The CAC Boomerang
A Detailed Guide to the RAAF's Famous WWII Fighter

by Richard Franks

Valiant Wings Publishing
Airframe Album No. 3

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

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This is Valiant Wings Publishing third book in their new “Airframe Album” series which directly targets the modeller who is seeking reference to detail their latest creation.

The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) Boomerang was a single-engine, low wing, monoplane fighter aircraft armed with both cannon and machine guns.  It was designed and manufactured in Australia between 1942 and 1945 by CAC which produced 250 of them in all.  Airframe Album 3 details the Boomerang in its various derivations, the CA-12, CA-13, and the CA-19 (as well as a single CA-14!)

I was excited when I saw the advertisement for this book, so much so that I ordered it immediately.  After seeing their Sea Fury book I anticipated this one to be equally as good and pretty much the definitive modeller’s guide to CAC’s Boomerang. 

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Thumbnail panels:

Was I happy with what I received?  Read on for my conclusions!

The book is laid out is as follows:

• Preface – A précis on the history of Boomerang, its evolution, and its employment.   It also includes a comparison with the CAC’s other WWII aircraft, the Wirraway.
  9 pages (if you include the Glossary). 

• Technical Description – A 35 page coverage of the construction of and the various components that made up the Boomerang.  This chapter is broken down into a further eight different sections that contain myriad contemporary colour and period black & white images as well as technical drawings taken from official drawings:

• Fuselage – the cockpit interior, canopy, main and aft fuselage/fuel cell, hydraulics, oil, oxygen, hydraulics, and oxygen systems.

• Undercarriage – mains, tail wheel, and the brake system.

• Tail – tailplane and rudder.

• Wings – the wings themselves as well as the undercarriage bays.

• Engine – engine, cowling, exhaust and propeller.

• Weapons – armament, ordnance, and gun sight.

• Electrical – radio, and miscellaneous (control boxes, batteries etc).

• Miscellaneous – Access panels, and equipment. 

• Evolution - 10 pages.  This section provides you with a written description of each version of the Boomerang as well as isometric and line drawings and photographic illustration of each version.

• Camouflage & Markings – 21 pages.  A full written description of the “main” colour schemes and their variation/evolution worn by the Boomerang from the earth brown and foliage green with sky blue undersides initial scheme worn by the first production machine to the overall foliage green with white theatre recognition markings of the final machines.   Coverage is also provided for extant restored Boomerangs.  This section includes 30 fine full colour profiles by Richard Caruana.

• Survivors – 5 pages.  A listing of surviving airframes that includes its’ history where known

• A Big Boomerang – A three page review of the 1/32 scale Montex/Alley Cat resin kit of the Boomerang.

• Appendix 1 – Boomerang Kits – Listed by scale and manufacturer – 1 page.

• Appendix II – Boomerang Accessories – Listed by scale and Manufacturer – A half page.

• Appendix III – Boomerang Decals - Listed by scale and Manufacturer – 1 and a half pages.

• Appendix IV – Serial Numbers – 8 pages.  A thumbnail history of every Boomerang manufactured.

• Appendix V – Bibliography – a listing of various documents/publications/periodicals & part works dealing with the Boomerang.

The book is softbound with 98 pages of good quality glossy paper and measures 8″ x 11″.

Well, was it worth the wait?  Yes and no.  As a product, it is a good one with good clear images on good quality paper but I am afraid it does suffer some mistakes that could have easily been avoided by some diligent proof reading and correct interpretation of the images.  

An example of this is the images on page 34.  They are actually of the centre section of the wing, not the port and starboard wings as described. 

However, in my humble opinion, the book is worth the price being asked for it.  Sure, there are mistakes within its pages but if you are a student of the Boomerang and intend on replicating one in scale form you will be checking your facts against more than one publication to draw your conclusions!

Footnote

A note on the bottom of page 86 (Big Boomerang) invites you to visit their website to download full-build feature on the kit by Steve A. Evans.  Do so as it is a stunning build!

Thanks to Valiant Wings Publishing for the sample.

Review Copyright © 2013 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 29 August, 2013
Last updated 30 August, 2013

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