The Commonwealth Boomerang (also known as the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation - or "CAC" - Boomerang) was of completely Australian indigenous design. Based on the CAC Wirraway, which in turn was spawned from the American NA-16 trainer aircraft produced by North American, the Boomerang was developed in direct response to the impending Japanese invasion of the Australian homeland. As with other facets of Australian war-production, aviation design was hardly given attention to prior to the war. With the advancements by by Imperial Japan throughout Asia and the Pacific, Australian soil was now deemed in the crosshairs of the mighty army and naval forces for the inevitable takeover of the British Commonwealth territory.
The Boomerang was of a utilitarian and traditional design, appearing much like the early stout monoplanes featured in the latter half of the 1930's in the United States. Wings - which were taken directly from the Wirraway design - were forward and low-mounted on the fuselage which was of an all new design. Additionally, the empennage and the retractable landing gear system were also of the preceding designs creation leading to a conversion model of sorts in the Boomerang. The pilot sat behind the powerplant in a framed canopy cockpit. Armament consisted of 2 x 20mm cannons in the wings and an array of 4 x 7.7mm machine guns in the wings.
With aircraft development hitting full stride in England and the United States, the Pratt & Whitney brand Twin Wasp series engine was deemed too underpowered for the new designs. As such, a surplus of the type was made available for use in Australia and was promptly set into the Boomerang fuselage. The resulting mating of power and design produced an aircraft capable of just over 300 miles per hour, a ceiling of 34,000 feet and a range of 1,600 miles on the 1,200 horsepower radial piston engine. From design to flying prototype, the CAC team created the Boomerang in an impressive three months of development.
At first glance, the statistics could appear quite pedestrian considering the type would be fighting against the powerful Nakajima, Aichi and Mitsubishi designs of the Pacific but the Boomerang surprisingly faired quite well in the theater - for the short time it was given. Factors leading to its success were directly tied to the systems ability to withstand punishment, deliver a formidable arsenal on its target through its combination machine gun/cannon armament and turn alongside the best the Japanese could field. As quickly as the Boomerang arrived into frontline service, it quickly gave way to the more capable American designs coming off the assembly line at record pace. Once surplus resources had been built up in the United States, England, Canada and Australia were quickly fielding the capable and available American designs en mass. Nevertheless, the symbol that was the Boomerang would long remain the symbol of a nation with a proud effort in designing producing a wartime fighter when it needed one most.
The Boomerang was of a utilitarian and traditional design, appearing much like the early stout monoplanes featured in the latter half of the 1930's in the United States. Wings - which were taken directly from the Wirraway design - were forward and low-mounted on the fuselage which was of an all new design. Additionally, the empennage and the retractable landing gear system were also of the preceding designs creation leading to a conversion model of sorts in the Boomerang. The pilot sat behind the powerplant in a framed canopy cockpit. Armament consisted of 2 x 20mm cannons in the wings and an array of 4 x 7.7mm machine guns in the wings.
With aircraft development hitting full stride in England and the United States, the Pratt & Whitney brand Twin Wasp series engine was deemed too underpowered for the new designs. As such, a surplus of the type was made available for use in Australia and was promptly set into the Boomerang fuselage. The resulting mating of power and design produced an aircraft capable of just over 300 miles per hour, a ceiling of 34,000 feet and a range of 1,600 miles on the 1,200 horsepower radial piston engine. From design to flying prototype, the CAC team created the Boomerang in an impressive three months of development.
At first glance, the statistics could appear quite pedestrian considering the type would be fighting against the powerful Nakajima, Aichi and Mitsubishi designs of the Pacific but the Boomerang surprisingly faired quite well in the theater - for the short time it was given. Factors leading to its success were directly tied to the systems ability to withstand punishment, deliver a formidable arsenal on its target through its combination machine gun/cannon armament and turn alongside the best the Japanese could field. As quickly as the Boomerang arrived into frontline service, it quickly gave way to the more capable American designs coming off the assembly line at record pace. Once surplus resources had been built up in the United States, England, Canada and Australia were quickly fielding the capable and available American designs en mass. Nevertheless, the symbol that was the Boomerang would long remain the symbol of a nation with a proud effort in designing producing a wartime fighter when it needed one most.
