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138-737: The CAC Wirraway is a training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) between 1939 and 1946. It was an Australian development of the North American NA-16 training aircraft. The Wirraway has been credited as being the foundation of Australian aircraft manufacturing. When the name was announced on 6 April 1938, it was said to be "an Aboriginal word meaning challenge". The word presumably comes from Daniel Bunce's compilation Language of

276-1065: A radar display based on this information. The aim of programmable displays is to speed pilot training by replicating as far as possible the systems a pilot will find in an operational aircraft. Lead-in fighter training (LIFT) utilises advanced jet trainer aircraft with avionics and stores-management capability that emulate operational fighter planes, to provide efficient training in combat scenarios with reduced training costs compared to moving straight to operational conversion. The on-board avionics system may be linked to ground-based systems, and together they can simulate situations such as infrared or radar guided missile, interceptors, air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft batteries, radars, chaff and flare countermeasures and collision warnings, in low or dense electronic warfare environments. Systems may also be able to re-enact true-to-life combat situations. Most military jet-powered combat aircraft have two-seat trainer versions. These are combat capable operational conversion aircraft types to provide on

414-665: A Royal Air Force officer, Air Marshal Sir Donald Hardman , was brought out to Australia to become Chief of the Air Staff. He reorganised the RAAF into three commands: Home Command , Maintenance Command , and Training Command . Five years later, Home Command was renamed Operational Command , and Training Command and Maintenance Command were amalgamated to form Support Command . In the Malayan Emergency , from 1950 to 1960, six Avro Lincolns from No. 1 Squadron RAAF and

552-551: A fighter-bomber as well, although there were doubts voiced by senior figures over its combat suitability. The selection was not without controversy as some voices within the Australian government were keen for aircraft manufacturing and development to be kept within the Commonwealth of Nations . In 1938, an inspection by Sir Edward Ellington of the then in-development Wirraway in 1938 led to him to express his opinion that

690-406: A 12 degree sweep and a 16 ft 9 in trailing edge making up the rest of the wing. It had a NACA 4412 airfoil at its theoretical tip. The wingtips had wire loops to help tie down the aircraft if necessary. The Wirraway was powered by a single 600 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial engine, licence-built by CAC and allowing the aircraft to reach speeds of up to 191 knots. The engine drove

828-654: A Primary trainer, of which the Stearman PT-13 /PT-17 is the best known, a Basic trainer such as the Vultee BT-13 , and an advanced trainer such as the well known North American AT-6 Texan, which would also be widely exported to the Commonwealth countries as the Harvard. In addition, production of various combat types was diverted to training although considerable effort was made to cover all possible types of training with purpose built types. The British organized

966-506: A Wirraway patrolling for sharks crashed on a beach at Maroochydore on 30 December 1950, killing three children and injuring 14 other people. Twenty-four Wirraways were delivered to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from RAAF storage depots between November 1948 and November 1953. They included a CA-1, a CA-5 and numbers of all subsequent variants; they were operated under their original RAAF serials. One Wirraway (A120-145)

1104-1070: A bombing raid. The wreckage of the aircraft was recovered in April 2009, and the remains of the crew were found in late July 2009. The other was shot down by a surface-to-air missile , although both crew were rescued. They dropped 76,389 bombs and were credited with 786 enemy personnel confirmed killed and a further 3,390 estimated killed, 8,637 structures, 15,568 bunkers, 1,267 sampans and 74 bridges destroyed. RAAF transport aircraft also supported anti-communist ground forces. The UH-1 helicopters were used in many roles including medical evacuation and close air support. RAAF casualties in Vietnam included six killed in action, eight non-battle fatalities, 30 wounded in action and 30 injured. A small number of RAAF pilots also served in United States Air Force units, flying F-4 Phantom fighter-bombers or serving as forward air controllers. In September 1975,

1242-706: A fast jet design and manufacturing capability. With increasing costs, even major air forces will have difficulty reaching the economies of scale to justify development of new advanced trainers. Nations will be required to continue to push the modernisation of existing aircraft (some such as the Hawk dating from the 1970s) or co-operate in the development and procurement of advanced training aircraft. Furthermore, they must better utilise funding available by developing aircraft with an enhanced combat capability by producing operational single-seat variants, and better utilise aircraft on inventory incorporating operational systems either within

1380-643: A flight of Douglas Dakotas from No. 38 Squadron RAAF took part in operations against the communist guerrillas (labelled as "Communist Terrorists" by the British authorities) as part of the RAF Far East Air Force . The Dakotas were used on cargo runs, in troop movement and in paratrooper and leaflet drops within Malaya. The Lincolns, operating from bases in Singapore and from Kuala Lumpur, formed

1518-519: A general purpose aircraft, being present in small quantities within the majority of front-line squadrons for these purposes, the aircraft was often pressed into combat when required. Typically, fighter versions of the Wirraway were operated over theatres such as New Guinea to perform ground attack missions and other Army co-operation tasks over extended periods until more advanced aircraft had become available in sufficient quantities. On 12 December 1942,

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1656-756: A group of 44 civilians, including armed supporters of the Timorese Democratic Union (UDT), commandeered an RAAF Caribou, A4-140 , on the ground at Baucau Airport in the then Portuguese Timor , which was in the middle of a civil war. The Caribou had landed at Baucau on a humanitarian mission for the International Committee of the Red Cross . The civilians demanded that the RAAF crew members fly them to Darwin Airport (also RAAF Base Darwin ) in Australia, which they did. After

1794-503: A high casualty rate as pilots moved to high performance MiG-21 aircraft without suitable assessment of their aptitude for supersonic flight. There are two main areas for instruction, flight training and operational training. In flight training a candidate seeks to develop their flying skills. In operational training the candidate learns to use their flying skills through simulated combat, attack and fighter techniques. Typically, contemporary military pilots learn initial flying skills in

1932-530: A hostile Zero, altitude restrictions were often imposed to deter incidents of friendly fire from Allied anti-aircraft gunners. Having become known for its versatility, 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 made available in sufficient quantity to replace them. By mid-1943, nearly all frontline use of

2070-824: A light aircraft not too dissimilar from civilian training aircraft. In this phase pilot candidates are screened for mental and physical attributes. Aircraft used for this purpose include the Slingsby Firefly , as at one time used by the United States Air Force Academy , and the Scottish Aviation Bulldogs of the RAF. The U.S. replaced the Firefly and the Enhanced Flight Screen Program (EFSP) with

2208-427: A relatively slow aircraft, No. 4 Squadron, equipped with the Wirraway, was dispatched to Port Moresby during early November 1942. Operating over New Guinea , the type performed aerial reconnaissance, photography, artillery spotting, communication, supply drops, dive-bombing, ground attack and propaganda drops. In this capacity, the Wirraway proved to be fairly suitable; however, due to the risk of being misidentified as

2346-498: A rotatable folding seat for the gunner/bomb-aimer, as well as a prone bombing position in the floor of the aircraft. The Wirraway could carry a light armament of a single 500 lb bomb or a pair of 250 lb bombs under the wings. The position of the bomb steadies under the wings were adjustable. Light bombs or flares could also be carried underneath the centreline section. Additionally, a pair of forward-firing Vickers Mk.V machine guns with 600 rounds of ammo were fitted along with

2484-553: A single E-7A Wedgetail . This aircraft, and the associated 100 personnel - mainly from 2 Squadron , would operate from Ramstein Air Base for a six month deployment under Operation Kudu. The stated objective of the deployment was to "help ensure that vital support flowing to Ukraine by the international community is protected." Trainer aircraft As of June 2018, the RAAF had 14,313 permanent full-time personnel and 5,499 part-time active reserve personnel. The RAAF established

2622-410: A single swivel-mounted Vickers Mk 1 machine gun with 480 rounds across 8 magazine drums that was positioned at the rear of the cockpit. A later variant received strengthened wing struts, which allowed the installation of four 250lb or two 500lb and two 250lb bombs. The Wirraway could also carry two 200lb storepedos fitted with parachutes which were used to deliver supplies and munitions to troops in

2760-643: A small part of the operation, the RAAF contribution was significant, flying 2,062 sorties and carrying 7,030 tons of freight and 6,964 passengers. In the Korean War , from 1950 to 1953, North American Mustangs from No. 77 Squadron RAAF , stationed in Japan with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force , were among the first United Nations aircraft to be deployed, in ground support, combat air patrol, and escort missions. When

2898-462: A spectrum of operations such as air superiority, precision strikes, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, air mobility, space surveillance , and humanitarian support. The RAAF has 252 aircraft, of which 84 are combat aircraft. The RAAF traces its history back to the 1911 Imperial Conference that was held in London, where it was decided aviation should be developed within the armed forces of

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3036-572: A temporary shortage of available spare parts. As its American "cousin" the T-6 "Texan" (both types having been derived from the NA-16) did for many Allied Air Forces during the Second World War, the Wirraway served as one of the RAAF's main trainer types from 1939. Beside serving as a trainer aircraft they were also operated in combat roles, including as an emergency fighter . At the outbreak of

3174-409: A three-bladed constant speed variable-pitch propeller developed by de Havilland Propellers , with a diameter of 10 feet. The propeller had 6101A-3 blades with a 3D40 hub. Fuel was stored within a pair of 45 gallon tanks. The two-man crew sat within a tandem cockpit, complete with a fully enclosed sliding canopy ; both positions were fitted with flying controls. In addition, the rear cockpit featured

3312-605: A total of 216,900 men and women served in the RAAF, of whom 10,562 were killed in action; a total of 76 squadrons were formed. With over 152,000 personnel operating nearly 6,000 aircraft it was the world's fourth-largest air force. During the Berlin Airlift , in 1948–49, the RAAF Squadron Berlin Air Lift aided the international effort to fly in supplies to the stricken city; two RAF Avro York aircraft were also crewed by RAAF personnel. Although

3450-415: A viable air defence fighter. As the capabilities of front-line aircraft have increased, this has been reflected in increasingly sophisticated advanced trainers. As the costs of developing new aircraft have risen in real terms, it has become more likely that fewer aircraft will be designed specifically for the training role. The advanced trainer was often seen as a stepping stone by most nations in developing

3588-542: A warbird crashed during an airshow at Nowra in 1999, killing the two occupants. Data from Green General characteristics Performance Armament Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Trainer aircraft Civilian pilots are normally trained in a light aircraft , with two or more seats to allow for a student and instructor. The two seating configurations for trainer aircraft are: pilot and instructor side by side, or in tandem, usually with

3726-549: Is at this stage that a pilot begins to learn to operate radar systems and electronics. Modern advanced trainers feature programmable multi-function displays which can be programmed to simulate different electronic systems and scenarios. Most advanced trainers do not have radar systems of their own, but onboard systems can be programmed to simulate radar contacts. With datalinks and GPS , virtual radar systems can be created with similarly equipped aircraft relaying to each other their positions in real time and onboard computers creating

3864-752: Is now north-east New Guinea . However, these colonies surrendered quickly, before the planes were even unpacked. The first operational flights did not occur until 27 May 1915, when the Mesopotamian Half Flight was called upon to assist the Indian Army in providing air support during the Mesopotamian Campaign against the Ottoman Empire , in what is now Iraq . The corps later saw action in Egypt , Palestine and on

4002-530: Is now the norm for pilots to begin their flight training in an aircraft with side-by-side seating and to progress to aircraft with tandem seating. This, however, has not always been the case. For example, it was usual to find tandem seating in biplane basic trainers such as the Tiger Moth and the Jungmann , and the British used side-by-side seating in the operational conversion of some of its fast jets such as

4140-531: The AN/TPS-77 radar assigned the responsibility to co-ordinate coalition air operations. A detachment of IAI Heron unmanned aerial vehicles has been deployed in Afghanistan since January 2010. In late September 2014, an Air Task Group consisting of up to eight F/A-18F Super Hornets , a KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport, an E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft and 400 personnel

4278-805: The Australian Army until 1919, when it was disbanded along with the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Although the Central Flying School continued to operate at Point Cook, military flying virtually ceased until 1920, when the interim Australian Air Corps (AAC), with a wing each for the Army and the Navy, was formed as a unit of the Army. The AAC was succeeded by the Australian Air Force which

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4416-709: The BAC Jet Provost / BAC Strikemaster and the Cessna T-37 Tweet / A-37 Dragonfly . Especially against opponents operating without a fighter screen or an effective anti-aircraft capability, such trainer derived attack aircraft could perform adequately. For example, Impala aircraft derived from the Aermacchi MB-326 trainer formed the main strike strength of the South African Air Force in its Bush war , and aircraft such as

4554-569: The BC-1 ). These two aircraft were also known by their NAA project accounting codes (NA-32 for the NA-16-1A and NA-33 for the NA-16-2K) sometimes leading to confusion; these accounting codes (or "charge" codes) were used internally by NAA to track their projects and were not the actual aircraft model numbers. During August 1937, the NA-16-1A arrived in Australia and, following its re-assembly, flew for

4692-583: The Battle of Milne Bay . As a response to a possible Japanese chemical warfare threat the RAAF imported hundreds of thousands of chemical weapons into Australia. In the Battle of the Bismarck Sea , imported Bristol Beaufighters proved to be highly effective ground attack and maritime strike aircraft. Beaufighters were later made locally by the DAP from 1944. Although it was much bigger than Japanese fighters,

4830-584: The Boeing 707 was a popular airliner for conversion to tanker, transport and ELINT variants by numerous air forces. A minority of military training aircraft, such as the Beechcraft 18 , Vickers Varsity , Hawker Siddeley Dominie and Boeing T-43 were developed from transport designs to train navigators and other rear crews operators. As these navigational trainees are normally learning how to navigate using instruments, they can be seated at consoles within

4968-580: The Brewster Buffalo , and Lockheed Hudsons , the Australian squadrons suffered heavily against Japanese Zeros. During the fighting for Rabaul in early 1942, No. 24 Squadron RAAF fought a brief, but ultimately futile defence as the Japanese advanced south towards Australia. The devastating air raids on Darwin on 19 February 1942 increased concerns about the direct threat facing Australia. In response, some RAAF squadrons were transferred from

5106-592: The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , which moved the bulk of aircrew training away from active war zones to Canada and elsewhere, where pilots started on the De Havilland Tiger Moth or Fleet Finch basic trainers before continuing on North American Harvards for advanced training, Avro Ansons , Airspeed Oxfords and Bristol Bolingbrokes for multi-engine as well as bombing training. Obsolete types such as

5244-673: The British Empire . Australia implemented this decision, the first dominion to do so, by approving the establishment of the "Australian Aviation Corps". This initially consisted of the Central Flying School at Point Cook, Victoria , opening on 22 October 1912. By 1914 the corps was known as the "Australian Flying Corps". Soon after the outbreak of war in 1914, the Australian Flying Corps sent aircraft to assist in capturing German colonies in what

5382-574: The Cirrus SR20 (designated T-53A) for basic cadet flight training. After the ab-initio phase a candidate may progress to basic, or primary, trainers. These are usually turboprop trainers, like the Pilatus PC-9 and Embraer Tucano . Modern turboprop trainers can replicate the handling characteristics of jet aircraft as well as having sufficient performance to assess a candidate's technical ability at an aircraft's controls, reaction speed and

5520-665: The Diamond DA20 and the Initial Flight Training (IFT) program. At the end of this stage, pilot trainees are assessed and those who pass advance to the full pilot training program. Those who are judged unsuitable for a pilot commission, but show other attributes, may be offered the chance to qualify as navigators and weapons officers. Smaller and more financially restricted air forces may use ultra-light aircraft , gliders and motor gliders for this role. The USAF Academy uses light piston-powered aircraft such as

5658-545: The English Electric Lightning . Given the expense of military pilot training, air forces typically conduct training in phases to eliminate unsuitable candidates. The cost to those air forces that do not follow a graduated training regimen is not just monetary but also in lives. For example, for many years the Indian Air Force operated without a suitable advanced training aircraft, leading to

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5796-902: The Fairey Battle and Westland Lysander were used for target towing, while other types such as the North American Yale were used for wireless operator (radio) training. Postwar, the United States operated the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor for basic flight training, while the United Kingdom operated the De Havilland Chipmunk . The North American T-28 Trojan replaced the T-6 in US service, while

5934-568: The Hawker Hunter , English Electric Lightning , and North American F-100 Super Sabre . As air forces' combat fleets were scaled-down, it made sense for most national display teams to change to lighter training types. A few modifications may be needed to enable coloured smoke to be emitted during displays, but essentially these airframes can still perform their pilot training function. In smaller air forces basic trainers, in addition to being used for training, are used to provide air support in

6072-526: The Hongdu JL-8 are being acquired for the attack role in low intensity theatres. Despite their vulnerability, even small numbers of weapons-carrying trainer aircraft may achieve a disproportionate effect due to the element of surprise, especially when the attacked side believes to hold air supremacy. Forces that have used light trainer aircraft to great effect include the Biafran use of MFI-9s and

6210-570: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam use of covertly acquired light aircraft. In high-intensity conflicts, advanced trainer type aircraft can have a military utility if they operate under an umbrella of other aerial assets. For example, the Franco-German Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet had an anti-shipping and light strike role when operating under an air umbrella provided by fighter aircraft, while

6348-617: The Pacific War in December 1941 Wirraways equipped seven RAAF squadrons: Nos 4 , 5 , 12 , 22 , 23 , 24 and 25 . A group of five Wirraways based at Kluang in Malaya for training purposes was pressed into combat against Japanese ground invasion forces; these were generally flown by New Zealanders with Australian observers , and had some successes. As early as 1941, reports on the capabilities of Japanese fighter aircraft fuelled

6486-661: The Pacific War —and the rapid advance of Japanese forces—threatened the Australian mainland for the first time in its history. The RAAF was quite unprepared for the emergency, and initially had negligible forces available for service in the Pacific. In 1941 and early 1942, many RAAF airmen, including Nos. 1, 8, 21 and 453 Squadrons , saw action with the RAF Far East Command in the Malayan , Singapore and Dutch East Indies campaigns . Equipped with aircraft such as

6624-403: The Percival Provost filled a similar role with the RAF. Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) is the principal aerial warfare force of Australia , a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army . Constitutionally the Governor-General of Australia is the de jure Commander-in-Chief of

6762-402: The Vietnam War , from 1964 to 1972, the RAAF contributed Caribou STOL transport aircraft as part of the RAAF Transport Flight Vietnam, later redesignated No. 35 Squadron RAAF , UH-1 Iroquois helicopters from No. 9 Squadron RAAF , and English Electric Canberra bombers from No. 2 Squadron RAAF . The Canberras flew 11,963 bombing sorties , and two aircraft were lost. One went missing during

6900-511: The Western Front throughout the remainder of the First World War. By the end of the war, four squadrons— Nos. 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 —had seen operational service, while another four training squadrons— Nos. 5 , 6 , 7 and 8 —had also been established. A total of 460 officers and 2,234 other ranks served in the AFC, whilst another 200 men served as aircrew in the British flying services. Casualties included 175 dead, 111 wounded, 6 gassed and 40 captured. The Australian Flying Corps remained part of

7038-426: The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) in March 1941, which then became the Women's Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF) in 1951. The service merged with the RAAF in 1977; however, all women in the Australian military were barred from combat-related roles until 1990. Women have been eligible for flying roles in the RAAF since 1987, with the RAAF's first women pilots awarded their "wings" in 1988. In 2016,

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7176-551: The counter-insurgency and airborne forward air control role. Most advanced trainers are capable of carrying and delivering war loads. However, most of these aircraft do not have the counter measures and sensors required to survive alone in a modern high intensity war fighting scenario, for example being vulnerable to MANPADS . However, they may still have a war fighting role in low intensity theatres if operated in conjunction with more capable aircraft. Historically many jet trainers were marketed with specialised attack variants e.g.

7314-403: The invasion of the Japanese mainland , along with some of the RAAF bomber squadrons in Europe, which were to be grouped together with British and Canadian squadrons as part of the proposed Tiger Force . However, the war was brought to a sudden end by the US nuclear attacks on Japan. The RAAF's casualties in the Pacific were around 2,000 killed, wounded or captured. By the time the war ended,

7452-423: The northern hemisphere —although a substantial number remained there until the end of the war. Shortages of fighter and ground attack planes led to the acquisition of US-built Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks and the rapid design and manufacture of the first Australian fighter, the CAC Boomerang . RAAF Kittyhawks came to play a crucial role in the New Guinea and Solomon Islands campaigns, especially in operations like

7590-446: The 1930s, many of the initial aircraft were designed with a dual role, so that when they were obsolete in their combat role they would be used as trainers. By World War II, however, their needs exceeded what could be spared from production and although using a number of purpose built designs such as the Bücker Bü 131 , relied largely on captured aircraft and obsolete combat types. The United States armed forces standardized on three types –

7728-504: The AAC, had used the Army's rank structure. In November 1920 it was decided by the Air Board that the RAAF would adopt the structure adopted by the RAF the previous year. As a result, the RAAF's rank structure came to be: Aircraftman, Leading Aircraftman, Corporal, Sergeant, Flight Sergeant, Warrant Officer, Officer Cadet, Pilot Officer, Flying Officer, Flight Lieutenant, Squadron Leader, Wing Commander, Group Captain, Air Commodore, Air Vice-Marshal, Air Marshal, Air Chief Marshal, and Marshal of

7866-430: The Aborigines of the colony of Victoria , where Wirraway is glossed 'challenge; dare, to defy; incite, to stir up; menace, to threaten'. During the Second World War , the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) deployed a number of Wirraways into combat roles, where they served in a light bomber / ground attack capacity, striking against the advancing forces of the Empire of Japan . While the type had been primarily used as

8004-429: The Army in January 1920, which in turn amalgamated the separate aerial services of both the Army and Navy. It directly continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC), the aviation corps of the Army that fought in the First World War and that was formed on 22 October 1912. During its history, the Royal Australian Air Force has fought in a number of major wars, including the Second World War in Europe and

8142-426: The Australian Defence Force. The Royal Australian Air Force is commanded by the Chief of Air Force (CAF), who is subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF). The CAF is also directly responsible to the Minister for Defence , with the Department of Defence administering the ADF and the Air Force. Formed in March 1921, as the Australian Air Force , through the separation of the Australian Air Corps from

8280-478: The Australian government announced that it had placed an order for 40 Wirraways; it stated at the time that the price involved was competitive with comparative imported aircraft. Ellington's report on the aircraft's suitability was hotly contested, especially by the Australian Air Board , which had been subject to considerable criticism by Ellington; the board defended the Wirraway as being the best available aircraft in its class. During 1937, production licences for

8418-621: The Beaufighter had the speed to outrun them. The RAAF operated a number of Consolidated PBY Catalina as long-range bombers and scouts. The RAAF's heavy bomber force was predominantly made up of 287 B-24 Liberators , equipping seven squadrons, which could bomb Japanese targets as far away as Borneo and the Philippines from airfields in Australia and New Guinea. By late 1945, the RAAF had received or ordered about 500 P-51 Mustangs , for fighter/ground attack purposes. The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation initially assembled US-made Mustangs, but later manufactured most of those used. By mid-1945,

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8556-503: The CA-3; only the CA-16 variant featured substantial design changes; amongst other purposes, several wing modifications had been made to allow for the carriage of a heavier bomb load, along with the addition of dive brakes for dive-bombing. Sets of 'dive bomber' wings (as fitted to the CA-16) were built under the designation of CA-10A (the CA-10 model was a proposed dive-bomber variant that remained unbuilt), and retrofitted to CA-3s, −5s, −7s and −9s; 113 Wirraways were converted. Production of

8694-422: The Caribou arrived there, the Australian government detained the civilians for a short period, and then granted refugee visas to all of them. The Guardian later described A4-140 as "the only RAAF plane ever hijacked", and the incident as "one of the more remarkable stories in Australia's military and immigration history". Military airlifts were conducted for a number of purposes in subsequent decades, such as

8832-408: The Flying Females Mentoring Network. Men and women are required to undergo the same basic fitness tests to become a pilot; however the standards are lower for females. For some roles, the requirement cannot be adjusted for safety reasons. The rank structure of the nascent RAAF was established to ensure that the service remained separate from the Army and Navy. The service's predecessors, the AFC and

8970-463: The Pacific, participated in the Berlin Airlift , Korean War , Malayan Emergency , Indonesia–Malaysia Confrontation , Vietnam War , and more recently, operations in East Timor , the Iraq War and subsequent intervention, and the War in Afghanistan . The RAAF operates the majority of the ADF's fixed wing aircraft, although both the Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy also operate aircraft in various roles. The RAAF provides support across

9108-477: The Persian Gulf and North Arabian Sea in support of Coalition warships and boarding parties, as well as conducting extensive overland flights of Iraq and Afghanistan on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, and supporting counter-piracy operations in Somalia. From 2007 to 2009, a detachment of No. 114 Mobile Control and Reporting Unit RAAF was on active service at Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan . Approximately 75 personnel deployed with

9246-427: The RAAF roundel was proposed, including the Southern Cross , a boomerang , a sprig of wattle , and a red kangaroo . On 2 July 1956, the current version of the roundel was formally adopted. This consists of a white inner circle with a red kangaroo surrounded by a royal blue circle. The kangaroo faces left, except when used on aircraft or vehicles, when the kangaroo should always face forward. Low visibility versions of

9384-411: The RAAF's formation aerobatic display team. They perform around Australia and Southeast Asia, and are part of the RAAF Central Flying School (CFS) based at RAAF Base East Sale , Victoria. The Roulettes operate the Pilatus PC-21 and formations for shows are a group of six aircraft. The pilots learn many formations including loops, rolls, corkscrews and ripple rolls. Most of the performances are done at

9522-441: The RAAF's main operational formation in the Pacific, the First Tactical Air Force (1st TAF), consisted of over 21,000 personnel, while the RAAF as a whole consisted of about 50 squadrons and 6,000 aircraft, of which over 3,000 were operational. The 1st TAF's final campaigns were fought in support of Australian ground forces in Borneo , but had the war continued some of its personnel and equipment would likely have been allocated to

9660-464: The RAAF. In 1922, the colour of the RAAF winter uniform was determined by Air Marshal Sir Richard Williams on a visit to the Geelong Wool Mill. He asked for one dye dip fewer than the RAN blue (three indigo dips rather than four). There was a change to a lighter blue-grey when an all-seasons uniform was introduced in 1972 by Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Colin Hannah. The original colour and style were re-adopted from 1 January 2000 under direction from

9798-425: The RAF planned to use pairs of gun- and AIM-9 Sidewinder -armed Hawk trainers in the point defence role. Each pair of Hawks was to be teamed with a Phantom FGR.2 , in effect using the Phantoms as an Airborne Early Warning and Control system. Although never tested it was believed that the Hawk, combined with AIM-9L and flown by some of the best pilots in the RAF including those from the Red Arrows , would have made

9936-727: The Second World War. About nine percent of the personnel who served under British RAF commands in Europe and the Mediterranean were RAAF personnel. With British manufacturing targeted by the German Luftwaffe , in 1941 the Australian government created the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP; later known as the Government Aircraft Factories ) to supply Commonwealth air forces, and the RAAF

10074-540: The T-44A Pegasus variant of the Beechcraft King Air . Once they have mastered this, they may begin to fly in the right-hand seat of an operational type. Some air forces will seek to use a restricted number of multi-engined aircraft, with the derivatives of a basic aircraft filling different roles so that a pilot qualified on one of its types can easily convert to others in the same family. For example,

10212-741: The Tornado, the operational conversion unit (OCU) aircraft can be created by duplicating flight controls in the rear cockpit. In a normally single-seat aircraft, a second cockpit can be built behind the original cockpit (e.g. the TA-4S variant of the A-4SU Super Skyhawk ) or the cockpit can be extended to place the instructor in a second seat behind the pilot. Once they are qualified to fly a specific type of aircraft, pilots will continue with regular training exercises to maintain qualifications on that aircraft and to improve their skills, for example

10350-940: The UN planes were confronted by North Korean Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 jet fighters, 77 Sqn acquired Gloster Meteors , however the MiGs remained superior and the Meteors were relegated to ground support missions as the North Koreans gained experience. The air force also operated transport aircraft during the conflict. No. 77 Squadron flew 18,872 sorties, claiming the destruction of 3,700 buildings, 1,408 vehicles, 16 bridges, 98 railway carriages and an unknown number of enemy personnel. Three MiG-15s were confirmed destroyed, and two others probably destroyed. RAAF casualties included 41 killed and seven captured; 66 aircraft – 22 Mustangs and 44 Meteors – were lost. In July 1952, No. 78 Wing RAAF

10488-451: The USAF's Red Flag exercises. Deployments of small flights of aircraft together with support staff and equipment to exercises conducted by other nations can be used to develop fighting skills and interservice and inter unit competitions in bombing and gunnery between units can also be used to develop those skills. The two-seat aircraft may itself become the basis of an operational aircraft,

10626-641: The United States began its own training program, using Curtiss JN-4s and Standard J-1s . In Germany, various obsolete two seaters were produced for training purposes, the most numerous being the Albatros C.III . Between the World Wars, purpose built trainers covering a variety of specialties largely replaced obsolete types in the Western armed forces, including aircraft specifically for bombing and gunnery and navigational training. When Germany began rearming in

10764-527: The United States, as well as to support the selection of an aircraft design for local production in Australia. In light of the industrial circumstances, the production of cutting-edge high performance fighter aircraft, such as the Supermarine Spitfire , were viewed as being too ambitious and a potential jeopardy to the whole venture. The government's position focused on the establishment of an industrial base capable of producing aircraft; thus, it

10902-402: The United States. The newly formed company quickly decided that it would initially pursue the development and production of a single-engine armed advanced trainer aircraft, which would likely be a licence-built version of an existing aircraft. An investigation of various European and American-sourced aircraft was conducted to judge candidate designs for suitability. The aircraft selected by CAC

11040-603: The War Cabinet also decided to reject an order for 245 Wirraways that had been received from Britain. In July 1940, at which point the United Kingdom was the sole European nation fighting against German in the war, the Australian Government issued a statement advising that "from this date onward Australia can rely on England for no further supplies of any aircraft materials or equipment of any kind. The CA-5, CA-7, CA-8 and CA-9 models were all broadly similar to

11178-458: The Wasp engines to power the type. During 1940, having observed an excess of Australian capacity, Britain issued an offer to procure any Wirraway airframes that could be produced that had not already been allocated to fulfil RAAF orders, intending to fit US-built Wasp engines to power them. This led to the placing of an initial British order for 245 aircraft, the last of which was to be delivered before

11316-491: The Wirraway achieved its only shoot-down of an enemy aircraft—thought to be a Mitsubishi A6M Zero at the time, but later determined to be a Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa —while flown by Pilot Officer John S. "Jack" Archer. Following the end of the conflict, the Wirraway was operated for over a decade as a trainer by the RAAF, the newly formed RAN Fleet Air Arm , and the squadrons of the Citizen Air Force . During 1957,

11454-499: The Wirraway continued in RAAF service as a trainer at Uranquinty and Point Cook and was taken on strength by the newly formed RAN Fleet Air Arm in 1948. Wirraways also served with the squadrons of the Citizen Air Force (a flying reserve force of the RAAF established in 1948) alongside CAC Mustangs , partially equipping No. 22 (City of Sydney ), No. 23 (City of Brisbane ), No. 24 (City of Adelaide ) and No. 25 (City of Perth ) Squadrons. Duties were not limited to training flights:

11592-490: The Wirraway had come to an end, having been replaced by the newer Boomerang, itself a fighter-orientated derivative of the Wirraway. The majority of front-line squadrons of the RAAF had at least one Wirraway attached to serve as a squadron 'hack', that is, an 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. Post-war

11730-470: The Wirraway had occurred, an official State of Emergency was declared; on 3 September 1939, as the Second World War broke out in Europe, Australia decided to mobilise the entirety of its air force, placing all squadrons on short call for combat operations. However, during the first year of the war, the Wirraway was still being introduced in quantity within many squadrons; this effort was delayed by

11868-649: The ability to anticipate events. Prior to the availability of high performance turboprops, basic training was conducted with jet aircraft such as the BAC Jet Provost , T-37 Tweet , and Fouga Magister . Those candidates who are not suitable to continue training as fast jet pilots may be offered flying commissions and be trained to fly multi-engined aircraft. Those that progress to training for fast jet flying will then progress to an advanced trainer, typically capable of high subsonic speeds, high-energy manoeuvers, and equipped with systems that simulate modern weapons and surveillance. Examples of such jet trainer aircraft include

12006-399: The addition of dive brakes . An all-metal stressed skin construction was used for the tailplane and fin; both sides of the tailplane were interchangeable. The landing gear featured factory-fitted treadless smooth wheels. The Wirraway had a wingspan of 42ft 10.5in (12.8m 26.7cm). The first 9 feet and 6 inches had a straight leading and trailing edge , with a 45 foot long leading edge with

12144-483: The air force used the red, white and blue roundel of the RAF. However, during the Second World War the inner red circle, which was visually similar to the Japanese hinomaru , was removed after a No. 11 Squadron Catalina was mistaken for a Japanese aircraft and attacked by a Grumman Wildcat of VMF-212 of the United States Marine Corps on 27 June 1942. After the war, a range of options for

12282-580: The aircraft cabin and do not require a direct view of the landscape over which the aircraft is flying. The operators of airborne weapons or radar-related systems can be similarly trained, either in training aircraft or in an operational aircraft during training flights. Some jet trainers , such as the Aermacchi MB-339 , Casa C-101 , Folland Gnat , Fouga Magister and British Aerospace Hawk , are used by national formation aerobatic teams. Early jet aerobatic teams tended to use combat types such as

12420-514: The aircraft or as external pods. The trend of programmable electronic systems and datalinks is likely to continue with the possibility that ground-based radar systems and processing systems will allow advanced training aircraft to function as if they truly had onboard radar systems, with the cockpit closely replicating the look and feel of an air force's more capable aircraft for maximum familiarity. Programmable engine management and fly-by-wire flight control systems will allow an aircraft to mimic

12558-459: The backbone of the air war against the CTs, conducting bombing missions against their jungle bases. Although results were often difficult to assess, they allowed the government to harass CT forces, attack their base camps when identified and keep them on the move. Later, in 1958, Canberra bombers from No. 2 Squadron RAAF were deployed to Malaya and took part in bombing missions against the CTs. During

12696-526: The badge is a wedge-tailed eagle . Per Ardua Ad Astra is attributed with the meaning "Through Adversity to the Stars" and is from Sir Henry Rider Haggard's novel The People of the Mist . The "Eagles of Australia" is the official march of the RAAF and is played as a quick march when the RAAF bands perform public duties in the capital. Composed by the RAAF's Director of Music, Squadron Leader Ron Mitchell (who

12834-467: The case of Australia, the nation had no domestic aircraft industry, partially due to a historical preference for the procurement of both civil and military-orientated aircraft to be sourced overseas from manufacturers based in the United Kingdom, which had come about through strong political and cultural ties between the two nations. Around the same time, the Australian government decided to embark upon

12972-528: The design of a wartime " emergency fighter ", which was also developed and manufactured by CAC, known as the Boomerang . During the mid-1930s, some political leaders observed that both the Empire of Japan and Nazi Germany had the appearance of having been making strides towards a heavy preparedness for war, which in turn led to several other countries commencing their own preparations in response. However, in

13110-527: The development and expansion of the RAAF into a fighting force capable of defending the nation against external aggressors, in line with recommendations made by a formal evaluation compiled by Sir John Salmond in 1928. Allegedly, the move in Australia had been heavily influenced by a British decision taken in May 1935 to massively increase the front-line strength of the Royal Air Force (RAF). However, it

13248-491: The development of a domestic aircraft industry within Australia. These factors cumulated in a special conference held by the Australian government at which the first plans for syndicate-operated factories to produce both aircraft and aero engines were formulated. Accordingly, during early 1936, three Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) officers, led by Wing Commander Lawrence Wackett , were sent on an overseas evaluation mission to inspect aircraft production in Europe, Britain, and

13386-511: The end of 1942. During October 1940, this order was expanded to cover 500 aircraft, 300 of which being scheduled for delivery during 1943. While these orders were ultimately unmet due to the implementation of the extensive American-led Lend-Lease arrangement, the British government did finance the procurement of aircraft for Australian use within the Empire Air Training Scheme . Forty CA-1 Wirraways were constructed before

13524-523: The field. In June 1939, in light of the declining situation in Europe and the increasing likelihood of a major conflict, the Chief of the Air staff recommended the expansion of the RAAF to a total of 32 squadrons; of these, preparations for nine general purpose squadrons, which were intended to be equipped with the Wirraway, were immediately put into motion. On 25 August 1939, one month after the first deliveries of

13662-437: The first air-to-air combat between RAAF and Japanese forces. Two weeks later, eight 24 Squadron Wirraways defended the city of Rabaul from over 100 Japanese attacking bombers and fighters, resulting in the destruction or severe damage of all but two of the Australian aircraft. On 12 December 1942, Pilot Officer J. S. Archer shot down a Japanese fighter aircraft (thought at the time to be an Mitsubishi A6M Zero , but found after

13800-555: The first time at Laverton on 3 September of that year, exactly two years before war was declared on Nazi Germany by the United Kingdom and France. During September 1937, the NA-16-2K arrived in Australia and likewise flew shortly afterwards. These aircraft were given the RAAF serials A20-1 and A20-2 within that organisation's numbering system. The NA-16-2K model was the type selected for initial production. The design featured several detail and structural changes, such as provisions for

13938-501: The fitting of a pair of forward-firing guns instead of the NA-16's single gun, and the strengthening of the tail and wings to better facilitate dive-bombing operations. Other modifications included the adoption of a single gun set on a swivelling mount to the rear of the cockpit, along with the installation of cameras and radio sets. On 27 March 1939, the first CA-1 Wirraway, RAAF serial A20-3, performed its maiden flight . This aircraft

14076-819: The flight characteristics of frontline aircraft with actual performance being restricted to a pilot's level of ability, with more power and greater agility becoming available as a pilot's skill improves. Training is now also carried out on ground-based simulators. Early trainers were often sport aircraft or obsolete combat aircraft. The French used a graduated system in which a pilot learned in progressively more capable aircraft, starting with aircraft that had been modified to prevent them from flying – called rouleurs or penguins. Pilots who had mastered ground handling would then graduate to lower powered two seaters, before finishing on obsolete fighters. The supply of obsolete aircraft proved inadequate and production of Caudron G.III , Nieuport 83 and other types specifically for training

14214-415: The fuselage featured fabric covering supported by aluminium alloy frames, while the underside and decking has metal coverings instead. The single- spar wings, which were built in five individual sections, were composed of spaced ribs and a stressed skin. The control surfaces were metal-framed with fabric covering; the split- flap arrangement of early Wirraways were supplemented on later-built aircraft via

14352-560: The improved CA-3 variant entered production. Although there were detail changes to the design, the change in designation had more to do with the next batch of Wirraways being built to a different government contract than any real difference between the two sub-types. During February 1942, the Australian War Cabinet issued its approval for the production of 105 Wirraway interceptors as "reinsurance against [an] inability to obtain fighter aircraft from overseas". Around this time,

14490-443: The job training to pilots who have graduated to this level, and are usually available with little conversion in times of emergency to a reconnaissance or combat role. Most operational conversion aircraft retain the full functionality of the operational version with slight degradations to performance due to increased weight and drag, and possibly reduced range due to a reduced internal fuel load. In some two-seat fighter aircraft such as

14628-515: The last of the RAN's Wirraways was retired, having been replaced by the newer jet-powered de Havilland Vampire ; as the CAC Winjeel came into squadron service, the RAAF phasing out its remaining fleet of Wirraways during the late 1950s. Officially, the last military flight to be performed by the type was conducted on 27 April 1959. Notably, the Wirraway had also functioned as the starting point for

14766-710: The most demanding aircraft. For example, in the Italian Air Force a pilot may begin his service career on the AMX attack aircraft, and as their experience grows, progress to more capable aircraft such as the Tornado IDS . Other air forces, such as Canada, do not do this, and assign first-tour pilots to aircraft such as the CF-18 Hornet . Those pilots who train to fly transports, tankers and other multi-engine aircraft begin with small multi-engine aircraft such as

14904-714: The outbreak of the Second World War, Australia joined the Empire Air Training Scheme , under which flight crews received basic training in Australia before travelling to Canada for advanced training. A total of 17 RAAF bomber, fighter, reconnaissance and other squadrons served initially in Britain and with the Desert Air Force located in North Africa and the Mediterranean . Thousands of Australians also served with other Commonwealth air forces in Europe during

15042-646: The peacekeeping operations in East Timor from 1999. Australia's combat aircraft were not used again in combat until the Iraq War in 2003, when 14 F/A-18s from No. 75 Squadron RAAF operated in the escort and ground attack roles, flying a total of 350 sorties and dropping 122 laser-guided bombs. A detachment of AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft were deployed in the Middle East between 2003 and 2012. These aircraft conducted maritime surveillance patrols over

15180-450: The perception that the Wirraway would be incapable of effectively engaging such aircraft; however, the type was judged to possess some merits in combat despite being considered to be obsolete. Regardless, the type was often put into action against the advancing Japanese forces. On 6 January 1942, Wirraways of No. 24 Squadron attempted to intercept Japanese seaplanes flying over New Britain ; only one managed to engage an enemy aircraft, marking

15318-405: The pilot in front and the instructor behind. The side-by-side seating configuration has the advantage that the pilot and instructor can see each other's actions, allowing the pilot to learn from the instructor and the instructor to correct the student pilot. The tandem configuration has the advantage of being closer to the normal working environment that a fast jet pilot is likely to encounter. It

15456-476: The remaining restrictions on women in frontline combat roles were removed, and the first two female RAAF fast jet fighter pilots graduated in December 2017. Air Force has implemented several programs to assist women who choose a pilot career. Entry to the Graduate Pilot Scheme is open to women who are currently undertaking a Bachelor of Aviation (BAv). Once qualified, women pilots are able to access

15594-642: The roundel exist, with the white omitted and the red and blue replaced with light or dark grey. The RAAF badge was accepted by the Chester Herald in 1939. The badge is composed of the St Edward's Crown mounted on a circle featuring the words Royal Australian Air Force, beneath which scroll work displays the Latin motto Per Ardua Ad Astra , which it shares with the Royal Air Force. Surmounting

15732-597: The second seat being used to create a weapons officer or navigators station in aircraft with originally only a pilot, for example the F-15E Strike Eagle is a development of the F-15D which is a two-seat training version of the F-15 Eagle . In some air forces that have a mix of high- and low-performance aircraft, pilots can be first be assigned to aircraft with a lower level of performance before moving on to

15870-679: The southern Philippines in response to the Marawi crisis . In 2021, the Royal Australian Air Force commemorated its 100th anniversary. Later that year, on 29 November, the Hornet was officially retired from RAAF service, with a ceremony to mark the occasion taking place that day at RAAF Base Williamtown. In January 2022, two RAAF P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and one C-130J Hercules departed RAAF Amberley and Richmond to conduct aerial reconnaissance of Tonga in

16008-878: The supersonic Northrop T-38 Talon , Boeing–Saab T-7 Red Hawk , the BAE Hawk , the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet , the Aero L-39 and Aero L-159 , the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master , the KAI T-50 Golden Eagle , the Guizhou JL-9 and the Yakovlev Yak-130 . Effective combat aircraft are a function now of electronics as much as, if not more so than, the aerobatic ability or speed of an aircraft. It

16146-590: The then CAF Air Marshal Errol McCormack. Slip-on rank epaulettes , known as "Soft Rank Insignia" (SRI), displaying the word "AUSTRALIA" are worn on the shoulders of the service dress uniform. When not in the service dress or "ceremonial" uniform, RAAF personnel wear the General Purpose Uniform (GPU) as a working dress, which is a blue version of the Australian Multicam Camouflage Uniform . Originally,

16284-631: The time were unable to meet Australian requirements, in addition to British production demands, the Australian government established the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in 1936 and purchased some American aircraft. In September 1939, the Australian Air Board directly controlled the Air Force via RAAF Station Laverton , RAAF Station Richmond , RAAF Station Pearce , No. 1 Flying Training School RAAF at Point Cook, RAAF Station Rathmines and five smaller units. In 1939, just after

16422-435: The type continued even after the end of the Second World War. In July 1946, CA-16 A20-757, the last aircraft to be built of a total of 755 Wirraways, was delivered to the RAAF. The CAC Wirraway was a training and general purpose military aircraft. The fuselage comprised a welded framework composed of chromium steel , which was constructed from four separately produced sections bolted together during final assembly. The sides of

16560-493: The type should only serve temporarily in combat roles, and that the choice should be delayed to await the testing of a suitable British aircraft for the mission. Nevertheless, the proposal of producing a modified variant of the NA-16, known as the Wirraway , received official approval. During 1937, CAC was informed to prepare for the production of an initial batch of 40 aircraft, if the type proved satisfactory. In late June 1938,

16698-484: The type were obtained from North American Aviation along with an accompanying arrangement to domestically produce the Wirraway's Wasp engine from Pratt & Whitney. Additionally, a pair of NA-16s were purchased directly from North American to act as prototypes. The first of these two aircraft was the fixed undercarriage NA-16-1A (similar in design to the BT-9 ); the second was the retractable undercarriage NA-16-2K (similar to

16836-412: The wake of the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai eruption and tsunami . According to Australian Defence News, the flights were to "help determine the extent of the damage [to Tongan infrastructure]… and inform future disaster support requests." In October 2023, the Australian Government announced that, in addition to a further round of A$ 31.6 million for military assistance for Ukraine, it would be sending

16974-419: The war to be a Ki-43 Hayabusa ) after having spotted it around 1000 feet (about 300 metres) below him and dived on it, opening fire and sending the aircraft hurtling into the sea. This was the only occasion that a Wirraway shot down another aircraft (making it more successful than its fighter offspring, the Boomerang ). In response to a request by Sir Thomas Blamey for an army cooperation squadron operating

17112-422: The war, they accounted for almost twenty percent of those killed in action. This statistic is further illustrated by the fact that No. 460 Squadron RAAF , mostly flying Avro Lancasters , had an official establishment of about 200 aircrew and yet had 1,018 combat deaths. The squadron was therefore effectively wiped out five times over. Total RAAF casualties in Europe were 5,488 killed or missing. The beginning of

17250-555: Was also director of the Air Force Band ), it was officially adopted as the RAAF's new march music on 23 March 1983, replacing the Royal Air Force March Past , which had long been the RAAF's march as well as the marchpast of other Commonwealth air forces. Subsequently, journalist Frank Cranston wrote lyrics to the march and a musical score was produced by September of the following year. The Roulettes are

17388-497: Was asked of the type during wartime, the two aircraft proved to be inadequate for the task and both were de-registered on 10 April 1956 and later scrapped. Despite the scrapping of these two aircraft and hundreds of others, a healthy number of Wirraways survive today, in aviation museums in Australia, Papua New Guinea and in the United States; and with 10 on the Australian civil aircraft register in 2011; either flying or under restoration to fly as warbirds . A Wirraway being operated as

17526-656: Was attractive to pursue local production of. On 17 October 1936, with the encouragement of the Government of Australia, three companies came together to form a joint venture, registered as the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC), which had the initial goal of assessing the viability for developing a self-sufficient aircraft industry in the nation. Early on, CAC set about planning for the establishment of both engine and aircraft manufacturing and testing facilities at Fishermans Bend , Melbourne , Victoria , purchasing tooling and equipment from manufacturers in both Britain and

17664-574: Was deployed to Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates as part of the coalition to combat Islamic State forces in Iraq. Operations began on 1 October. A number of C-17 and C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft based in the Middle East have also been used to conduct airdrops of humanitarian aid and to airlift arms and munitions since August. In June 2017, two RAAF AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft were deployed to

17802-482: Was deployed to Malta in the Mediterranean where it formed part of a British force which sought to counter the Soviet Union's influence in the Middle East as part of Australia's Cold War commitments. Consisting of No. 75 and 76 Squadrons equipped with de Havilland Vampire jet fighters, the wing provided an air garrison for the island for the next two and half years, returning to Australia in late 1954. In 1953,

17940-432: Was determined that the first aircraft to be domestically manufactured should be a reliable and established general purpose aircraft, while a long-term goal of proceeding to locally produce high-performance fighters would take around five years to attain. The question of what specific aircraft should be manufactured was a more complex question, as it was quickly recognised that there was no existing aircraft in RAAF service that

18078-596: Was eventually provided with large numbers of locally built versions of British designs such as the DAP Beaufort torpedo bomber , Beaufighters and Mosquitos, as well as other types such as Wirraways, Boomerangs, and Mustangs. In the European theatre of the war, RAAF personnel were especially notable in RAF Bomber Command : although they represented just two percent of all Australian enlistments during

18216-557: Was formed on 31 March 1921. King George V approved the prefix "Royal" in May 1921 and became effective on 13 August 1921. The RAAF then became the second Royal air arm to be formed in the British Commonwealth , following the British Royal Air Force . When formed the RAAF had more aircraft than personnel, with 21 officers and 128 other ranks and 153 aircraft. As British aircraft manufacturers at

18354-424: Was lost during naval service on 18 June 1953 following an engine failure after taking off at Nowra; the pilot survived. The RAN retired its Wirraways in 1957, replacing them with de Havilland Vampires . After CAC Winjeels started to enter service, the RAAF commenced phasing out its Wirraways on 4 December 1958 with a farewell flypast held at Point Cook to mark its retirement from that base. The last military flight

18492-416: Was on 27 April 1959 when CA-16 A20-686 was flown to Tocumwal for disposal. In 1954, Super Spread Aviation, based at Moorabbin Airport , bought two CA-16 Wirraways and modified them to perform aerial application operations. Both were almost brand-new, one having flown 9 hours and the other 12 hours; the modifications included the fitment of a hopper and spraying equipment. In a reflection of much of what

18630-459: Was recognised that, while Britain had traditionally been the main source of aircraft for Australia, comprising around 50 per cent of all operational aircraft at one point, British industry was already coming under strain to meet the demands for the RAF (a planned front line strength of 1,500 aircraft by 1930), let alone satisfying major orders from other nations. Coincidentally, figures such as the industrialist Essington Lewis had taken an interest in

18768-421: Was subsequently retained by CAC for evaluation and trials for a number of months; on 10 July 1939, the first pair of Wirraways to be delivered to the RAAF, serials A20-4 and A20-5, were received by the service. By the outbreak of the Second World War , the RAAF had received a total of six Wirraways. Early on, it became clear that CAC's rate of manufacture of the airframes outstripped Australian capacity to produce

18906-492: Was the North American Aviation (NAA) NA-16, upon the recommendation of Lawrence Wackett . The selection was heavily fuelled by the relatively low level of difficulty involved in the manufacture of both the airframe and its Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial engine . The application for the NA-16 was often viewed as being suitable for the trainer aircraft role, but that it could also play some role as

19044-649: Was undertaken. In the United Kingdom, a different training system was used, although it too started out with obsolete aircraft before the Avro 504 and Airco DH.6 became the primary trainers, supplemented until the end of the First World War with obsolete combat aircraft for advanced training. To train the many potential aviators coming from Canada and the US, the Royal Flying Corps Canada was set up, operating Curtiss JN-4 (Can) trainers until

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