was adapted to domestic conditions. Finally, many versions of the CAC Wirraway aircraft were created, of which the CA-9 model was one of the most produced - a total of approx. 190 CA-9 aircraft were built.