A23 – AAC A10 Wamira

AAC was then awarded a $36 million contract to design and develop this basic trainer for the RAAF. The AAC programme timescale was to have the design completed by November 1983, the first flight of the prototype in February 1985, and delivery of the first production aircraft to the RAAF in October 1987. A model of the new RAAF basic trainer was displayed at the Paris Air Show in June 1983. By August, work had progressed at GAF Fishermen’s Bend to the stage that an engineering mockup had been completed. This was unveiled to the media on August 16, and was designated the A10. Although metal was being cut for the two prototypes to attempt achieving the February 1985 target date, there were indications that there could be a slippage of twelve months in the introduction to service.

At the same time the Royal Air Force had a requirement for 150 basic trainers to replace the Jet Provost, and AAC began trying to interest British industry in the Australian design. The RAF preferred a tandem seat trainer, so this option was studied by AAC. The A10 had been designed with a third seat behind the front two, so redesign of side by side to tandem configuration for the British specification required no lengthening of the fuselage. This tandem variant became the A20.

The Wamira Name

Meanwhile the RAAF had held a competition for a name for the new trainer. RAAF indigenous trainers previously had Aboriginal names, which coincidently had started with the letter “W”. In 1928, the RAAF Experimental Station at Randwick, under Lawrence Wackett, had designed an advanced trainer. This was handed over to No 1 Flying Training School at Point Cook on January 31 1929, and was christened the Warrigal I (meaning “Untamed”), but crashed later that year. The advanced Warrigal II fighter of 1930 was discontinued due to lack of funds. CAC’s Wirraway (“Challenge”) was the RAAF’s advanced trainer throughout the Second World War until 1959. CAC followed this with the Winjeel (“Young Eagle”), which was the RAAF’s basic trainer from 1955 until replacement by the CT-4 in 1976. The winning name chosen in November 1983 for the A10 was Wamira, a derivative of the Woomera throwing stick.

Program Challenges and Cancellation

In 1984, the A20 Wamira was shortlisted with three other contenders for the RAF requirement, and in July AAC teamed with the UK’s Westland as the RAF supplier. However, this bid was unsuccessful at the next stage when the two finalists became the Swiss Pilatus PC-9 and the Brazilian Embraer Tucano. The latter was finally selected, some think for more political reasons than for technical merit.

In November 1982, the new Basic Pilot Training Aircraft was allocated the RAAF A23 identification prefix. The requirement was for two prototypes and 69 production trainers. Australia’s last indigenous military aircraft programme was killed off by cost blowouts, bureaucratic infighting and programme delays. The Wamira programme was finally cancelled in December 1985 at a loss of about $60m to the taxpayer.

During July 1985, HdH amalgamated with CAC and their partnership controlled 66% of AAC. Having then bought the remainder from GAF, AAC became a wholly owned subsidiary of HdH. However, the development for the tandem seat version had distracted AAC from the RAAF requirement, and by mid 1985 design work had still not been completed. The date for the first flight had slipped to 1986 and major cost overruns had led to the cancellation of one of the prototypes. The Defence Minister gave AAC a reprieve for a further three months and opened the competition to include the Tucano and Pilatus PC-9. HdH took over the programme management and simplified the Wamira into the A10B variant. On December 16 1985, the Minister announced the Government would not proceed with the Wamira, and would opt instead for the purchase of 69 Pilatus PC-9s. (This order would, in turn, be reduced to 67 PC-9s.)

Aftermath and Survival

The decision in favour of the PC-9 was a complete reversal from the requirement of the original AFST 5044. The side by side seating, which had dictated the original AAC design, had given way to tandem seating, and the Basic Pilot Training Aircraft was to remain the CT-4: the PC-9 would be an advanced trainer. RAAF pilot training would be restructured and include CT-4/PC-9/Macchi progression.

The sole A10B Wamira, which had the mating of fuselage and wings completed in December 1985 (the same month as its demise) still survives. RAAF School of Technical Training at Wagga used the Wamira as a training aid for several years, before passing the aircraft on to the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). Now residing at RMIT, it is hoped that like other rare indigenous aircraft, the Wamira will find an appropriate home in an Australian air museum.