The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia: Wirraway, Australian
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The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia | |
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Australian War Memorial. Via Wikipedia Commons
CAC Wirraway
| Crew | 2 as trainer1 when pressed into the fighter role |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 42' by 29'6" by 11'9"12.80m by 8.99m by 3.58m |
| Wing area | 254 square feet23.6 square meters |
| Weight | 4271-5617 lbs1937-2548 kg |
| Maximum speed | 212 mph341 km/h |
| Climb rate | 27 feet per minute8.2 meters per second |
| Service ceiling | 24,750 feet7540 meters |
| Powerplant | 1 550 hp (410 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN1 9-cylinder radial engine |
| Armament | Two 0.303 Vickers Mk.5 machine guns in the noseOne rear-firing flexible 0.303 Vickers GO machine gun (trainer version) |
| Bomb load | Up to 500 lbs (227 kg) |
| Range | 870 miles1410 km |
| Production | 755 in Australia to 1945. |
The Wirraway was an Australian-built version of the North American T-6 Texanthat was used in a number of roles for which it was never really intended, simply because it was available. One variant even had dive brakes, which were almost never used. An excellent trainer and general-purpose light aircraft, it was not a real fighting aircraft.
References
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2009 by Kent G. Budge. Index
