CAC CA-15

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Australian World War II-era prototype fighter aircraft

title: "CAC CA-15" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["commonwealth-aircraft-corporation-aircraft", "1940s-australian-fighter-aircraft", "single-engined-tractor-aircraft", "low-wing-aircraft", "aircraft-first-flown-in-1946", "aircraft-with-retractable-conventional-landing-gear", "single-engined-piston-aircraft"] description: "Australian World War II-era prototype fighter aircraft" topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAC_CA-15" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Australian World War II-era prototype fighter aircraft ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]

FieldValue
nameCA-15
imageFile:CA-15.jpg
typeFighter
national_originAustralia
manufacturerCommonwealth Aircraft Corporation
first_flight4 March 1946
retired1950
number_built1
statusScrapped
primary_userRoyal Australian Air Force
::

| name = CA-15 | image = File:CA-15.jpg | type = Fighter | national_origin = Australia | manufacturer = Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation | first_flight = 4 March 1946 | retired = 1950 | number_built = 1 | status = Scrapped | primary_user = Royal Australian Air Force The CAC CA-15 was an Australian propeller-driven fighter aircraft designed and built by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) during World War II. Due to protracted development, the project was not completed until after the war, and was cancelled after flight testing, when the advent of jet aircraft was imminent.

Design and development

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/CA-15-Crash-Landing.jpg" caption="The CA-15 after crash landing at RAAF Point Cook"] ::

During 1943, following its success in rapidly designing and mass-producing the Boomerang fighter for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), CAC began design work on a fully-fledged interceptor and escort fighter. Because the Boomerang had become more and more obsolete against Japanese fighters like the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, Sir Lawrence Wackett (as head of CAC) proposed designing a new high-performance fighter from scratch. Fred David, who had designed the Boomerang, was to lead an in-house design team at CAC. In June 1943, the design concept proposal was approved by the government and RAAF, which issued specification 2/43, enabling work to commence.

The design was inspired by contemporary fighters – especially the German Focke-Wulf Fw 190, details of which were available to the designers through Allied intelligence reports on captured aircraft. Although the CA-15 bore a superficial resemblance to the North American P-51 Mustang, the CAC design was not based directly on the American aircraft and had quite different performance objectives. For much of its development, the CA-15 was designed around radial engines, rather than the inline engines used in fighters like the Mustang. In fact, development of the CA-15 was slowed by a recommendation from Wackett, that CAC build Mustangs under licence, rather than bear the cost of developing a unique design. Nevertheless, it was believed that the CA-15 promised capabilities that would enable it to replace the P-51.

At first, the CAC designers planned to use the 2,300 hp (1,715 kW) radial Pratt & Whitney R-2800, with a turbocharger. However, that engine became unavailable, causing further delays in development, and it was decided to fit an in-line Rolls-Royce Griffon Mk 61 (2,035 hp/1,517 kW). Engines for a prototype were leased from Rolls-Royce. It was intended that any production engines would have a three-stage supercharger.

Operational history

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/CA-15_from_Lincoln.jpg" caption="The CA-15, piloted by Flt Lt J.A.L. Archer, over Melbourne, photographed from the rear turret of an [[Avro Lincoln]] bomber"] ::

Development was further slowed by the end of the war, with the prototype flying for the first time on 4 March 1946, and was flown by CAC test pilot Jim Schofield, who also flew the first Australian built P-51. The prototype was assigned RAAF serial number A62-1001. According to aviation historian Darren Crick, it achieved a calibrated level flight speed of 448 mph (721 km/h) at 26,400 ft (8,046 m). Test flights came to an abrupt ending when Flt Lt J. A. L. Archer suffered a hydraulic failure (later found to be a leaking ground test gauge) on approach to Point Cook on 10 December 1946, which left him no choice but to orbit and burn off fuel. The main gear was only halfway down and unable to be retracted or lowered any further but the tail wheel was down and locked. On landing, the tail wheel struck the airstrip first causing the aircraft to porpoise and finally, the airscoop dug in. The aircraft settled back on the fuselage and skidded to a stop, heavily damaged. After repairs at CAC, the aircraft was returned to ARDU in 1948. Archer reportedly achieved a speed of 502.2 mph (803 km/h) over Melbourne, after levelling out of a dive of 4,000 ft (1,200 m), on 25 May 1948.

By this time, however, it was clear that jet aircraft had far greater potential and no further examples of the CA-15 were built. The prototype was scrapped in 1950, and the engines were returned to Rolls-Royce.

Operators

;

Specifications

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/CAC_CA-15.png" caption="CA-15 3-view drawing"] ::

|ref=Commonwealth CA-15: The 'Kangaroo' Fighter |prime units?=imp |crew=1 |length ft=36|length in=7 |span ft=35|span in=6 |height ft=15|height in=7 |wing area sqft=253 |airfoil=NACA 66 series |empty weight lb=7540 |gross weight lb=9500 |max takeoff weight lb=12340 |fuel capacity=220 impgal in two wing tanks + 30 impgal in one fuselage tank and 2 optional 100 impgal under-wing drop tanks |eng1 number=1|eng1 name=Rolls-Royce Griffon 61|eng1 type=V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine|eng1 hp=2035|eng1 note=with 18 psi boost |prop blade number=4|prop name=Rotol|prop dia ft=12|prop dia in=6|prop dia note=constant-speed propeller |max speed mph=442|max speed note=at 25600 ft and 368 mph at sea level |range miles=1150|range note=on internal fuel |ferry range miles=2540|ferry range note= at 5000 ft at 1,600 rpm |ceiling ft=34000 |climb rate ftmin=4900 |time to altitude=20000 ft in 5 minutes 30 seconds |wing loading lb/sqft=37.5|wing loading note=normal load ::48.8 lb/sqft |power/mass=0.243 hp/lb |guns= 6 × 0.5 in machine guns |rockets=provision for 10 × rockets |bombs=2 × 1000 lb bombs

References

Notes

Bibliography

  • Crick, Darren. "RAAF A62 CAC CA-15" adf-serials.com, 2003.
  • Donald, David. "Commonwealth CA-15: The 'Kangaroo' Fighter". Wings of Fame, Volume 4, 1996, pp. 118–121. London: Aerospace Publishing. . ISSN 1361-2034.
  • Francillon, René J. The Royal Australian Air Force & Royal New Zealand Air Force in the Pacific. Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers Inc., 1970. .
  • Green, William, ed. "Antipodean Finale". Air Enthusiast, October 1972, Vol. 3. No 4, pp. 178–180.
  • Ross, A.T. Armed and Ready: The Industrial Development and Defence of Australia 1900-1945. Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia: Turton & Armstrong, 1995. .
  • Wilson, Stewart. Wirraway, Boomerang & CA-15 in Australian Service. Fyshwick ACT, Australia: Aerospace Publications Pty. Ltd., 1991. .

References

  1. Martin, RL. (1994). "The CA-15 Fighter: An Item of Aeronautical Engineering Heritage Australasian Conference on Engineering Heritage (1st : 1994 : Christchurch, N.Z.)". Institution of Engineers, Canberra, 1994: 115-120.
  2. Martin, RL. (1994). "The CA-15 Fighter: An Item of Aeronautical Engineering Heritage Australasian Conference on Engineering Heritage (1st : 1994 : Christchurch, N.Z.)". Institution of Engineers, Canberra, 1994: 115-120.
  3. Ross 1995, p. 321.
  4. ''Air Enthusiast'' October 1972, p. 179.
  5. (1994). "Military Aircraft of Australia". Aerospace Publications.
  6. Crick 2003{{page needed. (December 2012)
  7. (17 June 2015). "Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation CA-15 'Kangaroo'".
  8. Donald 1996, p. 121.
  9. (1947). "Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1947". Sampson Low, Marston & Co.
  10. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage".

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commonwealth-aircraft-corporation-aircraft1940s-australian-fighter-aircraftsingle-engined-tractor-aircraftlow-wing-aircraftaircraft-first-flown-in-1946aircraft-with-retractable-conventional-landing-gearsingle-engined-piston-aircraft