CA 15

[helmitsmit]

An Australian griffon-powered mustang! Sound great! All I know is that it did 502mph! Any info at all would be greatly received!

I am also interested in the Rolls Royce Dart turboprop powered P51 how much better was it to the merlin powered versions? Also did the spitfire ever get tried with a Dart turboprop?

 

[Wildcat]

Design work on the CAC CA-15 first began in 1943 with the intention that the a/c was going to be powered by a Pratt and Whitney R-2800 radial engine, however it was announced that these engines would not be made available so CAC therefore decided on the Rolls Royce Griffon.
The CA-15 first flew in March 1946 and was handed over to the RAAF in June 46. It was damaged in a wheels up landing in Dec 46 and did not fly for a further 18 months. After this it was used in a very limited flying programme before being scrapped in 1950.
The 502mph was achieved in May 48 but only through a 4000ft dive, not in level flight. Although the Ca-15 resembles a Mustang it is infact a completely different design. It's unofficial name was the Kangaroo.
Some figures:-
Weights
Max overload 12 340lbs
normal loaded 10 764lbs
empty 7 540lbs

Armament
6x .50 machine guns in wings with 250 rounds each.
provision for 10 rocket projectiles
or 2x 1000lb bombs under wings.

Performance
Max speed at sea level 368mph
at 25 600ft 442mph
at 26 400ft 448mph
at 30 000ft 439mph
at 32 000ft 432mph

Initial climb 3 650ft/min
max climb 4 990ft/min
climb at 30 000ft 2 250ft/min
time to 20 000ft 5.5 minutes
service ceiling 39 000ft
range wing tanks only 1 150miles
max range + drop tanks 2 540miles

 

[R-2800]

I belive they had a P-51 like that in air racing once

 

[helmitsmit]

Performance
Max speed at sea level 368mph
at 25 600ft 442mph
at 26 400ft 448mph
at 30 000ft 439mph
at 32 000ft 432mph

Initial climb 3 650ft/min
max climb 4 990ft/min
climb at 30 000ft 2 250ft/min
time to 20 000ft 5.5 minutes
service ceiling 39 000ft


Those stats sound similar to the Spitfire mk XIV's apart from service ceiling!

What about the Dart Mustangs???

 

[Bullo Loris]

This plane is the pre P-51 Mustang?.

Bullo Loris

 

[helmitsmit]

no it was an Australian development of the P51D but with a redesigned fusalage and a new more powerful (larger) engine.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

taller cockpit too which makes it look even more odd...............

 

[Gnomey]

Yeah, it doesn't look quite right. Still she wouldn't of been a bad aircraft had she gone into service.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

what would the Aussies really do with her by this point though?

 

[Gnomey]

Similar things to the British did with the Sea Fury etc I would think.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

put them on their carriers

 

[Gnomey]

Well no but the uses would still be the same just without the carrier bit.

 

[Wildcat]

no it was an Australian development of the P51D but with a redesigned fusalage and a new more powerful (larger) engine.

Just to clarify, this aircraft is NOT a modified P-51. It was a completely new design that looked similar. The original plan was to have the CA-15 powered by a P&W R2800 radial engine which gave the a/c a completely different appearance. But, as I stated, these engines were not available so CAC went for the Griffon giving it it's "mustang" look.

what would the Aussies really do with her by this point though?

Nothing. It was obviously too late to see any WWII service and was made obsolete by new jet a/c. It wasn't put into production because CAC (Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation) was already building Mustangs for the RAAF so the Govt. felt there was no need for this a/c.

 

[red admiral]

CAC-15 with R-2800 and RR Griffon

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

man alive look at the air intake and duct with the R-2800.............

 

[Gnomey]

It looks worse with an R-2800... Downright ugly.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

a bit like the Gannet in a way..........

 

[Gnomey]

Yeah a little bit (it isn't an attractive aircraft either).

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

no i must agree with you on that one, impressively large though!

 

[helmitsmit]

Just to clarify, this aircraft is NOT a modified P-51. It was a completely new design that looked similar. The original plan was to have the CA-15 powered by a P&W R2800 radial engine which gave the a/c a completely different appearance. But, as I stated, these engines were not available so CAC went for the Griffon giving it it's "mustang" look.


Nothing. It was obviously too late to see any WWII service and was made obsolete by new jet a/c. It wasn't put into production because CAC (Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation) was already building Mustangs for the RAAF so the Govt. felt there was no need for this a/c.

I didn't think the R2800 was relevent as they didn't have any engines.

The CA15 used pieces from a Mustang (hence a similarity), like tyres and the wings. Because I think the CA 15 had the Lamina-flow wing