Wackett Warrigal

The Warrigal I and II were Australian aircraft designed by Squadron Leader Lawrence James Wackett and built by the Experimental Section of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) at Randwick, New South Wales, during the late 1920s.

They were both single-engine, two-seat biplanes of mixed wood and metal construction.

The Warrigal I was the first aircraft designed and built in Australia to an official RAAF specification.

Warrigal I

Original 200 hp (150 kW) version designed as an advanced training aircraft with capacity for pilot and instructor.

Warrigal II

Improved 450 hp (340 kW) version designed as an army co-operation aircraft with capacity for pilot and observer/rear gunner.

Specifications

Crew

1

Capacity

1

Length

25 ft 9 in (7.85 m)

Upper wingspan

36 ft 6.75 in (11.1443 m)

Height

9 ft 11.5 in (3.035 m) to tip of propeller

Wing area

377 sq ft (35.0 m2)

Empty weight

2,148 lb (974 kg)

Gross weight

3,429 lb (1,555 kg)

Fuel capacity

40 gallons

Powerplant

1 × Armstrong Siddeley Lynx seven cylinder radial air-cooled engine, 200 hp (150 kW)

Propellers

2-bladed wooden, 8 ft 4 in (2.54 m) diameter

Performance

Maximum speed

97 mph (156 km/h, 84 kn) at sea level

Endurance

3 hours

Service ceiling

9,000 ft (2,700 m)

Armament

Guns

One fixed Vickers 0.303″ machine gun firing through the propeller arc with a magazine for 600 rounds.

Provision for one Scarff-ring mounted Lewis 0.303″ machine gun in the rear cockpit, with 2 spare magazines (97 rounds each) in the top decking of the rear fuselage.

Bombs

Provision for four 20-pound bombs or one 112-pound bomb for training purposes.

A prone bomb sighting position was included in the rear cockpit.