CAC CA-25 Winjeel-Young Eagles to Scone NSW

More exciting news from Scone NSW – Ross Pay has purchased two former RAAF Forward Air Control CA-25 Winjeels, A85-411 and A85-426 plus a spares holding. The move to purchase the aircraft comes as the Scone Aviation Attraction Museum is under development at Scone airport.

The two aircraft operated extensively in the Hunter Valley from their base at RAAF Williamtown so the Winjeels will make the historic connection with the local area even stronger. FAC Winjeels also operated over the Singleton Army base on many of their joint training missions. When fully refurbished and returned to the register at least one of the aircraft will operate out of the new Museum.

The decision to purchase and operate the Winjeels comes not just from a historic or Warbird perspective but also for a number of more pragmatic reasons. The Winjeel is a particularly practical and useful aircraft for a Warbird operator.  It can be configured for up to 4 seats enabling engineering and other staff to be transported to displays and airshows as well as being able to return to base to retrieve parts and personnel should that be required if one of the single seat fighter aircraft has a technical issues and requires off base service.

The aircraft can also be configured for “Warbird experience flights” either in their own right or as an observation aircraft in formation with one of the WWII fighters from Scone. Once at an Air Show the Winjeel can also perform as a Warbird in its own right. The presence of the Winjeel also adds a “tail dragger” training capacity for those pilots moving onto flying the more exotic WWII Fighters such as the Mustang, Spitfire or P-40. Thus the Winjeel is the ultimate utility type and a great addition to the fleet at Scone. The large spares holding will also help to ensure the Winjeels can be operated for years to come.

Winjeel Design and Development

The Winjeel was designed and developed by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) at Fisherman’s Bend in Victoria against a requirement for an aircraft to fulfil the basic training role previously carried out by the de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth and later the CAC Wirraway. The name was derived from an indigenous word for “young eagle”. The design of the aircraft began in 1948 and the first two aircraft of the type were completed and flown in February 1951 and production CA-25 aircraft were produced from 1955 to 1957 by which time 62 aircraft of the type had been delivered RAAF serials A85-401 to A85-462. Initially the Winjeels served in their designed role as trainers with No. 1 Basic Flying Training School (1 BFTS) at Uranquinty, and then in 1958 transferred to RAAF Base Point Cook in Victoria. The tough Winjeel served as a trainer with the RAAF until firstly in 1968 when it was replaced by the new Macchi MB-326 and then in 1975 by the New Zealand-built PAC CT/4A Airtrainer. Normally this would have been the end of the Winjeel in RAAF service however Australian experience in Vietnam and in other Air Forces around the world indicated that the RAAF needed an aircraft capable of performing in the Forward Air Control role and the now surplus Winjeels were pressed into service. From 1975 until 1994 the Winjeels soldiered on as FAC aircraft with 14 of the type serving with No4 flight and then with No 76 sqn at Williamtown.

Over the years as the aircraft were declared surplus they were sold off to private owners with quite a number making it on to the Australian civil register and large a number still fly in Australia.

CA-25 Winjeel A85-411 History

Winjeel A85-411 was the eleventh Winjeel produced at CAC Fishermans Bend Vic in 1955 and delivered to the RAAF in December of that year. It was with No. 1 Basic Flying Training School (1 BFTS) at Uranquinty, near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales and then moved to RAAF Point Cook in 1958 until withdrawn from the training role in 1968. The Winjeel was then converted for use as a Forward Air Control aircraft through the installation of smoke bomb racks and sights, upgraded radio equipment and aerials and camouflage markings. It served with 2OCU, 4 Flight and 76 Sqn in the FAC role. In normal service 4 aircraft were kept active at any one time and rotated with the other 10 aircraft in storage. 4 Winjeels were lost in FAC service over 19 years in the role which seems few given the difficult conditions FAC aircraft operate in.

In 1994 Winjeel A85-411 was withdrawn from RAAF service and was sold by tender in 1995 to John Weymouth of Heli-Muster, Sydney NSW  and placed on the Australian civil register in 1996 as VH-NON and has remained with him ever since until sold to Ross pay on the 6th of April 2020. The aircraft carries the markings of RAAF camouflage “A85-411 Miss Adventure” a scheme in which it served for a number of years.

CA-25 Winjeel A85-426 History

A85-426 was the 26th Winjeel produced and was delivered to the RAAF in June 1956. Like A85-411, it was with sent to No. 1 Basic Flying Training School (1 BFTS) at Uranquinty, near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales and then moved to RAAF Point Cook in 1958 until withdrawn from the training role in 1968. The Winjeel was then converted for use as a Forward Air Control aircraft through the installation of smoke bomb racks and sights, upgraded radio equipment and aerials and camouflage markings. It served with 2OCU, 4 Flight and 76 Sqn in the FAC role.

Following retirement in 1994 the aircraft was sold to John Weymouth of Heli-Muster, Sydney NSW and placed on the Australian civil register in 1996 as VH-DKK and later that year sold to Rodney J. Hall of Port Macquarie NSW and operated by International Fighter Flight Centre, Port Macquarie NSW until 2003 when it was again sold to  Aviation & Motor Industry Services, Sydney NSW who operated it until 2007 when it was again sold to Neil Johnson of Sydney NSW and sold finally in 2011 to its original civil owner John Weymouth from whom Ross Pay purchased it on 6th of April 2020.

Neither aircraft has flown for a few years and will require some maintenance before they are prepared for a short ferry permit hop from Luskintyre NSW where they have been in storage to Scone where they will receive the full Vintage Fighter Restorations (VFR) treatment before resuming operations on the Australian Civil Register.

CAC CA-25 Winjeel Specifications

• General characteristics
• Crew: 2
• Capacity: provision for third seat
• Length: 28 ft  1⁄2 in (8.547 m)
• Wingspan: 38 ft 7 1⁄2 in (11.773 m)
• Height: 9 ft 1 in (2.77 m)
• Wing area: 249 sq ft (23.1 m2)
• Aspect ratio: 6.0:1
• Airfoil: NACA 23015 at root, NACA 23010 at tip
• Empty weight: 3,289 lb (1,492 kg)
• Gross weight: 4,265 lb (1,935 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 69 imp gal (83 US gal; 310 L) normal
• Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-2 Wasp Junior nine-cylinder radial engine, 445 hp (332 kW)
• Performance
• Maximum speed: 186 mph (299 km/h, 162 kn)
• Cruise speed: 165 mph (266 km/h, 143 kn) at 8,500 ft (2,600 m)
• Endurance: 3.5 hr at 158 mph (254 km/h; 137 kn) and 5,000 ft (1,500 m)
• Service ceiling: 18,000 ft (5,500 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,500 ft/min (7.6 m/s)
• Time to altitude: 10 min to 10,000 ft (3,000 m)
• Take-off run to 50 ft (15 m): 1,110 ft (340 m) (standard temperature)
• Landing run from 50 ft (15 m): 1,000 ft (305 m)

Warbirds Online acknowledges and is grateful for the use of images from a number of sources and contributors to highlight the rich history of these aircraft.

© John Parker 2020