Jump to content

User:Derekbu: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Derekbu (talk | contribs)
244 edits
Derekbu (talk | contribs)
244 edits
Line 51: Line 51:
The Warrigal (an [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal]] word meaning "wild" or "untamed") I aircraft was designed to meet Air Board specification AC34 for an advanced training aircraft suitable to replace the ageing RAAF [[Avro_504|Avro 504K]] fleet. The aircraft was not only required to carry out flight training, but also training in aerial combat, bombing, wireless communication, aerial photography and observation. A mock-up was completed in February 1926 and construction was commenced shortly after. Wackett expected that construction would take around 6 months. However work on the [[Wackett Widgeon|Widgeon II]] and spare parts for RAAF No. 1 Air Depot delayed completion until mid-September in 1928. A further two-month delay ensued when it was discovered that the centre of gravity was not as designed and several items of equipment needed to be relocated to obtain the correct balance.<ref>Meggs 2009, p295</ref>
The Warrigal (an [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal]] word meaning "wild" or "untamed") I aircraft was designed to meet Air Board specification AC34 for an advanced training aircraft suitable to replace the ageing RAAF [[Avro_504|Avro 504K]] fleet. The aircraft was not only required to carry out flight training, but also training in aerial combat, bombing, wireless communication, aerial photography and observation. A mock-up was completed in February 1926 and construction was commenced shortly after. Wackett expected that construction would take around 6 months. However work on the [[Wackett Widgeon|Widgeon II]] and spare parts for RAAF No. 1 Air Depot delayed completion until mid-September in 1928. A further two-month delay ensued when it was discovered that the centre of gravity was not as designed and several items of equipment needed to be relocated to obtain the correct balance.<ref>Meggs 2009, p295</ref>
Wackett made the first flight in the Warrigal I on 4 December 1928 at RAAF Richmond.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16514578 |title=THE "WARRIGAL" - SUCCESSFUL TESTS". |newspaper=[[Sydney_morning_herald|The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)]] |location=NSW |date=5 December 1928 |accessdate=18 November 2011 |page=15 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
Wackett made the first flight in the Warrigal I on 4 December 1928 at RAAF Richmond.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16514578 |title=THE "WARRIGAL" - SUCCESSFUL TESTS". |newspaper=[[Sydney_morning_herald|The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)]] |location=NSW |date=5 December 1928 |accessdate=18 November 2011 |page=15 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
A series of extensive trials covering all the intended roles was carried out by [[No. 1 Flying Training School RAAF|No. 1 Flying Training School]]. These showed that performance was lower than the designer's figures, and while it met many of the requirements in specification AC34 the Warrigal I had handling problems which made it unsuitable for use as a trainer. Wackett was dismissive of the final report on the trials, claiming that the results were qualitative only, lacking a "recognised or rational system of observation or measurement". He claimed that the improved Warrigal II design would resolve issues raised in the report.<ref>Meggs 2009, p297</ref>
A series of extensive trials covering all the intended roles was carried out by [[No. 1 Flying Training School RAAF|No. 1 Flying Training School]]. These showed that performance was lower than the designer's predicted figures, and while it met many of the requirements in specification AC34 the Warrigal I had handling problems which made it unsuitable for use as a trainer. Wackett was dismissive of the final report on the trials, claiming that the results were qualitative only, lacking a "recognised or rational system of observation or measurement". He claimed that the improved Warrigal II design would resolve issues raised in the report.<ref>Meggs 2009, p297</ref>
The Warrigal II was designed to meet an RAAF specification for an Army co-operation aircraft to replace the aging fleet of [[DH9|DH.9]] aircraft<ref>Coulthard-Clark 1991, p267</ref>, and was equipped with a more powerful (and heavier) {{convert|450|hp|abbr=on}} [[Armstrong_Siddeley_Jaguar|Jaguar]] engine which resulted in a shorter nose to keep the centre of gravity in the correct range. Drawings for the Warrigal II were submitted to the Air Board in August 1929 with the explanation that all defects found in the first aircraft had been rectified and that construction was well under way. This led to questions by the Auditor-General since there was no written authority for the RAAF Experimental Section to commence construction of a second aircraft. However the situation was rectified with the correct authorisation coming from the Minister for Defence in January 1930<ref>Coulthard-Clark 1991, p269</ref> by which time the aircraft was almost complete. The closure of the RAAF Experimental Section at Randwick which had been recommended by the Salmond Report<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16499793 |title=AIR FORCE UNFIT FOR WAR. Sir John Salmond's Report. |newspaper=[[Sydney_morning_herald|The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)]] |location=NSW |date=8 October 1928 |accessdate=18 November 2011 |page=11 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> was delayed until 30 March 1930 so the aircraft could be completed. The Warrigal II was moved to RAAF Richmond in April 1930 for final assembly and rigging. The first flight was delayed by the requirement to re-check the design stressing calculations following the crash of the Widgeon II seaplane which had also been designed by Wackett. The checks were carried out by the Director of Technical Services, Squadron Leader H.C. Harrison and were found to be satisfactory. The first flight of the Warrigal II was carried out by Flying Officer R.H. Simms on 7 July 1930. Shortly after this it suffered a hard landing at Mascot airport<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21576065 |title=ENGINE STALLS - FORCED LANDING AT MASCOT. |newspaper=[[Courier-Mail|The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933)]] |location=Qld. |date=30 July 1930 |accessdate=18 November 2011 |page=14 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> and required repairs to the undercarriage and wings.
The Warrigal II was designed to meet an RAAF specification for an Army co-operation aircraft to replace the aging fleet of [[DH9|DH.9]] aircraft<ref>Coulthard-Clark 1991, p267</ref>, and was equipped with a more powerful (and heavier) {{convert|450|hp|abbr=on}} [[Armstrong_Siddeley_Jaguar|Jaguar]] engine which resulted in a shorter nose to keep the centre of gravity in the correct range. Drawings for the Warrigal II were submitted to the Air Board in August 1929 with the explanation that all defects found in the first aircraft had been rectified and that construction was well under way. This led to questions by the Auditor-General since there was no written authority for the RAAF Experimental Section to commence construction of a second aircraft. However the situation was rectified with the correct authorisation coming from the Minister for Defence in January 1930<ref>Coulthard-Clark 1991, p269</ref> by which time the aircraft was almost complete. The closure of the RAAF Experimental Section at Randwick which had been recommended by the Salmond Report<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16499793 |title=AIR FORCE UNFIT FOR WAR. Sir John Salmond's Report. |newspaper=[[Sydney_morning_herald|The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)]] |location=NSW |date=8 October 1928 |accessdate=18 November 2011 |page=11 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> was delayed until 30 March 1930 so the aircraft could be completed. The Warrigal II was moved to RAAF Richmond in April 1930 for final assembly and rigging. The first flight was delayed by the requirement to re-check the design stressing calculations following the crash of the Widgeon II seaplane which had also been designed by Wackett. The checks were carried out by the Director of Technical Services, Squadron Leader H.C. Harrison and were found to be satisfactory. The first flight of the Warrigal II was carried out by Flying Officer R.H. Simms on 7 July 1930. Shortly after this it suffered a hard landing at Mascot airport<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21576065 |title=ENGINE STALLS - FORCED LANDING AT MASCOT. |newspaper=[[Courier-Mail|The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933)]] |location=Qld. |date=30 July 1930 |accessdate=18 November 2011 |page=14 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> and required repairs to the undercarriage and wings.


Revision as of 08:31, 18 November 2011

User page for Derek Buckmaster. I'm interested in sailing, trimarans and aviation history.


Aviation WikiProject
Articles for review



This box:
This user is a participant in WikiProject Aircraft.

Sandbox for test of Wirraway citations

Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (1940). Wirraway Overhaul and Repair Manual. RAAF Publication No. 76. Melbourne, Australia.

Royal Australian Air Force (1945). Pilot's Notes for Wirraway (C.A.C. Wasp Radial Engine). RAAF Publication No. 109. Melbourne. RAAF Printing Unit No 398/8/45

Sandbox for test of NLA Trove citation

Here is the citation cut & paste from Trove:

"VERSATILE WIRRAWAY". Army News (Darwin, NT : 1941 - 1946). Darwin, NT: National Library of Australia. 21 April 1945. p. 2. Retrieved 13 November 2011.

In this sentence it is used as an inline[1] citation.

Sandbox for Wackett Warrigal article

The Warrigal I and II aircraft were designed by Squadron Leader Lawrence James Wackett and built by the Experimental Section of the Royal Australian Air Force at Randwick, NSW during the late 1920's. They were both single-engined two-seat biplanes of mixed wood and metal construction. The Warrigal I was the first aircraft designed and built in Australia to an official RAAF specification[2].

RAAF Experimental Section Warrigal
Side profile of the Warrigal II aircraft
Role Training aircraft
National origin Australia
Manufacturer Royal Australian Air Force Experimental Section
Designer Lawrence Wackett
First flight 4 December 1928 (Warrigal I)
7 July 1930 (Warrigal II)
Primary user RAAF
Number built 2

Development

The Warrigal (an Aboriginal word meaning "wild" or "untamed") I aircraft was designed to meet Air Board specification AC34 for an advanced training aircraft suitable to replace the ageing RAAF Avro 504K fleet. The aircraft was not only required to carry out flight training, but also training in aerial combat, bombing, wireless communication, aerial photography and observation. A mock-up was completed in February 1926 and construction was commenced shortly after. Wackett expected that construction would take around 6 months. However work on the Widgeon II and spare parts for RAAF No. 1 Air Depot delayed completion until mid-September in 1928. A further two-month delay ensued when it was discovered that the centre of gravity was not as designed and several items of equipment needed to be relocated to obtain the correct balance.[3] Wackett made the first flight in the Warrigal I on 4 December 1928 at RAAF Richmond.[4] A series of extensive trials covering all the intended roles was carried out by No. 1 Flying Training School. These showed that performance was lower than the designer's predicted figures, and while it met many of the requirements in specification AC34 the Warrigal I had handling problems which made it unsuitable for use as a trainer. Wackett was dismissive of the final report on the trials, claiming that the results were qualitative only, lacking a "recognised or rational system of observation or measurement". He claimed that the improved Warrigal II design would resolve issues raised in the report.[5] The Warrigal II was designed to meet an RAAF specification for an Army co-operation aircraft to replace the aging fleet of DH.9 aircraft[6], and was equipped with a more powerful (and heavier) 450 hp (340 kW) Jaguar engine which resulted in a shorter nose to keep the centre of gravity in the correct range. Drawings for the Warrigal II were submitted to the Air Board in August 1929 with the explanation that all defects found in the first aircraft had been rectified and that construction was well under way. This led to questions by the Auditor-General since there was no written authority for the RAAF Experimental Section to commence construction of a second aircraft. However the situation was rectified with the correct authorisation coming from the Minister for Defence in January 1930[7] by which time the aircraft was almost complete. The closure of the RAAF Experimental Section at Randwick which had been recommended by the Salmond Report[8] was delayed until 30 March 1930 so the aircraft could be completed. The Warrigal II was moved to RAAF Richmond in April 1930 for final assembly and rigging. The first flight was delayed by the requirement to re-check the design stressing calculations following the crash of the Widgeon II seaplane which had also been designed by Wackett. The checks were carried out by the Director of Technical Services, Squadron Leader H.C. Harrison and were found to be satisfactory. The first flight of the Warrigal II was carried out by Flying Officer R.H. Simms on 7 July 1930. Shortly after this it suffered a hard landing at Mascot airport[9] and required repairs to the undercarriage and wings.

Operational history

The Warrigal I was delivered to RAAF base Point Cook on 29 January 1929 after a seven hour cross-country flight with stops at Golburn and Cootamundra. On 31 January the aircraft was christened by Mrs. Ettie Williams, the wife of the Chief of Air Staff Richard Williams and handed over to the Commonwealth Air Board for a series of performance, handling and operational tests.[10] The Warrigal II was delivered to No. 1 FTS on 12 September 1930

Variants

  • Warrigal I – original 200 hp (150 kW) version designed as an advanced training aircraft with capacity for pilot and instructor (one produced)
  • Warrigal II – improved 450 hp (340 kW) version designed as an army co-operation aircraft with capacity for pilot and observer/rear gunner (one produced)

Operators

 Australia

Specifications (Warrigal I)

Data from Meggs 2009

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Capacity: 1
  • Length: 25 ft 9 in (7.85 m)
  • Upper wingspan: 36 ft 6.75 in (11.1443 m)
  • Height: 9 ft 11.5 in (3.035 m) to tip of propeller
  • Wing area: 377 sq ft (35.0 m2)
  • Empty weight: 2,148 lb (974 kg)
  • Gross weight: 3,429 lb (1,555 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 40 gallons
  • Powerplant: 1 × Armstrong Siddeley Lynx seven cylinder radial air-cooled engine, 200 hp (150 kW)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed wooden, 8 ft 4 in (2.54 m) diameter

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 97 mph (156 km/h, 84 kn) at sea level
  • Endurance: 3 hours
  • Service ceiling: 7,000 ft (2,100 m)

Armament

  • Guns: One fixed Vickers 0.303" machine gun firing through the propeller arc with a magazine for 600 rounds. Provision for one Scarff-ring mounted Lewis 0.303" machine gun in the rear cockpit, with 2 spare magazines (97 rounds each) in the top decking of the rear fuselage.
  • Bombs: Provision for four 20-pound bombs or one 112-pound bomb for training purposes. A prone bomb sighting position was included in the rear cockpit.

Notes

  1. ^ "VERSATILE WIRRAWAY". Army News (Darwin, NT : 1941 - 1946). Darwin, NT: National Library of Australia. 21 April 1945. p. 2. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  2. ^ Meggs 2009, p297
  3. ^ Meggs 2009, p295
  4. ^ "THE "WARRIGAL" - SUCCESSFUL TESTS"". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954). NSW: National Library of Australia. 5 December 1928. p. 15. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
  5. ^ Meggs 2009, p297
  6. ^ Coulthard-Clark 1991, p267
  7. ^ Coulthard-Clark 1991, p269
  8. ^ "AIR FORCE UNFIT FOR WAR. Sir John Salmond's Report". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954). NSW: National Library of Australia. 8 October 1928. p. 11. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
  9. ^ "ENGINE STALLS - FORCED LANDING AT MASCOT". The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933). Qld.: National Library of Australia. 30 July 1930. p. 14. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
  10. ^ "AUSTRALIAN-BUILT AEROPLANE HANDED OVER". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956). Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 1 February 1929. p. 5. Retrieved 18 November 2011.

References

Coulthard-Clark, Christopher (1991). The Third Brother: The Royal Australian Air Force 1921–39. North Sydney: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0-04-442307-1.

Meggs, Keith (2009). Australian-built Aircraft and the Industry Volume 1. Seymour: Finger-Four Publishing. ISBN 9781920892777.


[[Category: ]]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=User:Derekbu&oldid=461248149"