CA-15 Kangaroo versus P-51D Mustang

[Skyraider3D]

Somewhere I once read that the Commonwealth CA-15 Kangaroo was trialed against the P-51D Mustang. Does anybody have more details about this? I am especially interested in the serial of the Mustang used and any photos which may exist of these trials.

[Michael Louey]

Hi Skyraider,

Sorry I don't have any positive reply for you. The source of your information about CA 15 - P51D trials would be useful to get onto the right trail. The 2 main references I have Wirraway, Boomerang and CA-15 in Australian Service (Stewart Wilson) and Wings of Fame Nbr 4 do not mention such trials. The first reference does have comparitive performance values for the CA 15 against P51-D-5 and P51-H but I suspect that these are just specification comparisons (and there would never have been any P51-H's in Australia). Flight reports from CAC for all the 23 flights there are included in Ref 1 and these are shakeout/calibration flights - no mention of trials. Similarly Ref 2 describes calibration flights after handover to the RAAF but once again no mention of P51 trials. There are some photos of P51's (Actually CA 17) Mustangs in the background of the CA-15 but these are likely to just be aircraft waiting testing before delivery. You may want to try the ADF serial website - they might be able to give you some leads -
www.adf-serials.com

Just for information, if you are planning a painting, there is an air to air photo of the CA-15 taken directly from behind the rear turret of a Avro (GAF) Lincoln so that might make an interesting formation picture.

Cheers

Michael

[Skyraider3D]

I don't know the source anymore as it's from something I read long ago and was just ringing in the back of my head. Seeing as there doesn't seem to be any evidence of such trials, I guess I must have read somewhere a comparisson between the P-51D and CA-15 and somehow in my memory that must have started leading a life of its own!

Yes, I know the head-on CA-15 shot from the Lincoln. A very nice photo indeed. I was indeed planning on an artwork, but I guess I'll settle for an image of the CA-15 on its own.

Thanks for your reply, Michael!