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On this day in Air Force history: 19421226 26/12/1942 Wirraway's only combat success
While on a tactical reconnaissance mission off Gona, Papua, on this day, the two-man crew of Wirraway A20-103 from No 4 Squadron spotted a Japanese fighter approaching them about 1000 feet below. The pilot, Flying Officer John Archer, immediately engaged the enemy machine and caused it to crash in flames into the sea. Archer’s victory was unique, as the Wirraway was developed from a design intended for nothing more than advanced training. Although the RAAF had armed and employed some as ‘fighters’, the Wirraway proved totally outclassed in earlier combat with high performance Japanese types such as the Mitsubishi Zero. In this case, however, the enemy machine encountered was probably not a Zero but a Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar of the Japanese Army's recently- arrived 11th Sentai. Very likely, the Japanese pilot had himself mistaken the RAAF machine for a Zero. For his singular success, Archer was awarded the Silver Star by the Americans.
On this day in Air Force history: 19421226 26/12/1942 Wirraway's only combat success
While on a tactical reconnaissance mission off Gona, Papua, on this day, the two-man crew of Wirraway A20-103 from No 4 Squadron spotted a Japanese fighter approaching them about 1000 feet below. The pilot, Flying Officer John Archer, immediately engaged the enemy machine and caused it to crash in flames into the sea. Archer’s victory was unique, as the Wirraway was developed from a design intended for nothing more than advanced training. Although the RAAF had armed and employed some as ‘fighters’, the Wirraway proved totally outclassed in earlier combat with high performance Japanese types such as the Mitsubishi Zero. In this case, however, the enemy machine encountered was probably not a Zero but a Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar of the Japanese Army's recently- arrived 11th Sentai. Very likely, the Japanese pilot had himself mistaken the RAAF machine for a Zero. For his singular success, Archer was awarded the Silver Star by the Americans.
The first production CA-25 Winjeel trainer, A85-401, flew on 23 February 1955, and on 16 September 1955, the CAC Managing Director, Sir Lawrence Wackett, officially handed over the log-books of this aircraft to Air Marshal Sir John McCauley. During this ceremony, Flight Lieutenant L. Evans of the RAAF's Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) gave a spirited demonstration of the Winjeel's capabilities. The last Winjeel, A85-462, was delivered to the RAAF early in 1958.
The trainers operated with No 1 Basic Flying Training School (later renamed No 1 Flying Training School) at RAAF Uranquinty until the unit was transferred to RAAF Point Cook in December 1958. The Winjeel was eventually replaced at No 1 Flying Training School in 1975 by the CT-4 Airtrainer. The aircraft also served in the forward air control training role with No 4 Flight, later as part of No 76 Squadron, until these aircraft were replaced by the PC-9/A in 1994.