Although an obscure type largely unknown outside Australia, the CAC Wackett Trainer holds an important place in Australia’s aviation heritage as the first in-house design (and production) of Australia’s premier aircraft factory the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation.
The Wackett Trainer was also the most numerous and successful of the designs of Australia’s pioneer aircraft designer Sir Lawrence Wackett, the first Australian design to enter mass production with 202 built, and the first Australian made aircraft to enter service in a foreign air force (ignoring the aborted delivery of early DAP Beauforts to Singapore for the RAF), with 40 CAC Wacketts being delivered to the RNEIAF after WW2.
The WA Aviation Heritage Centre have owned two such Wackett Trainers since receiving the Horry Miller Wackett Trainer from the City of Broome, and the future of their original Wackett Trainer, A3-49 / VH-AJH had been subject to rumour of a trade with another collection for a CAC Sabre, with the RAAF Museum expected to be the recepient museum.
There has been a lot of “traffic” in regards to this aircraft in more recent times with a consideration of acquisition and airworthy restoration by a major warbird operator, and a sale price availability rather than trade requirement.
The airworthy restoration outcome would have “likely” resulted in conversion back to stock military configuration given that collections focus.
All is now a mute point or conjecture, as congratulations are now due to the Queensland Air Museum, and their philanthropic benefactor Mr Greg Ackman in acquiring the aircraft and donating it recently to the Queensland Air Museum, who I understand by direct confirmation will retain and display the aircraft in its historic Kingsford Smith KS.3 Cropmaster configuration.
http://www.qam.com.au/aircraft/wackett/VH-AJH.htm
An excellent outcome for both the aircraft and the QAM, and an excellent outcome for Australia’s aviation heritage to see this aircraft preserved in its unique cropdusting modified configuration.
As A3-49 in the RAAF, the aircraft served in Queensland with No.3 WAGS, and as VH-AJH was first a civil Wackett one of 98 purchased by Kingsford Smith Air Services, and later as the prototype Cropmaster conversions by KSAS going through KS1, KS2 and finally the KS3 configuration. It was one of 5 such KS3’s built, which were the forerunners of the further evolved Yeoman Cropmaster design.
As a KS3 it largely differs from a stock Wackett Trainer in having a hopper fitted to the rear cockpit, and modified centre and rear canopy sections resulting in a slightly shorter enclosed canopy length, however, unlike the later Yeoman Cropmaster series the underlying Wackett Trainer is easily recognised.
The KS3 can therefore present both its own unique KSAS cropmaster history and its wider CAC Wackett Trainer heritage.
AJH is one of only 4 intact Wackett Trainers surviving in Australia today with the others surviving at A3-31 / VH-AIY (preserved in its civil form as owned by Horry Miller) at Bull Creek WA, A3-22/VH-ALV (preserved in its military configuration) at Moorabbin Victoria, and the illfated A3-139 / VH-BEC (preserved as found in the desert) Alice Springs.
A number of other remains exist with at least two airworthy projects intended to progress over time, one of which already has a registration reserved as VH-WKT, based on the former A3-129 VH-AMA/DGR but using a metal wing from a Yeoman Cropmaster.
Congratulations to QAM on such an excellent acquisition, a worthy addition to an existing significant collection, and an excellent follow on to the Cropdusting configured DH Tiger Moth VH-BKS also previously acquired from the BullCreek collection by Greg Ackman and donated to QAM.
Well done to Greg Ackman for his philanthropic efforts to help preserve Australia’s aviation heritage at QAM and other locations.
A great outcome all round
Regards
Mark Pilkington
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June 17, 2008 at 4:41 pm