Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) CA-15 Kangaroo

[Scott Rose]

Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) CA-15 Kangaroo
The CAC CA-15, also known unofficially as the CAC Kangaroo, was an Australian propeller-driven fighter aircraft designed 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.


Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) CA-15 Kangaroo/A62-1001 at Fishermen's Bend, Victoria, Australia, ca. 1946

Design and development
As the CAC Boomerang became more and more obsolete against the Mitsubishi A6M Zero by 1942, Sir Lawrence Wackett proposed designing a new high performance fighter from scratch with Fred David as the head of an in-house CAC design team During 1943, following the success of CAC and chief designer Fred David, in rapidly designing and mass-producing the small Boomerang fighter for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), CAC began design work on a fully fledged interceptor and bomber escort. In June 1943 the Royal Australian Air Force approved the design concept proposal and issued design specification 2/43 for work to commence.


Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) CA-15/A62-1001

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 and dimensions. For instance, David had been impressed by assessments of captured Focke-Wulf Fw 190s and intended using a radial engine rather than the inline engines used in fighters like the Mustang. In fact, development of the CA-15 was slowed by a recommendation from CAC head Lawrence Wackett, that the company build Mustangs under licence, rather than bear the cost of developing a unique design. By the later stages of its development, it was believed that the CA-15 would have capabilities enabling it to replace the P-51.


Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) CA-15/A62-1001 piloted by Flt/Lt J.A.L. Archer. Photographed from the rear turret of a Lincoln bomber, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, ca. 1948

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
Development was further slowed by the end of the war, with the prototype flying for the first time on 4 March 1946,[6] 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 air scoop dug in. The aircraft settled back on the fuselage and skidded to a stop, heavily damaged.[5] 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 leveling out of a dive of 4,000 ft (1,200 m), on 25 May 1948.


Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) CA-15 Kangaroo/A62-1001 after crash landing at RAAF Point Cook

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.

Specifications

Crew: one
Length: 36 ft 2½ in (11.04 m)
Wingspan: 36 ft 0 in (10.97 m)
Height: 14 ft 2 in (4.32 m)
Wing area: 253 sq ft (23.50 m²)
Empty weight: 7,540 lb (3427 kg)
Loaded weight: 9,500 lb (4,309 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 12,340 lb (5,597 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Griffon liquid-cooled V12 engine, 2,035 hp (1,517 kW) at 7,000 ft (2,134 m)

Performance

Maximum speed: 448 mph (390 knots, 721 km/h) at 26,400 ft (8,050 m)
Range: 1,150 mi (1,000 nmi, 1,850 km) on internal fuel
Service ceiling: 39,000 ft (11,887 m)
Rate of climb: 4,900 ft/min (24.9 m/s)

Armament

Guns: 6 × 0.50 in. (12.7 mm) machine guns (250 rounds each)
Rockets: provision for 10 × rockets
Bombs: 2 × 1,000 (450 kg) bombs

Source: Wikipedia

[Brenden S]

There is a replica being built at the moment in Australia.

[Dan K]

https://www.facebook.com/CA15Kangaroo/

[Spitty]

Only the cockpit so far...Hope they make it bigger...

[bdk]

There is a replica being built at the moment in Australia.

Static?

[Sopwith]

Yes static

[Deuelly]

Yes static

On there Facebook page they state wanting to have it flying by the end of this decade. Have they changed that recently?

Brandon

[Sopwith]

Yes static

On there Facebook page they state wanting to have it flying by the end of this decade. Have they changed that recently?

Brandon

I read that post as a bit tongue in cheek, but I will be happy to be proved wrong.

[Joe Scheil]

While nice to dream about.....To build this one for flight would be a pretty big deal.

Look at the horizontal tail for starters. Note it’s Veeed like a Bonanza in a way, which is a really interesting add to the complexity factor. Also a Griffon of the intended type is a pretty hard to find part, as well as landing gear and everything else. Historically the aircraft is a bookend, the last of its kind, but other than that the plane had little significance.

A full size static could be an interesting display in a museum, but I continually feel that preserving aircraft that are “real” is a far more important goal. There are many unloved large aircraft that need resources and help for their very survival.

[A68-1001]

drawing with the R2800 that it was designed for originally , the Merlin / Griffon version looks nicer

Attachments

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[Spitty]

It was only a few years ago that the only surviving factory drawings for it were found..

[Warbird Kid]

A full size static could be an interesting display in a museum, but I continually feel that preserving aircraft that are “real” is a far more important goal. There are many unloved large aircraft that need resources and help for their very survival.

True, but I'd love to see a static Vought XF5U "Flying Flapjack", let alone a flyer! I'd take either at this point!

[Snake45]

drawing with the R2800 that it was designed for originally , the Merlin / Griffon version looks nicer

That first drawing with the R2800 looks badass!

[raconnel]

The second R-2800 proposal looks a lot like a YP-60E with a tiny canopy.

[Pogmusic]

The first drawing looks like a cross between a Fury, FW-190, and an F8F Bearcat.