Wirraway batch numbers – Mark III aircraft

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 III Wirraways, which were delivered under the CA-16 production “contract”. A summary of Mark III production is given in the table below:

Wirraway typeCAC Contract NumberRAAF Contract DemandOrdering entityOrder NumberQuantity deliveredCAC Constructor’s NumbersRAAF Serials
Mk IIICA-16D.A.P. 1007DAPC.S.18001351075 to 1209A20-623 to 757

DAP = Department of Aircraft Production

Batch numbers
Wirraway Mark III production was planned in batches of 11 aircraft. But there was one exception:

  • The final batch of production, batch “N” consisted of only 3 aircraft to make up 135 aircraft

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)..The letters I, O, Q and V were generally not used as batch numbers, as they could be confused for numbers. The CA-16 contract 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.

Unfortunately there are two discrepancies in the last 25 entries in the ledger. Firstly, Parker skipped batch “L” for A20-733 to A20-743 and went straight from “K” to “M”. We know that batch “L” was not skipped in reality, as two surviving data plates reclaimed from airframes at Tocumwal show L2 for A20-734 (c/n 1186) and M5 for A20-748 (c/n 1200). Secondly, Parker stopped recording batch numbers at A20-740, so the batch codes shown in the list below are “extrapolated”. The batch “M” extrapolation is supported by the evidence of the M5 batch number on the A20-748 data plate. This leaves a question as to the last three aircraft – were they N1, N2 and N3, or was batch M continued for three more aircraft, as M12, M13 and M14. I have postulated that a new batch “N” was commenced, since CAC did not expect to end production at 755 aircraft. There were many debates between CAC and DAP over how many aircraft to supply to the RAAF (the original order was for 150 aircraft, and another order had been received for 100 additional “Dive Bomber” aircraft planned as CA-20, but only 135 were delivered under the CA-16 order), so it is logical to presume that the last three aircraft were N1, N2 and N3.

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. Wirraways delivered under the CA-16 contract were given constructor’s numbers from 1075 to 1209.

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 III Wirraways under construction, allowing us to link the batch codes to RAAF stores/serial numbers.

Below we can see a group of camouflaged Mark III Wirraways on the production line. Batch numbers visible include D10 (furthest away, on the left) and E1 to E5 (closest, on the right). In the original photograph, D11 is also visible, sitting between D10 and E1, but pointing tail-on to the camera, so its rudder cannot be seen. These aircraft are A20-665 to A20-671, as evidenced by the three-digit number after the two-digit batch codes. 

Figure 1: CAC Wirraway Mark II production showing batch numbers D10 to E5 (Lewis Family Collection, State Library of South Australia, ref  PRG 247/143/13 cropped)

Later in the CA-16 contract, below is a view of H8 (A20-707, c/n 1159) attached to the lifting sling. The batch label taped to the rudder showing H8-707 is repeated in the inset at lower right.

Figure 2: A view of H8 (A20-707) attached to the lifting sling (Australian National Aviation Museum)

The photo below shows late CA-16 production, with the aircraft now painted overall Trainer Yellow.  K7 (A20-728) is visible sitting on dolly wheels, and the rudder of K8 (A20-729) is visible behind the aircraft (shown enlarged in the inset at lower left).

Figure 3: Wirraway Mark III A20-728 on the production line (Australian National Aviation Museum)

The table below lists batch numbers and construction numbers for all Mark III Wirraway aircraft, delivered under the CA-16 contract. The batch numbers are transcribed from Gordon Parker’s delivery records (with the last 25 entries corrected), and have been cross-checked with photographic evidence (some of which is shown above) and several frames and ID tags held in museums or private collections.

CAC Contract Number CA-CAC Constructor’s NumberRAAF SerialBatch Number
161075A20-623A1
161076A20-624A2
161077A20-625A3
161078A20-626A4
161079A20-627A5
161080A20-628A6
161081A20-629A7
161082A20-630A8
161083A20-631A9
161084A20-632A10
161085A20-633A11
161086A20-634B1
161087A20-635B2
161088A20-636B3
161089A20-637B4
161090A20-638B5
161091A20-639B6
161092A20-640B7
161093A20-641B8
161094A20-642B9
161095A20-643B10
161096A20-644B11
161097A20-645C1
161098A20-646C2
161099A20-647C3
161100A20-648C4
161101A20-649C5
161102A20-650C6
161103A20-651C7
161104A20-652C8
161105A20-653C9
161106A20-654C10
161107A20-655C11
161108A20-656D1
161109A20-657D2
161110A20-658D3
161111A20-659D4
161112A20-660D5
161113A20-661D6
161114A20-662D7
161115A20-663D8
161116A20-664D9
161117A20-665D10
161118A20-666D11
161119A20-667E1
161120A20-668E2
161121A20-669E3
161122A20-670E4
161123A20-671E5
161124A20-672E6
161125A20-673E7
161126A20-674E8
161127A20-675E9
161128A20-676E10
161129A20-677E11
161130A20-678F1
161131A20-679F2
161132A20-680F3
161133A20-681F4
161134A20-682F5
161135A20-683F6
161136A20-684F7
161137A20-685F8
161138A20-686F9
161139A20-687F10
161140A20-688F11
161141A20-689G1
161142A20-690G2
161143A20-691G3
161144A20-692G4
161145A20-693G5
161146A20-694G6
161147A20-695G7
161148A20-696G8
161149A20-697G9
161150A20-698G10
161151A20-699G11
161152A20-700H1
161153A20-701H2
161154A20-702H3
161155A20-703H4
161156A20-704H5
161157A20-705H6
161158A20-706H7
161159A20-707H8
161160A20-708H9
161161A20-709H10
161162A20-710H11
161163A20-711J1
161164A20-712J2
161165A20-713J3
161166A20-714J4
161167A20-715J5
161168A20-716J6
161169A20-717J7
161170A20-718J8
161171A20-719J9
161172A20-720J10
161173A20-721J11
161174A20-722K1
161175A20-723K2
161176A20-724K3
161177A20-725K4
161178A20-726K5
161179A20-727K6
161180A20-728K7
161181A20-729K8
161182A20-730K9
161183A20-731K10
161184A20-732K11
161185A20-733L1
161186A20-734L2
161187A20-735L3
161188A20-736L4
161189A20-737L5
161190A20-738L6
161191A20-739L7
161192A20-740L8
161193A20-741L9
161194A20-742L10
161195A20-743L11
161196A20-744M1
161197A20-745M2
161198A20-746M3
161199A20-747M4
161200A20-748M5
161201A20-749M6
161202A20-750M7
161203A20-751M8
161204A20-752M9
161205A20-753M10
161206A20-754M11
161207A20-755N1
161208A20-756N2
161209A20-757N3

I welcome feedback on the table above, with supporting evidence of any possible inaccuracies.

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.