Australia: Wirraway



In April 1938, CAC obtained a license from the US company North-American to produce the two-seater trainer NA-16. On March 27th 1939, the first production model of the CA-1 came off the stocks at CAC. The aircraft was called the Wirraway, which means "Challenger" and is a word adopted from one (or more) of the he numerous languages of First Nations peoples in Australia. The aircraft was designated Mk.1. The Wirraway was fitted with a nine-cylinder radial air-cooled Pratt & Whitney R-1340 S1H1-G Wasp engine, rated at 600 h.p. at an altitude of 7000 feet (2135 m), and a three-bladed propeller.

The total output of Wirraways throughout the war was 757 aircraft, a record for Australia. Throughout 1942, Wirraways had to fight hard battles all along the front from the New Britain islands to the eastern tip of New Guinea.