Saturday 10 February 2018

CAC CA-11 Woomera

After the first tests of the initial CA-4 Woomera on 19th September 1941, it was seen that the fuel tanks weren't reliable, and its wooden structure was seen as a vulnerability to anti-air fire (something not certainly completely true as proved by the Mosquito). Engines were considered too weak and it was decided to replace them with two 14-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S3C3-G manufactured locally under license by DAP (Department of Aircraft Production), the tail section was completely redesigned, and engine nacelles were more streamlined, keeping the characteristic nacelles guns, a lengthened canopy and a revised rear-gunner's station.
 It wasn't until June 1944 that this version went airborne, powered by Pratt & Whitney R-2000 Twin wasp engines rated each of them at 1300hp of power and a crew of three. Reported maximum speed was 282mph (454km/h) with a range of 2225 miles (3581 Km). Service ceiling was 23500ft (7163m) with a rate-of-climb of 2090ft (637m) per minute. Main armament was slighlty revised from the CA-4 and included two 0.303in calibre Browning machine guns and two 20mm Hispano Mk.II cannons in the nose. The four-gun remote controlled turret barbettes with two 0.303in were kept and it had provision for bomb and torpedo ordnance to be mounted under the wings or in the engine nacelles as they had bomb-bays.
The CA-11 prototype was delivered to the RAAF in November 1944, but, at that time, surplus aircraft both from the USA and the United Kingdom were largely available for the RAAF negating therefore the need for a locally built aircraft in that role. The original government contract of 105 aircrafts was reduced to 20 and eventually cancelled, finishing with the project. The roles that would've been fullfiled by the Woomera were undertaken by the North American P-51 Mustang which could fullfil many roles, the Bristol Beaufort (some of them locally built by DAP) or the Lockheed Ventura.
Some sources claim that it was the second prototype that crashed and not the first one, and they even claim that, in March 1945 the second prototype took part in a reconnaissance version together with some Australian Consolidated Liberator GR Mk.VIII at the northern shore of Australia and it was written off in September 1945 just after the surrender of Japan.
Apparently the only prototype was scrapped in late 1945.










Sources:
1. https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=848
2. http://www.avionslegendaires.net/avion-militaire/commonwealth-ca-4-ca-11-woomera/ (translated)
3. http://forum.worldofwarplanes.com/index.php?/topic/1291-ca-11-woomera-bomber-cac-ca-4ca-11/
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAC_Woomera
5. https://www.airforce.gov.au/sites/g/files/net3736/f/minisite/static/1469/RAAFmuseum/research/aircraft/series2/A23.htm

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