CAC
Boomerang
The only aircraft that was completely designed, built
and operated exclusively in Australia during WWII. The Boomerang
was not an exceptional fighter, it spent most of it's career as
a ground support aircraft. Boomerangs were the only plane available
to the RAAF at the beginning of the war, but were quickly replaced
with Spitfires from Britain and P-40
the USA.
When the war in the Pacific began, the only real fighters the RAAF had was a
small numbers of the Brewster Buffalo. To overcome this shortfall and the possibility
the Australia could not get fighters from overseas design work was started on
the CA-12 Boomerang. Using parts from the CA Wirraway
the Boomerang was designed and built in only three months. 105 airframes build
during 1942-3.
Later Versions
In 1943
a second batch of 95 improved CA-13 Boomerang mk II's were built. The most obvious
change was the addition of two 20mm cannon. Later versions had the CA-14 had a
turbocharger to improve high altitude performance and the CA-14A had square tail
feathers. Neither were produced in quantity because of the availability of the
Spitfire mk.VIII. The final version was the CA-19 Boomerang mk.II with minor modifications
over the CA-13. Only 49 CA-19's were built.