How many viewers know its relationship with a North American Aviation design (yup, the folks that made the Mustang). The Boomerang was based, in some part, on the Wirraway which was an Australian adaptation of an NAA trainer design. North American, ironically and unknowingly, paralleled this aircraft by designing a fighter (the P-64) in a similar manner. The Boomerang saw much more service than its American near-cousin (bloody well better armed too!). The Boomerang has the same pugnacious look as the Grumman Wildcat had.
G'day, Yay Team ! Good on you..., very well done, indeed. (I do get back to warbling about CAC Boomerangs..., after "introducing myself" ). I've only owned 2 Aeroplanes, but they were both "a bit historic", kinda thing...; but in the late 1970s I worked on some Ragwing Taildraggers from the 1930s - 2 Tiger and 2 Hornet Moths, both a & b models of Hornet, and also a J-3 Piper Cub from 1946, and a pair of Replicas - a Sopwith Pup and a Fokker Triplane...; and my second Aeroplane started as somebody's Scratch-Build:From-Plans-Project, originally begun as a VJ-24 "Sunfun", a foot-launched, aerodynamically-controlled Hang Glider with a 9:1 L/D..., back when Rogallos were stuck at 4:1, but Volmer Jensen had started selling Plans for his VJ-11, a foot-launched aerodynamically-controlled Biplane Hang Glider in 1946 (!), and his VJ-22 "Osprey" was a 2-seat "miniature Lake Buccaneer" using Piper J-3 Cub Wings, Tailfeathers, and Powerplant - in a Pusher-Pod on a Pylon... Then Rogallos appeared and seemed to so deeply offend Volmer that in his late 60's he returned to Hang Gliders. His VJ-23 "Swingwjng" had a 9 : 1 L/D Ratio, but it was a Foam-Ribbed Wing which tapered in both Plan and Thickness, and the design was overall slow and tricky to build...; so Volmer designed the VJ-24 from pop-riveted Aluminium, overall, with an untapered Wing so that all the Ribs were identical, and it flew identically to the Swingwing... Then Macready in the US, and Wheeler in Oz, both put Chainsaws and Lawnmowers on Hang Gliders in 1975, so a Brit. named Robin Cook put a McCulloch onto a Swingwing, and it became the first Minimum Aircraft to fly the English Channel, in '78. So Volmer added a McCulloch to the Sunfun, and thus my Scratch-building friend added an Engine-Mount to his (now) VJ-24e..., but the UK Authorities considered it too bloody dangerous (failure to achieve a Stand-up Landing would, if the Prop was turning, result in a Prop-Strike at about Kidney level accross the back. So the VJ-24w appeared, with Wheels, a Tractor Prop, 2.56 : 1 reduction driven, with a centrifugal Clutch and Blade Brake, by a 15 Hp Yamaha... And the one which I bought, after years of suggesting changes which were adopted, to the Wing Trailing-Edge Section, & modifying the Undercarraige to add a free-floating Bungee-sprung Axle..., but it also came with a failed Epoxy/Foam half-Sandwich Leading-Edge, and a 22 Hp JPX PUL-425, direct-drive Engine. So..., once started I kept on going, and added a Faceted-Aerodynamic Fairing to improve the Fineness profile of having the Pilot hunched over in what began as the "Hang Cage under the 6" Aluminium-Tube Fuselage-Boom, supporting the rear-mounted "Parallel Bars" to hook one's Elbows over, when in a vertical "Hang Harness" and/or sitting on the small Web-Strap suspended Disc-Seat, used to "retract the Undercarraige" while not taking off or landing..., leaving one's right hand free to use the Side-stick to control all 3 Axes. The VJ-24w moved the Stick-mount rearwards, within reach of the Pilot, using the "e" model's Plywood Engine-Mount as a Seatback - cushioned with a vinyl covered slab of Foam...; and with the JPX out front, on a cantileved Box-Mount, in line with the Wings... I added a Ballistic Parachute Recovery system, because being shaken to bits by vicious vibration was not at all beyond the bounds of possibility, but I did skin over the divided (to permit passage of Rudder Cables...), linked, Quick-Release, Drop-able Fueltanks...(because how big a Fire-Risk is 10 litres of 2-stroke Fuel really goanna pose, anyway...?). When I flight tested it, I made it's Glide Ratio as something like 14.5 : 1..., but that was at Flight-Idle, with the first (too coarsely-pitched) Propeller that I designed and carved for it - so it was producing between zero drag from the Airscrew and 10 pounds of residual thrust at 24 mph, where it stalled - and I was "gliding" at 27... Maybe between adding a lower Wing-Skin from the Rear Spar (3" Aluminium Tube) to the Trailing-Edge, plus the Streamlining of Faceted Aerodynamics - between them, might have turned Volmer's 9 : 1 into 12 : 1...(?). Oh, and I put Mylar Discs over the 18" Bicycle Wheelspokes, to streamline them as well. It might have been competitive at the Lympne Microlight Aeroplane Trials, in 1927, against the English Electric Wren, and the Parnall Pixie.... Even with a second, finer-pitched Propeller, climbing was not it's strong suit, and when I insisted on attempting a downwind Take-off in a 200 yard paddock...; and we broke each other - landing inverted in the Potato Patch on the other side of the Fence which we failed to clear, me still limping today from the broken right Calcaneum, resulting when the fencepost came in and hit the Rudder Bar. The Cockpit was of course wrecked, and the Fuselage Tube broke - but if I started then it could be rebuilt. Electrifying it is increasingly gingering up my WhyNot Fantasies, lately, using Electric Motorcyle grade technology - it'd be do-able ; and maybe I will. So, yeah mate I can see how immersed you are in your Aeroplane Restoration Project. I've only ever seen a CAC Boomerang fly on one occasion, the Armidale Airshow in 2016... I took my 35mm Zenit Photosniper 300mm Telephoto rig, as well as my 2 Videocamera/Mobile Phones and thus collected both 16 Videos across the Day as the Blue Hole slowly drifted away and the surrounding vile Storm came closer..., and a Slideshow of the whole day made up by the 23 plus 25 Exposures which worked out from the two rolls of 24 which I shot off through the day... So, if you can take the Photosniper Tutorial which it starts with, you can review the Day by viewing "Armidale Airshow 17. The PhotoSniper's View...! The Boomerang flies a solo display, and one with th Wirraway, as well as the WW-2 Pacific Theatre Tribute with the Wirraway, Texan, and Avenger - over Pyrotechnics, and a last pass ; ALL taking off into a roiling Ceiling of 500 ft to 1,000 ft, they flew and displayed through it, and then landed in the first Raindrops. I should have titled it better, but that Video is called, "Armidale Airshow 16. Wirraway, Harvard, Avenger...!" My guess is that the Ferry Fee was not quite enough to break even, so they decided that they "had" to fly, to be paid a Display Fee, in order to earn Accomodation and food ? Press-On, Regardless ! Apparently. The whole Series of 17 is in my Playlist titled "Personal Aeroplanology..." which is a scroll of about 84 videos, and is currently book-ended by two videos of what first took me Solo - ten years ago a slide-show using old photo's and magazine articled, to nail down the timeline...; and only 6 weeks ago I posted, "National Transportation Museum...; Visiting My First Aeroplane !" Anyway, you need more Subscribers, and now you know where to find the Videos to see a Boomerang displaying in a terrifying Storm, with Wirraway, Harvard, and Avenger as companions... Enjoy... It all works out, within the Gift Economy. Such is life, Have a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !
If it was flying today it would make 3 airworthy in Australia. 1 that was airworthy is now in a museum in qld also. There are also a few others being being restored to airworthy.
How many viewers know its relationship with a North American Aviation design (yup, the folks that made the Mustang). The Boomerang was based, in some part, on the Wirraway which was an Australian adaptation of an NAA trainer design. North American, ironically and unknowingly, paralleled this aircraft by designing a fighter (the P-64) in a similar manner. The Boomerang saw much more service than its American near-cousin (bloody well better armed too!). The Boomerang has the same pugnacious look as the Grumman Wildcat had.
Nice Work, good to see it coming together
Looks awesome! Can’t wait to see it finished
Thanks, looking forward to seeing it completed also!
G'day,
Yay Team !
Good on you..., very well done, indeed.
(I do get back to warbling about CAC Boomerangs..., after "introducing myself" ).
I've only owned 2 Aeroplanes, but they were both "a bit historic", kinda thing...; but in the late 1970s I worked on some Ragwing Taildraggers from the 1930s - 2 Tiger and 2 Hornet Moths, both a & b models of Hornet, and also a J-3 Piper Cub from 1946, and a pair of Replicas - a Sopwith Pup and a Fokker Triplane...; and my second Aeroplane started as somebody's Scratch-Build:From-Plans-Project, originally begun as a VJ-24 "Sunfun", a foot-launched, aerodynamically-controlled Hang Glider with a 9:1 L/D..., back when Rogallos were stuck at 4:1, but Volmer Jensen had started selling Plans for his VJ-11, a foot-launched aerodynamically-controlled Biplane Hang Glider in 1946 (!), and his VJ-22 "Osprey" was a 2-seat "miniature Lake Buccaneer" using Piper J-3 Cub Wings, Tailfeathers, and Powerplant - in a Pusher-Pod on a Pylon...
Then Rogallos appeared and seemed to so deeply offend Volmer that in his late 60's he returned to Hang Gliders. His VJ-23 "Swingwjng" had a 9 : 1 L/D Ratio, but it was a Foam-Ribbed Wing which tapered in both Plan and Thickness, and the design was overall slow and tricky to build...; so Volmer designed the VJ-24 from pop-riveted Aluminium, overall, with an untapered Wing so that all the Ribs were identical, and it flew identically to the Swingwing...
Then Macready in the US, and Wheeler in Oz, both put Chainsaws and Lawnmowers on Hang Gliders in 1975, so a Brit. named Robin Cook put a McCulloch onto a Swingwing, and it became the first Minimum Aircraft to fly the English Channel, in '78.
So Volmer added a McCulloch to the Sunfun, and thus my Scratch-building friend added an Engine-Mount to his (now) VJ-24e..., but the UK Authorities considered it too bloody dangerous (failure to achieve a Stand-up Landing would, if the Prop was turning, result in a Prop-Strike at about Kidney level accross the back.
So the VJ-24w appeared, with Wheels, a Tractor Prop, 2.56 : 1 reduction driven, with a centrifugal Clutch and Blade Brake, by a 15 Hp Yamaha...
And the one which I bought, after years of suggesting changes which were adopted, to the Wing Trailing-Edge Section, & modifying the Undercarraige to add a free-floating Bungee-sprung Axle..., but it also came with a failed Epoxy/Foam half-Sandwich Leading-Edge, and a 22 Hp JPX PUL-425, direct-drive Engine.
So..., once started I kept on going, and added a Faceted-Aerodynamic Fairing to improve the Fineness profile of having the Pilot hunched over in what began as the "Hang Cage under the 6" Aluminium-Tube Fuselage-Boom, supporting the rear-mounted "Parallel Bars" to hook one's Elbows over, when in a vertical "Hang
Harness" and/or sitting on the small Web-Strap suspended Disc-Seat, used to "retract the Undercarraige" while not taking off or landing..., leaving one's right hand free to use the Side-stick to control all 3 Axes.
The VJ-24w moved the Stick-mount rearwards, within reach of the Pilot, using the "e" model's Plywood Engine-Mount as a Seatback - cushioned with a vinyl covered slab of Foam...; and with the JPX out front, on a cantileved Box-Mount, in line with the Wings...
I added a Ballistic Parachute Recovery system, because being shaken to bits by vicious vibration was not at all beyond the bounds of possibility, but I did skin over the divided (to permit passage of Rudder Cables...), linked, Quick-Release, Drop-able Fueltanks...(because how big a Fire-Risk is 10 litres of 2-stroke Fuel really goanna pose, anyway...?).
When I flight tested it, I made it's Glide Ratio as something like 14.5 : 1..., but that was at Flight-Idle, with the first (too coarsely-pitched) Propeller that I designed and carved for it - so it was producing between zero drag from the Airscrew and 10 pounds of residual thrust at 24 mph, where it stalled - and I was "gliding" at 27...
Maybe between adding a lower Wing-Skin from the Rear Spar (3" Aluminium Tube) to the Trailing-Edge, plus the Streamlining of Faceted Aerodynamics - between them, might have turned Volmer's 9 : 1 into 12 : 1...(?).
Oh, and I put Mylar Discs over the 18" Bicycle Wheelspokes, to streamline them as well.
It might have been competitive at the Lympne Microlight Aeroplane Trials, in 1927, against the English Electric Wren, and the Parnall Pixie....
Even with a second, finer-pitched Propeller, climbing was not it's strong suit, and when I insisted on attempting a downwind Take-off in a 200 yard paddock...; and we broke each other - landing inverted in the Potato Patch on the other side of the Fence which we failed to clear, me still limping today from the broken right Calcaneum, resulting when the fencepost came in and hit the Rudder Bar. The Cockpit was of course wrecked, and the Fuselage Tube broke - but if I started then it could be rebuilt.
Electrifying it is increasingly gingering up my WhyNot Fantasies, lately, using Electric Motorcyle grade technology - it'd be do-able ; and maybe I will.
So, yeah mate I can see how immersed you are in your Aeroplane Restoration Project.
I've only ever seen a CAC Boomerang fly on one occasion, the Armidale Airshow in 2016...
I took my 35mm Zenit Photosniper 300mm Telephoto rig, as well as my 2 Videocamera/Mobile Phones and thus collected both 16 Videos across the Day as the Blue Hole slowly drifted away and the surrounding vile Storm came closer..., and a Slideshow of the whole day made up by the 23 plus 25 Exposures which worked out from the two rolls of 24 which I shot off through the day...
So, if you can take the Photosniper Tutorial which it starts with, you can review the Day by viewing
"Armidale Airshow 17. The PhotoSniper's View...!
The Boomerang flies a solo display, and one with th Wirraway, as well as the WW-2 Pacific Theatre Tribute with the Wirraway, Texan, and Avenger - over Pyrotechnics, and a last pass ; ALL taking off into a roiling Ceiling of 500 ft to 1,000 ft, they flew and displayed through it, and then landed in the first Raindrops.
I should have titled it better, but that Video is called,
"Armidale Airshow 16. Wirraway, Harvard, Avenger...!"
My guess is that the Ferry Fee was not quite enough to break even, so they decided that they "had" to fly, to be paid a Display Fee, in order to earn Accomodation and food ?
Press-On, Regardless !
Apparently.
The whole Series of 17 is in my Playlist titled
"Personal Aeroplanology..."
which is a scroll of about 84 videos, and is currently book-ended by two videos of what first took me Solo - ten years ago a slide-show using old photo's and magazine articled, to nail down the timeline...; and only 6 weeks ago I posted,
"National Transportation Museum...; Visiting My First Aeroplane !"
Anyway, you need more Subscribers, and now you know where to find the Videos to see a Boomerang displaying in a terrifying Storm, with Wirraway, Harvard, and Avenger as companions...
Enjoy...
It all works out, within the Gift Economy.
Such is life,
Have a good one...
Stay safe.
;-p
Ciao !
One beautiful airplane....restoration for future flight ?..
Thanks, Yes that's the plan
Where did you find the aircraft?
This will make 4? flying examples?
If it was flying today it would make 3 airworthy in Australia. 1 that was airworthy is now in a museum in qld also. There are also a few others being being restored to airworthy.
@@winjeel61 There is one at the Goolwa airport, and Kermit Weeks is restoring another right now.