CAC Mustang

Last updated
CA-17/CA-18/CA-21 Mustang
Commonwealth CA-18 Mustang 21 (P-51D) AN0802074.jpg
CA-18 Mustang Mk 21 in 2005
Role Fighter
National originAustralia
Manufacturer Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
First flight29 April 1945
Introduction4 June 1945
Retired1959 (Citizen Air Force)
Primary user Royal Australian Air Force
Number built200 [1]
Developed from North American P-51 Mustang

The CAC Mustang is an Australian variant of the North American P-51 Mustang. It was built under license by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in the final stages of World War II, and though it was too late to see combat, it did participate in the Occupation of Japan after VJ-Day.

Contents

Design and development

Background

At the beginning of 1942, as it faced the prospect of numerous Japanese air raids, the Australian War Cabinet found it impossible to obtain sufficient numbers of operational, up-to-date fighter aircraft, in any form. At CAC, a light-weight "emergency fighter", which could be built quickly from scratch in Australia, was designed and a prototype built. As the CAC CA-13 Boomerang, it first flew in May 1942, and was rushed into full production.

It was acknowledged from the outset that the CA-13 was compromised by the only, low-powered engines then being manufactured in Australia. While Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks were slowly becoming available to the RAAF, CAC became actively involved in three parallel solutions: upgrading the Boomerang when better engines became available (as the CA-14 and CA-19); local assembly, from components made elsewhere, of an already-proven fighter, and; development of an all-new replacement, with a full-sized airframe that was capable of mounting the largest class of aircraft engines then available (a project that later resulted in the CAC CA-15).

Local assembly of the P-51D (CA-17; Mk 20)

Plans to assemble a proven fighter locally began to bear fruit in December 1942, the War Cabinet began to make arrangements with North American Aviation (NAA) for CAC to assemble the P-51 Mustang. These arrangements were finalized in November 1943, with CAC scheduled to build 690 P-51Ds, from kits made in the United States by NAA. [2] (As it awaited arrival of the kits, CAC privately continued work on the CA-15, as a possible back-up or even replacement for, the Mustang. However, the US-built radial engines intended for the CA-15 became unavailable, also hampering that project.)

Only 100 unassembled P-51s were ever delivered, and four reportedly had the "razorback" style canopy of the P-51B/C variant. In either late 1944 or early 1945, assembly of 80 of the P-51D kits commenced, under the designation CA-17 Mustang Mk 20 with Packard V-1710-3 Merlin engines, with the remainder being used for spare parts. [2] [3] [4] The end of the war led to cancellation of the remainder of the kits ordered from NAA.

Local manufacturing of the CA-18 Mustang (Mk 21–23)

In late 1946, CAC received a contract to build 170 (later reduced to 120) Mustangs locally from scratch. These aircraft carried the new designation CA-18.

Additional orders for the CA-18, as well as 250 two-seat variants, designated CA-21, were canceled in favor of further, US-built P-51D and P-51K variants. [5]

Operational history

The first production CA-17 Mustang Mk 20, serial number A68-01 (not to be confused with the US-built prototype A68-1001), made its first flight on 29 April 1945 from Fishermans Bend. [5] [6] The aircraft was handed over to the RAAF on 4 June 1945 and was tested by the No. 1 Aircraft Performance Unit. Trials ended in October 1946, and the aircraft was placed in storage until 1953. [5] Only 17 CA-17s were delivered to the RAAF by VJ-Day. [2]

The first operational units to receive the CAC Mustang were No. 84 and No. 86 Squadron. [2] Additional squadrons equipped with Mustangs (both American and locally-built) were No. 3, No. 4, No. 76, No. 77, and No. 82 Squadron as well as No. 21, No. 22, No. 23, No. 24, and No. 25 Squadron of the Citizen Air Force. The RAAF replaced its last Mustangs with de Havilland Vampires in 1959, while the last Mustang-equipped Citizen Air Force squadron, No. 24, retained its Mustangs until the CAF was disbanded in 1960. [2]

Variants

CA-17 Mustang Mk 20
Aircraft built from kits supplied by NAA with V-1710-3 engines. 80 built. [4]
CA-18 Mustang Mk 21
Locally-built aircraft with V-1710-7 engines. 40 built. [4]
CA-18 Mustang Mk 22
Reconnaissance variant with F24 cameras. 14 newly built aircraft and 14 converted from Mk 21s. [4]
CA-18 Mustang Mk 23
Variant with British Merlin 66 or 70 engines. 66 built. [4]
CA-21 Mustang Mk 24
Two-seat variant of the CA-18. 250 ordered but not built. [5]
Dart Mustang
Civilian modification of a CA-18 Mustang with a Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engine. 1 modified from a Mustang Mk 22 but never flown in this configuration. [1]

Surviving aircraft

Australia
United Kingdom
United States

Replica

A full-scale replica of a CA-18 Mustang Mk 23 is located at the Queensland Air Museum at the Caloundra Airport. Construction of the replica began in May 2005 and was placed on static display on 27 December 2008. It carries the fictitious serial number A68-201, continuing the original sequence which ended with A68-200. [23]

Accidents and incidents

Specifications (CA-18 Mustang Mk 21)

P-51D/CA-18 Mustang North American P-51D EG-0068-01.svg
P-51D/CA-18 Mustang

Data from [5]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American P-51 Mustang</span> American WWII-era fighter aircraft

The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James H. Kindelberger of North American Aviation (NAA) in response to a requirement of the British Purchasing Commission. The commission approached NAA to build Curtiss P-40 fighters under license for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Rather than build an old design from another company, NAA proposed the design and production of a more modern fighter. The prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out on 9 September 1940, 102 days after the contract was signed, and first flew on 26 October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CAC Boomerang</span> Australian fighter aircraft produced by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation

The CAC Boomerang is a fighter aircraft designed and manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1942 and 1945. Approved for production shortly following the Empire of Japan's entry into the Second World War, the Boomerang was rapidly designed as to meet the urgent demands for fighter aircraft to equip the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It was the first combat aircraft designed and constructed in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warbird</span> Vintage military aircraft operated by non military forces

A warbird is any vintage military aircraft now operated by civilian organizations and individuals, or in some instances, by historic arms of military forces, such as the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the RAAF Museum Historic Flight, or the South African Air Force Museum Historic Flight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CAC CA-15</span> Australian World War II era prototype fighter aircraft

The CAC CA-15, also known unofficially as the CAC Kangaroo, was an Australian propeller-driven fighter aircraft designed by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) during World War II. Due to protracted development, the project was not completed until after the war, and was cancelled after flight testing, when the advent of jet aircraft was imminent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CAC Wirraway</span> 1937 Australian trainer aircraft

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation</span>

The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) was an Australian aircraft manufacturer. The CAC was established in 1936, to provide Australia with the capability to produce military aircraft and engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CAC Wackett</span> Training airplane CAC

The CAC Wackett Trainer was the first aircraft type designed in-house by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation of Australia. The name was derived from its designer Lawrence Wackett. "In acknowledgement of the CAC Manager's enormous contribution, the RAAF were to call the aircraft the Wackett Trainer"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CAC Sabre</span> Australian variant of the North American F-86F Sabre jet using Rolls-Royce engines

The CAC Sabre, sometimes known as the Avon Sabre or CA-27, is an Australian variant of the North American Aviation F-86F Sabre fighter aircraft. The F-86F was redesigned and built by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC). Equipping five RAAF squadrons, the type saw action in the Malayan Emergency in the late 1950s, and was employed for air defence in Malaysia and Thailand in the 1960s. Ex-RAAF models also saw service with the Royal Malaysian Air Force and the Indonesian Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American P-51 Mustang variants</span>

Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts.

<i>Voodoo</i> (aircraft) Racing aircraft

Voodoo is a highly modified North American P-51 Mustang that was the 2013, 2014 and 2016 Unlimited-class champion of the Reno Air Races. The pilot for these wins was Steven Hinton, Jr of Chino, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champaign Aviation Museum</span> Aviation museum in Ohio, United States

The Champaign Aviation Museum is an aviation museum in Urbana, Ohio. It is situated on the north end of Grimes Field municipal airport, roughly a mile from central Urbana. The museum is known primarily for its ongoing restoration of a B-17 Flying Fortress to flying condition. It is also a component of the National Aviation Heritage Area, a federally designated heritage area primarily centered around sites pertaining to the Wright brothers.

This is a partial list of accidents and incidents involving the North American P-51 Mustang and its variants. Combat losses are not included except for a very few cases denoted by singular circumstances. Accidents involving Mustang replicas are not included unless they are faithful to the original design and/or built using original parts.

<i>Precious Metal</i> (aircraft) Custom racing aircraft

Precious Metal is a custom-built racing aircraft based on the North American P-51 Mustang.

<i>Miss Ashley II</i> Custom racing aircraft

Miss Ashley II was a custom-built racing aircraft based on the North American P-51 Mustang.

Lewis Air Legends is an organization located in San Antonio, Texas focused on historic aviation.

References

  1. 1 2 "ADF Serials - Mustang". www.adf-serials.com.au. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "P-51D/K In Foreign Service". www.joebaugher.com. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  3. ↑ "P-51 Mustang Variants - P-51D - MustangsMustangs.com". www.mustangsmustangs.com. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Anderson 1975, p. 3.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "A68 Mustang". RAAF Museum. Archived from the original on 2021-10-03. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  6. ↑ "A68 Mustang Mk 20, 21, 22 Fighter" (PDF). Boeing . Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-05-10. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". www.warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  8. ↑ "P-51 Mustang Survivors - MustangsMustangs.com". www.mustangsmustangs.net. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  9. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". www.warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  10. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". www.warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  11. ↑ PacificWrecks.com. "Pacific Wrecks - CA-18 Mark 21 Mustang Serial Number A68-110 Registration VH-MFT". pacificwrecks.com. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  12. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". www.warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  13. ↑ "P-51 Mustang Survivors - MustangsMustangs.com". www.mustangsmustangs.net. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  14. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". www.warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  15. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". www.warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  16. ↑ "P-51 Mustang Survivors - MustangsMustangs.com". www.mustangsmustangs.net. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  17. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". www.warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  18. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". www.warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  19. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". www.warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  20. ↑ "P-51 Mustang Survivors – A68-175 N51DT "Slender Tender Tall"". Archived from the original on 2021-01-23. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  21. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". www.warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  22. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". www.warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  23. ↑ "CAC CA-18 MUSTANG MK.23 "A68-201" REPLICA". qam.com.au. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
  24. 1 2 "ADF Serials - Mustang". www.adf-serials.com.au. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  25. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  26. ↑ "The Age - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  27. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  28. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  29. 1 2 "P-51 Mustang Survivors - MustangsMustangs.com". www.mustangsmustangs.com. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
  30. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  31. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  32. ↑ "Warbird Registry - North American Aviation P-51 Mustang - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  33. ↑ "P-51 Mustang Survivors - MustangsMustangs.com". www.mustangsmustangs.com. Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  34. ↑ "Douglas A-1 Skyraider Registry - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". www.warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2020-07-05.

Bibliography

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