For reference purposes I’ve collated a list of production batch numbers for the CAC Wirraway aircraft delivered to the RAAF between July 1939 and July 1946. This page contains the batch numbers for Mark I Wirraways, which were delivered under the CA-1 production “contract” number. This contract number was an internal number used by CAC (similar to the accounting “charge number” system used by North American Aviation) and was not the actual contract number from the Defence Contracts Board.
Wirraway type | CAC Contract Number | RAAF Contract Demand | Ordering entity | DCB Order Number | Quantity delivered | CAC Constructor’s Numbers | RAAF Serials |
Mk I | CA-1 | T.374 | DCB | (unknown) | 40 | 1 to 40 | A20-3 to A20-42 |
DCB = Defence Contracts Board
Batch numbers
During construction, each aircraft was given a batch number, for the ordering of parts and materials. Batch numbers consisted of a letter for each batch followed by a number for each aircraft in that batch (e.g. A1, A2, A3, A4, etc). Wirraway production was generally planned in batches of 10 aircraft. But there were exceptions, as it appears the first 10 aircraft were produced in two batches of five (more on that below).
The letters I, O, Q and V were generally not used as batch numbers, as they could be confused for numbers. Usually a new contract (such as CA-1, CA-2, etc) started with batch “A”.
The definitive source for batch numbers is a ledger book kept by Mr Gordon Parker, Supervisor in the Sales Department, and one of CAC’s earliest employees from 1936. This book is now held in the collection of the Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin Airport.
During production, batch numbers were temporarily attached to the firewall and then the rudder (once the engine was mounted). These temporary numbers are sometimes visible in factory photos.
Constructor’s numbers
These were a sequence of numbers allocated to each aircraft in the sequence that they came off the line. For example, Wirraways delivered under the CA-1 contract were given constructor’s numbers from 1 to 40.
RAAF stores number
All equipment in the RAAF was allocated a stores number for tracking and accounting purposes. Aircraft were tracked under the category “A” and each aircraft was given a specific number, Wirraway aircraft being allocated the category A20. These numbers are often referred to as the “serial number” of the aircraft in RAAF service.
Linking batch numbers, stores numbers and constructor’s numbers
Here are several photos showing Mark I Wirraways under construction, allowing us to link the batch codes to RAAF stores/serial numbers.
The photo below (Figure 1) shows a group of fuselages under construction at the CAC factory. This is very early in the production (note the two Gannet aircraft near the hangar doors), and the batch number C2 can be seen attached to the firewall. Unfortunately no serial codes are evident, and so we can’t definitively connect this batch number to a serial number. But by tracing back from other aircraft in batch C (explained below), C2 would have been A20-9.
Another photograph of early Wirraway production (Figure 2, below) shows A20-21 on the production line, with the batch number D9 on plaques attached to the firewall and also the rudder. The camouflaged Wirraway behind A20-21 has the batch number E1 on its firewall, corresponding to A20-23 which was the first aircraft delivered to the RAAF in camouflage.
Taken immediately beside the photo above, Figure 3 below shows A20-20 on the production line, with its engine installed. The batch number on the rudder is not readable, due to the angle of the rudder. Immediately behind sits another silver-doped Wirraway with batch code D10 on the firewall (corresponding to A20-22, although the serial number is not visible in the photo), the last silver-doped Wirraway.
Unfortunately Gordon Parker only started recording the batch numbers from H8 onwards (A20-60, well into the CA-3 contract). So we need to “reconstruct” the earlier batch numbers based on other evidence including:
- Photograph evidence, including the photo above (Figure 1) showing that D9 was A20-21 (c/n 19)
- The Clyde Engineering tag on A20-10 at the Australian National Aviation Museum reads “SERIAL 01/3124/C3”, linking batch number C3 to A20-10 (c/n 8)
- A frame in a private collection which is identifiable as a CA-1 forward frame has the original CAC identification tag which reads “Serial 01-3124-C2“, meaning that C2 was a CA-1 contract aircraft, most likely A20-9 (c/n 7) – see Figure 1 above
- Information from a file in the National Archives of Australia (NAA: A705, 9/15/193, “Wirraway aircraft – Contract and Specification”) on 3/1/1939 describing some missing “joint wrap plates” on the first 9 aircraft confirms their batch identifications as A1, B1, B2, B3, B4, C1, C2, C3, and C4.
Counting back from D9 (A20-21, c/n 19) we can postulate that D1 was A20-13 (c/n 11). If we then assume that batch C was 5 aircraft, then C5 would be A20-12 (c/n 10) and C1 would be A20-8 (c/n 6). This fits with A20-10 (c/n 8) being C3.
Thus we can arrive at the table below showing the batch numbers for all Mark I Wirraway aircraft delivered under the CA-1 contract.
Caveat lector: These batch numbers were current at the time the aircraft left the factory. During RAAF service, various parts could be changed during repairs, resulting in possible differences between batch numbers and serial numbers as listed below. So one should not expect that this list will perfectly match with frames in existence today, and if trying to identify a particular frame from its batch number tag, additional evidence should be sought.
CAC Contract Number CA- | CAC Constructor’s Number | RAAF Serial | Batch Number |
1 | 1 | A20-3 | A1 |
1 | 2 | A20-4 | B1 |
1 | 3 | A20-5 | B2 |
1 | 4 | A20-6 | B3 |
1 | 5 | A20-7 | B4 |
1 | 6 | A20-8 | C1 |
1 | 7 | A20-9 | C2 |
1 | 8 | A20-10 | C3 |
1 | 9 | A20-11 | C4 |
1 | 10 | A20-12 | C5 |
1 | 11 | A20-13 | D1 |
1 | 12 | A20-14 | D2 |
1 | 13 | A20-15 | D3 |
1 | 14 | A20-16 | D4 |
1 | 15 | A20-17 | D5 |
1 | 16 | A20-18 | D6 |
1 | 17 | A20-19 | D7 |
1 | 18 | A20-20 | D8 |
1 | 19 | A20-21 | D9 |
1 | 20 | A20-22 | D10 |
1 | 21 | A20-23 | E1 |
1 | 22 | A20-24 | E2 |
1 | 23 | A20-25 | E3 |
1 | 24 | A20-26 | E4 |
1 | 25 | A20-27 | E5 |
1 | 26 | A20-28 | E6 |
1 | 27 | A20-29 | E7 |
1 | 28 | A20-30 | E8 |
1 | 29 | A20-31 | E9 |
1 | 30 | A20-32 | E10 |
1 | 31 | A20-33 | F1 |
1 | 32 | A20-34 | F2 |
1 | 33 | A20-35 | F3 |
1 | 34 | A20-36 | F4 |
1 | 35 | A20-37 | F5 |
1 | 36 | A20-38 | F6 |
1 | 37 | A20-39 | F7 |
1 | 38 | A20-40 | F8 |
1 | 39 | A20-41 | F9 |
1 | 40 | A20-42 | F10 |
I welcome feedback on the table above, with supporting evidence of any possible inaccuracies.
Updated 4/8/2021 with information about the first 5 batch numbers A1 to B4.
References:
Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation. Sales Department Aircraft Delivery Ledger; Kept by Gordon Parker. CAC Collection, Australian National Aviation Museum.
Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation. Aircraft Drawing Office Manual. Incorporating up to Amendment List No. 2, Melbourne, Australia, 1946
National Archives of Australia, NAA: A705, 9/15/193, “Wirraway aircraft – Contract and Specification”