Government Aircraft Factories
Encyclopedia
Government Aircraft Factories (GAF) was the name of an aircraft manufacturer owned by the Government of Australia
based at Fishermans Bend, a suburb of Melbourne
in Victoria
. It had its origins in the lead-up to World War II
, during which it was known as the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP). In 1987, GAF was reorganised and renamed as Aerospace Technologies of Australia (ASTA) then privatised. ASTA subsequently formed the nucleus of Boeing Australia
.
under licence in Australia. After an evaluation process to assess the operational needs of the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF), a British Air Mission sent to Australia recommended that the Beaufort be manufactured for delivery to both the RAAF and the Royal Air Force
(RAF).
It is noteworthy that at this stage (mid-1939) an Australian aircraft industry barely existed. The private-enterprise Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
had by that time completed three of its first product, the Wirraway
, and was in the process of building the prototype of its second type, the Wackett. Both of these were single-engined aircraft and the Wackett was not an advanced design by any criterion. The other major aircraft 'manufacturer', de Havilland Australia
, had up to that time mainly assembled aircraft manufactured by its parent company imported into Australia as parts, commencing the delivery of 20 Tiger Moths
, built from imported fuselages and locally manufactured wings, to the RAAF in May 1939. Total production in Australia to mid-1939 of all types of aircraft was certainly less than 100, and may have been less than seventy. Many of these were "one-offs" and the vast majority were of "wood-and-fabric" construction like the Tiger Moth. By contrast the Beaufort was a large twin-engined all-metal aircraft of advanced design for the time.
An initial order for 180 Beauforts was placed in July 1939, for delivery in equal numbers to the RAAF and RAF. By the time the first aircraft was delivered, the organisation responsible for its manufacture had undergone several changes. In March 1940 the Aircraft Construction Branch was renamed the Aircraft Production Commission. Three months later oversight responsibility was removed from the Minister for Supply and Development to the Minister for Munitions. In June 1941 (by which time production work had begun) the Aircraft Production Commission was removed from the Department of Supply and Development, placed within the newly created Department of Aircraft Production (DAP) and was soon after renamed the Aircraft Advisory Committee for the Co-ordination of Aircraft Production with the actual aircraft manufacturer being constituted as the Beaufort Division, usually referred to as the Beaufort Division of the DAP.
As the Australian-built Beaufort was to be fitted with Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines instead of the Bristol Taurus
es originally installed, the aircraft required several design changes, this partially accounting for the delay between the initial order and the first flight of the first aircraft in August 1941 (a Bristol
-built aircraft had earlier been delivered to Australia and modified, flying with R-1830s for three months prior to this). Another reason for the delay was that various other parts of the aircraft (such as the undercarriage legs) were originally to come from Britain, but because of an embargo by the British Government on War Material after the Fall of France
these had to be locally manufactured instead. One seemingly innocuous item caused major problems; no ball bearing
s were manufactured in Australia at the time, and so with none forthcoming from Britain a local substitute had to be found and incorporated into the design.
The original intention was that the first 90 aircraft would be delivered to the RAF; in the event only six were delivered to that air arm, although 59 were assigned RAF serials in the T95xx and T96xx serial number blocks. The flight of the first Australian-built aircraft was the culmination of efforts by over 600 different companies and organisations - the Beaufort Division being more-or-less only responsible for final assembly, with only wing centre-sections of some aircraft being manufactured "in-house" at Fishermans Bend, gun turret
s being manufactured at Fairfield, Victoria
, and final assembly on two lines; at Fishermans Bend and at Mascot
. Major assemblies were manufactured by the State Rail Workshops of New South Wales
, Victoria and South Australia
, and at the General Motors Holden
factory in Woodville, South Australia
. A total of 700 Beauforts had been built (a figure exceeded only by those for the Wirraway and Tiger Moth among Australian-built aircraft) when production ended in August 1944; by which time the main manufacturing effort had already turned to licence production of the Bristol Beaufighter
.
Beaufighter production proceeded more smoothly than its forebear, as might be expected when the same sub-contracting companies took part in both programmes. The RAAF had considered the type as early as February 1939 and placed an initial order in June that year, before the prototype had even flown. The same supply problems that delayed the Beaufort ended any chance of the RAAF acquiring Beaufighters for the time being, and it wasn't until the end of 1942 that plans began to be laid for Beaufighter production. The Australian Government gave the go-ahead for manufacture of 350 Beaufighters on 30 January 1943 and preparations got underway in earnest. As the supply of engines from Britain was still uncertain at that time, a Bristol-built aircraft was re-engined with Wright GR-2600 Cyclones
as insurance; in the event all Australian-built Beaufighters were fitted with imported Bristol Hercules
engines. The first DAP Beaufighter flew for the first time on 26 May 1944 and production and deliveries slightly overlapped those of Beauforts, with the first two dozen Beaufighters being built and delivered concurrently with the last fifty-or-so Beauforts. Orders were increased to 450 but with the end of the War the programme was terminated after 365 had been built, with another 21 partially built airframes not delivered.
By the time of the reorganisation, preparations for production of the next type to emerge from the GAF were well underway. This was a version of the Avro Lincoln
bomber. The Lincoln B.30 had an extended nose to accommodate two additional crew members and search radar and was used in the bombing and maritime reconnaissance roles. The initial five aircraft were largely assembled from Avro-built components and the first flew on 17 March 1946. A further 68 machines were completely built by the GAF.
From 1953, the GAF built 48 English Electric Canberra
twin-jet tactical bombers under licence. These aircraft were of the uprated B.20 type with extra range capability. Many served in the RAAFs contribution of forces in the war in Vietnam and some were later converted to T.21 operational training standard.
In 1958 the GAF responded to the emerging need for a high performance jet-powered radio controlled target drone by designing the GAF Jindivik
in collaboration with aerospace firms in the United Kingdom. It was powered by a Viper jet engine and could be recovered after flight by landing on skids. It served into the 1960s with Australian and United Kingdom military and government entities.
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
based at Fishermans Bend, a suburb of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. It had its origins in the lead-up to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, during which it was known as the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP). In 1987, GAF was reorganised and renamed as Aerospace Technologies of Australia (ASTA) then privatised. ASTA subsequently formed the nucleus of Boeing Australia
Boeing Australia
Boeing Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, or simply Boeing Australia, is Boeing's largest footprint outside the United States. Established in 2002, the company oversees its seven wholly owned subsidiaries, consolidating and co-ordinating Boeing’s businesses and operations in Australia.Boeing has played an...
.
World War II
The entity was established just before the outbreak of World War II when the Australian government recognised that supplies of aircraft from traditional sources could no longer be assured. To ensure supply of aircraft, in 1939 the government set up the new Department of Supply and Development with an Aircraft Construction Branch within that department; both organisations officially came into being on 1 July 1939. The organisation was set up specifically to produce the Bristol BeaufortBristol Beaufort
The Bristol Beaufort was a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber....
under licence in Australia. After an evaluation process to assess the operational needs of the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF), a British Air Mission sent to Australia recommended that the Beaufort be manufactured for delivery to both the RAAF and the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF).
It is noteworthy that at this stage (mid-1939) an Australian aircraft industry barely existed. The private-enterprise Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation was an Australian aircraft manufacturer. The CAC was established in 1936, to provide Australia with the capability to produce military aircraft and engines.-History:...
had by that time completed three of its first product, the Wirraway
CAC Wirraway
The Wirraway was a training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1939 and 1946...
, and was in the process of building the prototype of its second type, the Wackett. Both of these were single-engined aircraft and the Wackett was not an advanced design by any criterion. The other major aircraft 'manufacturer', de Havilland Australia
De Havilland Australia
De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd was part of de Havilland, then became a separate company. It was purchased by Boeing and is now Hawker de Havilland Aerospace Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Boeing Australia Ltd-Early Years and WWII:...
, had up to that time mainly assembled aircraft manufactured by its parent company imported into Australia as parts, commencing the delivery of 20 Tiger Moths
De Havilland Tiger Moth
The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...
, built from imported fuselages and locally manufactured wings, to the RAAF in May 1939. Total production in Australia to mid-1939 of all types of aircraft was certainly less than 100, and may have been less than seventy. Many of these were "one-offs" and the vast majority were of "wood-and-fabric" construction like the Tiger Moth. By contrast the Beaufort was a large twin-engined all-metal aircraft of advanced design for the time.
An initial order for 180 Beauforts was placed in July 1939, for delivery in equal numbers to the RAAF and RAF. By the time the first aircraft was delivered, the organisation responsible for its manufacture had undergone several changes. In March 1940 the Aircraft Construction Branch was renamed the Aircraft Production Commission. Three months later oversight responsibility was removed from the Minister for Supply and Development to the Minister for Munitions. In June 1941 (by which time production work had begun) the Aircraft Production Commission was removed from the Department of Supply and Development, placed within the newly created Department of Aircraft Production (DAP) and was soon after renamed the Aircraft Advisory Committee for the Co-ordination of Aircraft Production with the actual aircraft manufacturer being constituted as the Beaufort Division, usually referred to as the Beaufort Division of the DAP.
As the Australian-built Beaufort was to be fitted with Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines instead of the Bristol Taurus
Bristol Taurus
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
es originally installed, the aircraft required several design changes, this partially accounting for the delay between the initial order and the first flight of the first aircraft in August 1941 (a Bristol
Bristol Aeroplane Company
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aero engines...
-built aircraft had earlier been delivered to Australia and modified, flying with R-1830s for three months prior to this). Another reason for the delay was that various other parts of the aircraft (such as the undercarriage legs) were originally to come from Britain, but because of an embargo by the British Government on War Material after the Fall of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
these had to be locally manufactured instead. One seemingly innocuous item caused major problems; no ball bearing
Ball bearing
A ball bearing is a type of rolling-element bearing that uses balls to maintain the separation between the bearing races.The purpose of a ball bearing is to reduce rotational friction and support radial and axial loads. It achieves this by using at least two races to contain the balls and transmit...
s were manufactured in Australia at the time, and so with none forthcoming from Britain a local substitute had to be found and incorporated into the design.
The original intention was that the first 90 aircraft would be delivered to the RAF; in the event only six were delivered to that air arm, although 59 were assigned RAF serials in the T95xx and T96xx serial number blocks. The flight of the first Australian-built aircraft was the culmination of efforts by over 600 different companies and organisations - the Beaufort Division being more-or-less only responsible for final assembly, with only wing centre-sections of some aircraft being manufactured "in-house" at Fishermans Bend, gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
s being manufactured at Fairfield, Victoria
Fairfield, Victoria
Fairfield is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Darebin and Yarra...
, and final assembly on two lines; at Fishermans Bend and at Mascot
Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada...
. Major assemblies were manufactured by the State Rail Workshops of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Victoria and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, and at the General Motors Holden
Holden
GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
factory in Woodville, South Australia
Woodville, South Australia
Woodville is a suburb of Adelaide, situated about 8 kilometres northwest of the Central Business District of Adelaide. It lies within the City of Charles Sturt. The postcode of Woodville is 5011...
. A total of 700 Beauforts had been built (a figure exceeded only by those for the Wirraway and Tiger Moth among Australian-built aircraft) when production ended in August 1944; by which time the main manufacturing effort had already turned to licence production of the Bristol Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
.
Beaufighter production proceeded more smoothly than its forebear, as might be expected when the same sub-contracting companies took part in both programmes. The RAAF had considered the type as early as February 1939 and placed an initial order in June that year, before the prototype had even flown. The same supply problems that delayed the Beaufort ended any chance of the RAAF acquiring Beaufighters for the time being, and it wasn't until the end of 1942 that plans began to be laid for Beaufighter production. The Australian Government gave the go-ahead for manufacture of 350 Beaufighters on 30 January 1943 and preparations got underway in earnest. As the supply of engines from Britain was still uncertain at that time, a Bristol-built aircraft was re-engined with Wright GR-2600 Cyclones
Wright R-2600
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1998. ISBN 0-517-67964-7-External links:...
as insurance; in the event all Australian-built Beaufighters were fitted with imported Bristol Hercules
Bristol Hercules
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Gunston, B. Classic World War II Aircraft Cutaways. Osprey. ISBN 1-85532-526-8*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
engines. The first DAP Beaufighter flew for the first time on 26 May 1944 and production and deliveries slightly overlapped those of Beauforts, with the first two dozen Beaufighters being built and delivered concurrently with the last fifty-or-so Beauforts. Orders were increased to 450 but with the end of the War the programme was terminated after 365 had been built, with another 21 partially built airframes not delivered.
Post war operations
After the end of the Second World War came a scaling back of the Australian aviation industry, with the number of employees in Australia as a whole being reduced by 90%. In the case of the DAP there was also a reorganisation, the result of which was another name change, the longest-lasting and the one by which the organisation would be best-known - the Government Aircraft Factories (GAF).By the time of the reorganisation, preparations for production of the next type to emerge from the GAF were well underway. This was a version of the Avro Lincoln
Avro Lincoln
The Avro Type 694, better known as the Avro Lincoln, was a British four-engined heavy bomber, which first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were known initially as the Lancaster IV and V, but were renamed Lincoln I and II...
bomber. The Lincoln B.30 had an extended nose to accommodate two additional crew members and search radar and was used in the bombing and maritime reconnaissance roles. The initial five aircraft were largely assembled from Avro-built components and the first flew on 17 March 1946. A further 68 machines were completely built by the GAF.
From 1953, the GAF built 48 English Electric Canberra
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
twin-jet tactical bombers under licence. These aircraft were of the uprated B.20 type with extra range capability. Many served in the RAAFs contribution of forces in the war in Vietnam and some were later converted to T.21 operational training standard.
In 1958 the GAF responded to the emerging need for a high performance jet-powered radio controlled target drone by designing the GAF Jindivik
GAF Jindivik
The GAF Jindivik is a target drone produced by the Australian Government Aircraft Factory . The name is from an Aboriginal Australian word meaning the hunted one. Two manned prototypes, were built as GAF Pikas as a proof of concept to test the aerodynamics, engine and radio control systems,...
in collaboration with aerospace firms in the United Kingdom. It was powered by a Viper jet engine and could be recovered after flight by landing on skids. It served into the 1960s with Australian and United Kingdom military and government entities.
Aircraft types produced
- Bristol BeaufortBristol BeaufortThe Bristol Beaufort was a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber....
- Bristol BeaufighterBristol BeaufighterThe Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
- Avro LincolnAvro LincolnThe Avro Type 694, better known as the Avro Lincoln, was a British four-engined heavy bomber, which first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were known initially as the Lancaster IV and V, but were renamed Lincoln I and II...
- English Electric CanberraEnglish Electric CanberraThe English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
- GAF Pika
- GAF Jindivik
- Malkara missileMalkara missileThe Malkara missile was one of the earliest anti-tank guided missiles . It was jointly developed by Australia and the United Kingdom between 1951 and 1954, and was in service from 1958 until gradually replaced by the Swingfire missile in the late 1960s...
- Ikara missileIkara (missile)The Ikara missile was an Australian ship-launched anti-submarine missile, named after an Australian Aboriginal word for "throwing stick". It launched an acoustic torpedo to a range of , allowing fast-reaction attacks against submarines at ranges that would otherwise require the launching ship to...
- Dassault Mirage IIIDassault Mirage IIIThe Mirage III is a supersonic fighter aircraft designed by Dassault Aviation during the late 1950s, and manufactured both in France and a number of other countries. It was a successful fighter aircraft, being sold to many air forces around the world and remaining in production for over a decade...
- GAF NomadGAF NomadThe GAF Nomad is a twin-engine turboprop, high-winged, "short take off and landing" aircraft . It was designed and built by the Australian Government Aircraft Factories at Fishermens Bend, Melbourne. Major users of the design have included the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, the...
- McDonnell DouglasMcDonnell DouglasMcDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport...
F/A-18 HornetF/A-18 HornetThe McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...