CAC Wirraway

Item#: FMPCACW

MSRP Price: $299.95

Factory Direct Price: $199.95

Wing Span: "17.79"""
Length: "11.51"""

Manufacturer: Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation

Although the Wirraway (an Aboriginal word meaning "Challenger") was designated as the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) advanced trainer during World War Two, its usefulness as a makeshift frontline fighter was secured on 26 December 1942 when a converted example shot down a Japanese navy A6M 'Zero-Sen' fighter. Wirraways saw convoy duty from Darwin, in Malaya, New Britain and New Guinea until mid-1943.

Manufactured under license by the newly-formed Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC), the Wirraway was a modified North American BC-1 with a three-bladed propeller, two fixed .303-inch machine guns and a third in the rear cockpit, and bomb rack for up to 500 pounds of ordnance.

On 6 January 1942 Wirraways of 24 Squadron attempted to intercept Japanese flying boats flying over New Britain. Two weeks later eight 24 Squadron Wirraways defended the city of Rabaul from 80 Japanese attacking bombers and fighters which resulted in the destruction of all the defending Wirraways. On the twelfth of December that year Pilot Officer, J. S. Archer shot down a Japanese A6M Zero aircraft after he spotted it 1000 feet (about 300 metres) below him and dived on it, opening fire and sending the Zero hurtling into the sea. This was the only occasion that a Wirraway shot down another aircraft (and is one more than the total of aircraft shot down by its fighter offspring, the Boomerang). Fighter versions of the Wirraway operated over New Guinea for some time on ground attack and other Army co-operation tasks until other RAAF aircraft such as the Boomerang and American Curtiss P-40s were delivered to replace them.

Many front-line squadrons of the RAAF had at least one Wirraway attached to serve as a squadron 'hack', a term used to describe aircraft employed on errands such as visits to headquarters or other bases. At least one aircraft (formerly A20-527) flew as part of Headquarters Flight 5th Air Force in full United States Army Air Forces markings.

A total of 755 Wirraways were delivered through 1946. As purpose-built fighters came on line, the plane reverted back to its advanced trainer role for both the Air Force and Navy. The trainer remained in service with the RAAF until 1959 and there are at least six Wirraways flying in Australia today.

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