1/72 CA-13 Boomerang

[Aaronw]

Going to jump in with the Airfix CA-13 Boomerang in 1/72. I will be using the markings for an aircraft from No. 4 Squadron RAAF in New Guinea during 1943.

The Boomerang was an indigenous Australian fighter design from the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation. While designed as a fighter it found it's real niche as a ground attack plane during the Soloman Islands and Borneo campaigns.

The kit

[Litvyak]

Sweet, that's a nifty little plane.

[Aaronw]

Love these old Airfix kits for just getting something built. The Boomerang is starting to take shape.

I really didn't know much about this aircraft, but I think it is a rather nice looking little fighter. With 2 20mm cannons and 4 .303 machineguns it was well armed for an early war design. Prior to the war, CAC was building a licensed copy of the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp and a variation of the North American NA-16 trainer known in Australia as the Wirraway. They were also lucky enough to have a designer who had previously worked for Heinkel and Mitsubishi.

Ultimately by the time the Boomerang was in full production adequate numbers of Allied fighters were being delivered, limiting the need for the aircraft.

[lodni_k]

Neat little plane!

[ross blackford]

I also like the Boomerang. The first one I ever saw in the flesh was at the compound of the Blacktown squadron of the Australian Air League in the early 70s when I was posted at Richmond the first time. The paint had worn off and she had been badly vandalised (not by AAL cadets but by the local hoodlums with too much time on their hands and nothing better to do of a night. The next time I saw this aircraft she had been restored at Point Cook and was doing gate guard duty at the main gate at Williamtown. I believe that A46-30 is now at the RAAF Museum at Point Cook as a static display aircraft.

Cheers,

Ross.

[VG 33]

Not the easiest kit to do but so far you've built her well.

Patrick

[Aaronw]

Got an update on the Boomerang too. The fit on this one is much worse than the Buffalo, but still a workable kit as long as you take your time and dry fit everything.

While checking colors I found out that the early Boomerangs used approximations of RAF colors, while later aircraft used RAAF colors similar to but generally darker than the RAF Dark Green and Dark Earth. As this was a later production aircraft it appears the correct colors for this aircraft were the RAAF standards. I used Polyscale's RAAF colors Foliage Green, Earth Brown and Sky.

The underside has the worst of the fit issues, as well as a slot for the stand. Some of the gaps were large enough to require using bits of styrene.

[Wege]

keep it up though sir :)

[Aaronw]

Finished

Additional photos in the completed section.