Lawrence Wackett
Encyclopedia
Sir Lawrence James Wackett KBE
, DFC
, AFC
(2 January 1896 – 18 March 1982) is widely regarded as "father of the Australian aircraft industry". He has been described as "one of the towering figures in the history of Australian aviation covering, as he did, virtually all aspects of activities: pilot, designer of airframes and engines, entrepreneur and manager". He was knight
ed for his services to aviation and was a winner of the Oswald Watt Gold Medal
. He was also a keen angler
and wrote two books on the subject.
, on 2 January 1896. He joined the Australian Army
and graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon
, then with the rank of Lieutenant
joined No. 1 Squadron
of the Australian Flying Corps
(AFC) which had formed at Point Cook
the day before his 20th birthday. He was one of twelve pilots that went to Egypt
with the Squadron to operate in support of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign
, embarking on 16 March 1916 and arriving at Suez
four weeks later.
In Egypt he designed a mounting to attach a Lewis Gun
to the upper wing of his BE2c; this seems a small thing but it represented a vast improvement to a type that was described by Hudson Fysh
(who served with Wackett in 1 Sqn.) as the 'poorest of all offensive, or defensive aircraft'. The BE2c was normally armed with a machine gun at the observer's position, but the observer sat in front of the pilot and behind the engine, and between the upper and lower wings. This meant that the machine gun could only be fired in fairly narrow arcs if the Observer was to avoid hitting his own aircraft. Wackett's modification meant that all he had to do was point the whole aircraft at his adversary (no mean feat, as it was so stable as to be almost unmanouvreable) and that he had a measure of protection when on a bombing mission (because the BE2c could carry bombs or an Observer, but not both).
Wackett used his modified BE2c to good effect on several occasions. He once gave the enemy pause when while on a reconnaissance
mission he was attacked by two Rumpler C.I
s. Wackett flew towards them firing the gun and the Rumplers broke off the fight. On 11 November 1916 he was in his BE2c on a 7-hour bombing mission to Beersheba
with four other BE2s and a Martinsyde G.100
when the formation came under attack by two much superior German aircraft. Wackett was able to use his aircraft to assist the Martinsyde in defending their comrades and fighting off the attack.
Wackett later transferred to No. 3 Squadron
AFC in France
and played a significant role in the Battle of Hamel
fought on 4 July 1918. Captured German documents revealed that they had been experimenting with dropping ammunition from aircraft and 3 Sqn. was asked to investigate doing the same. Wackett was asked to do the work as his reputation had spread; 'he had a gift for mechanical inventions' according to his superiors. Now a Captain
, he devised a small parachute that could be used to drop supplies to troops, designed a modified bomb rack to hold the supplies and then trained 3 Sqn. personnel in the required technique. General Monash's
battle plan for Hamel involved resupplying the engaged machine-gunners with ammunition dropped by aircraft. In the event 3 Sqn was assigned other tasks during the battle and the ammunition dropping was performed by No. 9 Squadron RAF
. Monash later wrote, 'at least 100,000 rounds of ammunition were [dropped] during the battle with obvious economy in lives and wounds. The method thus initiated became general in later months'. Later that year, on 25 September, Wackett undertook a daring reconnaissance mission in 3 Squadron's first Bristol F.2 Fighter
, when he penetrated six miles (10 km) behind enemy lines to take aerial photographs of the German Joncourt
-Villers Outreaux line, that were needed for a forthcoming attack. Two days later he carried out an ammunition resupply flight to some isolated troops using the equipment he had designed. As a result of these two actions he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
. By the end of the war two months later he had been promoted to the rank of Major
. On 6 January 1919 he was appointed the Commanding Officer of No. 7 Squadron
AFC based at Leighterton
in England
. 7 Sqn. had acted as the training unit for No. 3 Sqn during the recent conflict and Wackett remained the CO until the Squadron was disbanded in March that year, at which time he returned to Australia.
Post-war, Wackett was one of just 21 officers who formed the nucleus of the new Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) in 1921. He had a strong belief in the need to develop an indigenous aircraft industry and completed a Bachelor of Science
degree at the University of Melbourne
, then had two years of advanced training in aircraft design under Frank Barnwell
, designer of the F.2 Fighter aircraft that he had flown while serving with 3 Sqn. AFC. He entered and won second prize in the 1924 Low-Powered Aeroplane Competition (held at Richmond
in December that year) with his first design, the Warbler. This was a parasol wing
monoplane
powered by an engine also of his own design, the Wizard, a two-cylinder horizontally-opposed monosoupape-type
pusher engine
developing 25 hp.
, Sydney
, and prevailed upon his superiors to acquire the workshop. The RAAF Experimental Aircraft Section was thus established in January 1924 and Wackett, by then a Squadron Leader
, was placed in charge. He tried to obtain permission to design and build an entirely Australian aircraft, but the RAAF had no money in its budget for this and would not give the go-ahead unless Wackett could obtain funds from some other source. Wackett then approached the Controller of Civil Aviation Colonel
H. C. Brinsmead and managed to persuade the Civil Aviation Branch (of the Department of Defence
, there not being a separate Department of Civil Aviation at this time) to fund the construction of a small flying boat
.
The result was the Widgeon
, a wooden hull biplane
flying boat powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Puma of 230 hp located below and forward of the upper wing. This aircraft, the first flying boat to be wholly designed and constructed in Australia, was registered to the Civil Aviation Branch out of the Australian sequence (i.e. G-AUxx) as G-AEKB, after E. K. Bowden
, Minister for Defence. The aircraft was launched on 7 July 1925 into Botany Bay
. The following day it hit a sandbank during taxi tests and later overturned whilst attempting a takeoff. Wackett was onboard with Brinsmead and two mechanics; all were unhurt. The aircraft was repaired and made its first flight on December 3 that year. Wackett subsequently installed a more-powerful 300 hp ADC Nimbus
engine and an undercarriage
, converting it into an amphibian
. Following the modifications the Widgeon I was transferred to the RAAF and used at Point Cook for flying boat training from 1927. The aircraft operated with the RAAF until 1929, when it was scrapped. A larger amphibian, the Widgeon II, powered by a 440 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engine, was the next aircraft to emerge from the Experimental Section workshop. Wackett himself flew the Widgeon II extensively, later saying, "I proved its capability by flying it on a 9000 miles (14,484.1 km) journey across and around part of the Australian continent in 1928". The next aircraft developed at Randwick was the two-seat Warrigal I
of 1929, a biplane trainer
of conventional design, powered by a 180 hp Armstrong Siddeley Lynx radial engine. This was followed in 1930 by the improved Warrigal II, powered by a 450 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar radial engine.
On 21 March 1927, Wackett was elected the inaugural Chairman of the NSW Division of the Institution of Aeronautical Engineers (IoAE) in Sydney. The following year, after the amalgamation of the Royal Aeronautical Society
(RAeS) and the IoAE parent body in Britain, he was appointed the inaugural Deputy Chairman of the Australasian Branch of the RAeS. He also found time to act as the New South Wales RAAF Aide de Camp to the Governor General, although the duties were not onerous.
of Wing Commander
and transferred (with some personnel and equipment) to the Cockatoo Island
Naval Dockyard. Here he was involved in the design of watercraft
as well as aircraft. He continued working for the RAAF - a single de Havilland D.H.60G Gipsy Moth was built at the Dockyard under his supervision and entered RAAF service in 1933. He also undertook civilian aviation projects including repair and modification projects, and built the Cockatoo Docks & Engineering LJW.6 Codock, a six passenger airliner powered by two Napier Javelin
engines of 160 hp, for Sir
Charles Kingsford Smith
. A later design for a larger aircraft, the 4-engined Corella, did not leave the drawing board, nor did his other aircraft concepts; VH-URP, the solitary Codock, was the only Wackett aircraft design built at the Dockyard. His marine designs at the Dockyard included small motorboat
s such as the Cettien (which won the Griffith Cup in 1934 and 1935) and the racing hydroplane Century Tire II, and larger commercial passenger-carrying vessels as well.
In 1934, Wackett and some of his staff joined Tugan Aircraft
at Mascot aerodrome
. The following year, following a series of accidents involving Australian-operated de Havilland D.H.86
s, he and his brother Ellis
(who was then the Director of RAAF Technical Services) were asked to provide their views and recommendations to a special conference convened by the Civil Aviation Branch, held to examine the type and its shortcomings. In 1936 he was seconded to the RAAF to lead a technical mission to Europe
(including future enemy nations Nazi Germany
and Fascist Italy
) and the USA to evaluate modern aircraft types and select a type suitable to Australia's defence needs and within Australia's capabitities to build. The three-man mission lasted five months and on its return advised that the North American NA-16 was the most suitable type. On completion of the mission Wackett returned to Tugan Aircraft, where the Codock design was developed into the LJW7 Gannet six/seven passenger airliner powered by two de Havilland Gipsy Six
engines. This was the first of Wackett's designs to enter series production. The first aircraft was delivered in late 1935 and a total of eight Gannets were built for cilvilian customers and the RAAF. The RAAF took delivery of one new Gannet and subsequently operated another five second-hand examples. One RAAF aircraft was temporarily modified with Menasco engines as the LJW7A during World War II
.
Shortly after the establishment of the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
(CAC), Tugan Aircraft was purchased to give CAC a nucleus of experienced personnel. Upon joining CAC Wackett immediately became the General Manager and he oversaw the entry into production of the first aircraft mass-produced in Australia, the CAC Wirraway
development of the NA-16 he had earlier recommended. The second type to emerge from CAC under Wackett's stewardship was the eponymous Wackett Trainer, the first prototype flying for the first time just after the outbreak of World War II.
During the Second World War, Wackett presided over a company - that hadn't even existed a mere three years before the outbreak - employing thousands of people, that was now delivering hundreds of aircraft as well as engines and propellers for those aircraft. Aircraft types emerging from CAC during the war period included the innovative and advanced Woomera
and CA-15
, however like many of his pre-war designs these were built as prototypes only, being the victims of circumstance and changing requirements. He also suffered personal tragedy during the war when his son, Squadron Leader Wilbur Lawrence Wackett, was killed in 1944 while serving as a Beaufighter
pilot with No. 31 Squadron RAAF
.
Following World War II his influence was again exerted over the RAAF when it became necessary to replace the de Havilland Vampire
first-generation jet fighters then in service. CAC initially offered the advanced CA-23 design to the RAAF but this lost out to the Hawker P.1081
then in development in the UK. When the P.1081 was cancelled, Gloster Meteor
s were ordered in the interim, but the combat experiences of No. 77 Squadron RAAF
during the Korean War
showed that a more modern type was urgently needed. The anglophile
government of the day wanted to wait for the Hawker Hunter
to become available, but Wackett decided otherwise. He negotiated with North American Aviation
and Rolls-Royce
to manufacture the Sabre
jet fighter and Avon
engine of those companies under licence. The use of the Avon and other features such as using 30mm Aden cannon
armament instead of .50in Browning machine guns necessitated a 60% redesign of the Sabre fuselage and resulted in perhaps the best variant of that aircraft. The RAAF Chief of Air Staff at the time, Air Marshal
George Jones
(who had known Wackett since the time both served in 1 Sqn. AFC), was suitably impressed by the Avon-Sabre as it became known, and threw his weight behind the project. The Sabre was ordered for the RAAF to both its and CAC's benefit.
When the time came to replace the Sabre, Wackett once again was largely responsible for deciding which aircraft was selected, albeit with less desirable results from CAC's point of view. The selection race was even more wide open than that which saw the Sabre selected, with six types in the running. The Lockheed Starfighter
was considered (by almost everyone except Wackett it seems) to be the best aircraft for the RAAF; the process had got to the stage where the Starfighter had been selected and the decision was about to be made public when Wackett declared to George Jones (by this time a member of the Board of directors
of CAC), "I think that I should decide what aircraft the RAAF should buy!" and once more set to work to do just that. Wackett together with some members of the RAAF, had the decision for the Starfighter overturned in favour of the Dassault Mirage and CAC staff commenced working with Dassault (in the expectation that CAC would build the Mirage under licence as it had the Sabre and P-51 Mustang
fighters). However in a serious reverse to CAC the Government Aircraft Factory was selected to build the Mirage instead, this being a move by the government of the day to rationalise the Australian aircraft industry. Wackett and the CAC Board undertook extensive lobbying to reverse the decision but the best that could be achieved was a subcontract to build the Mirage's wings, tails and engines. The Mirage itself was a sound choice on Wackett's part that proved well suited to the RAAF's needs and the production programme was the last that Wackett oversaw; he retired in 1966 with the delivery of Mirage components in full swing.
Lawrence Wackett died on 18 March 1982. Four years after his death the company with which he was bound for so long, CAC, had ceased to exist. His name lives on - the RMIT University
established the Sir Lawrence Wackett Centre for Aerospace Design Technology in 1991 at the former CAC factory.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
, AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
(2 January 1896 – 18 March 1982) is widely regarded as "father of the Australian aircraft industry". He has been described as "one of the towering figures in the history of Australian aviation covering, as he did, virtually all aspects of activities: pilot, designer of airframes and engines, entrepreneur and manager". He was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed for his services to aviation and was a winner of the Oswald Watt Gold Medal
Oswald Watt Gold Medal
The Oswald Watt Gold Medal is an Australian aviation award named for Oswald Watt a decorated pilot in World War I.It originated in 1921 after the death of Oswald Watt and is awarded for "A most brilliant performance in the air or the most notable contribution to aviation by an Australian or in...
. He was also a keen angler
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
and wrote two books on the subject.
Early years, war service and education
Wackett was born in Townsville, QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, on 2 January 1896. He joined the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
and graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon
Royal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
, then with the rank of Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
joined No. 1 Squadron
No. 1 Squadron RAAF
No. 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron based at RAAF Amberley. The squadron is currently being re-equipped with F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighters.-World War I:...
of the Australian Flying Corps
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...
(AFC) which had formed at Point Cook
RAAF Williams
RAAF Williams comprises the two bases of Point Cook and Laverton. Both establishments previously existed as separate RAAF Bases until 1999 when they were amalgamated to form RAAF Williams...
the day before his 20th birthday. He was one of twelve pilots that went to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
with the Squadron to operate in support of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
The Sinai and Palestine Campaigns took place in the Middle Eastern Theatre of World War I. A series of battles were fought between British Empire, German Empire and Ottoman Empire forces from 26 January 1915 to 31 October 1918, when the Armistice of Mudros was signed between the Ottoman Empire and...
, embarking on 16 March 1916 and arriving at Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
four weeks later.
Lewis Gun
The Lewis Gun is a World War I–era light machine gun of American design that was perfected and widely used by the British Empire. It was first used in combat in World War I, and continued in service with a number of armed forces through to the end of the Korean War...
to the upper wing of his BE2c; this seems a small thing but it represented a vast improvement to a type that was described by Hudson Fysh
Hudson Fysh
Sir Wilmot Hudson Fysh KBE, DFC was an Australian aviator and businessman. A founder of the Australian airline company Qantas, Fysh was born in Launceston, Tasmania. Serving in the Battle of Gallipoli and Palestine Campaign as a lieutenant of the Australian Light Horse Brigade, Fysh later became...
(who served with Wackett in 1 Sqn.) as the 'poorest of all offensive, or defensive aircraft'. The BE2c was normally armed with a machine gun at the observer's position, but the observer sat in front of the pilot and behind the engine, and between the upper and lower wings. This meant that the machine gun could only be fired in fairly narrow arcs if the Observer was to avoid hitting his own aircraft. Wackett's modification meant that all he had to do was point the whole aircraft at his adversary (no mean feat, as it was so stable as to be almost unmanouvreable) and that he had a measure of protection when on a bombing mission (because the BE2c could carry bombs or an Observer, but not both).
Wackett used his modified BE2c to good effect on several occasions. He once gave the enemy pause when while on a reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
mission he was attacked by two Rumpler C.I
Rumpler C.I
-See also:- References :* Munson, Kenneth - Bombers, Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft 1914 - 1919 ISBN 0 7537 0918 X* Munson, Kenneth - Fighters, Attack and Training Aircraft 1914 - 1919 ISBN 0 7537 0916 3...
s. Wackett flew towards them firing the gun and the Rumplers broke off the fight. On 11 November 1916 he was in his BE2c on a 7-hour bombing mission to Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
with four other BE2s and a Martinsyde G.100
Martinsyde G.100
-See also:-References:* Aircraft of World War I, Kenneth Munson, 1967 Ian Allan ISBN 0-7110-0356-4-External links:* http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft/gbritain/martinsyde_g100.php* http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=721...
when the formation came under attack by two much superior German aircraft. Wackett was able to use his aircraft to assist the Martinsyde in defending their comrades and fighting off the attack.
Wackett later transferred to No. 3 Squadron
No. 3 Squadron RAAF
No. 3 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron. It was first formed in 1916 and currently operates F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle, New South Wales.-World War I:...
AFC in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and played a significant role in the Battle of Hamel
Battle of Hamel
The Battle of Hamel was a successful attack launched by the Australian Corps of the Australian Imperial Force and several American units against German positions in and around the town of Hamel in northern France during World War I....
fought on 4 July 1918. Captured German documents revealed that they had been experimenting with dropping ammunition from aircraft and 3 Sqn. was asked to investigate doing the same. Wackett was asked to do the work as his reputation had spread; 'he had a gift for mechanical inventions' according to his superiors. Now a Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
, he devised a small parachute that could be used to drop supplies to troops, designed a modified bomb rack to hold the supplies and then trained 3 Sqn. personnel in the required technique. General Monash's
John Monash
General Sir John Monash GCMG, KCB, VD was a civil engineer who became the Australian military commander in the First World War. He commanded the 13th Infantry Brigade before the War and then became commander of the 4th Brigade in Egypt shortly after the outbreak of the War with whom he took part...
battle plan for Hamel involved resupplying the engaged machine-gunners with ammunition dropped by aircraft. In the event 3 Sqn was assigned other tasks during the battle and the ammunition dropping was performed by No. 9 Squadron RAF
No. IX Squadron RAF
No. 9 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was the first in the service to receive the Panavia Tornado, which it currently operates from RAF Marham, Norfolk.-First World War:...
. Monash later wrote, 'at least 100,000 rounds of ammunition were [dropped] during the battle with obvious economy in lives and wounds. The method thus initiated became general in later months'. Later that year, on 25 September, Wackett undertook a daring reconnaissance mission in 3 Squadron's first Bristol F.2 Fighter
Bristol F.2 Fighter
The Bristol F.2 Fighter was a British two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War flown by the Royal Flying Corps. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter or popularly the "Brisfit" or "Biff". Despite being a two-seater, the F.2B proved to be an agile aircraft...
, when he penetrated six miles (10 km) behind enemy lines to take aerial photographs of the German Joncourt
Joncourt
Joncourt is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.It lies near the St. Quentin Canal.-History:On 1 October 1918 during World War I, a battle was fought there that was described by the Allied media at that time as "the Miracle of the War", the 46th Division broke through...
-Villers Outreaux line, that were needed for a forthcoming attack. Two days later he carried out an ammunition resupply flight to some isolated troops using the equipment he had designed. As a result of these two actions he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
. By the end of the war two months later he had been promoted to the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. On 6 January 1919 he was appointed the Commanding Officer of No. 7 Squadron
No. 7 Squadron RAAF
No. 7 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force flying training squadron of World War I and medium bomber squadron of World War II. The Squadron was first formed in October 1917 and was disbanded in December 1945 after seeing action during the Pacific War....
AFC based at Leighterton
Leighterton
Leighterton is a village in rural Gloucestershire off the A46. It is in the civil parish of Boxwell with Leighterton.Famous people: Matthew James Clout, Born March 15th 1996. Angus Duncan Milne, Born February 22nd 1996...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. 7 Sqn. had acted as the training unit for No. 3 Sqn during the recent conflict and Wackett remained the CO until the Squadron was disbanded in March that year, at which time he returned to Australia.
Post-war, Wackett was one of just 21 officers who formed the nucleus of the new 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) in 1921. He had a strong belief in the need to develop an indigenous aircraft industry and completed a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, then had two years of advanced training in aircraft design under Frank Barnwell
Frank Barnwell
Captain Frank Sowter Barnwell OBE AFC FRAeS BSc was an aeronautical engineer, who performed the first powered flight in Scotland and later went on to a career as an aircraft designer.-History:...
, designer of the F.2 Fighter aircraft that he had flown while serving with 3 Sqn. AFC. He entered and won second prize in the 1924 Low-Powered Aeroplane Competition (held at Richmond
RAAF Base Richmond
RAAF Base Richmond is one of Australia's oldest and largest air force bases. It is located within the City of Hawkesbury in the north-western fringe of Sydney, New South Wales, between the towns of Windsor and Richmond. The base is home to the Royal Australian Air Force's transport headquarters,...
in December that year) with his first design, the Warbler. This was a parasol wing
Parasol wing
A parasol wing monoplane is an aircraft design in which the wing is not mounted directly to the fuselage, but rather, the fuselage is supported beneath it by a set of struts, called cabane struts...
monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
powered by an engine also of his own design, the Wizard, a two-cylinder horizontally-opposed monosoupape-type
Gnome Monosoupape
The Monosoupape , was a rotary engine design first introduced in 1913 by Gnome Engine Company...
pusher engine
Pusher configuration
In a craft with a pusher configuration the propeller are mounted behind their respective engine. According to Bill Gunston, a "pusher propeller" is one mounted behind engine so that drive shaft is in compression...
developing 25 hp.
Wackett and the RAAF Experimental Section
Wackett learned of war surplus machine tools slated for disposal from a workshop in RandwickRandwick, New South Wales
Randwick is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Randwick...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, and prevailed upon his superiors to acquire the workshop. The RAAF Experimental Aircraft Section was thus established in January 1924 and Wackett, by then a Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
, was placed in charge. He tried to obtain permission to design and build an entirely Australian aircraft, but the RAAF had no money in its budget for this and would not give the go-ahead unless Wackett could obtain funds from some other source. Wackett then approached the Controller of Civil Aviation Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
H. C. Brinsmead and managed to persuade the Civil Aviation Branch (of the Department of Defence
Department of Defence (Australia)
The Australian Department of Defence is a Federal Government Department. It forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation along with the Australian Defence Force . The Defence mission is to defend Australia and its national interests...
, there not being a separate Department of Civil Aviation at this time) to fund the construction of a small flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
.
The result was the Widgeon
Wackett Widgeon
The Wackett Widgeon seaplanes were built by the Experimental Section of the Royal Australian Air Force at Randwick, NSW during the mid- to late-1920s. They were single-engined amphibious biplanes of wooden construction...
, a wooden hull biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
flying boat powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Puma of 230 hp located below and forward of the upper wing. This aircraft, the first flying boat to be wholly designed and constructed in Australia, was registered to the Civil Aviation Branch out of the Australian sequence (i.e. G-AUxx) as G-AEKB, after E. K. Bowden
Eric Bowden
Eric Kendall Bowden was an Australian solicitor and politician.-Early life:The second son of John and Sarah Bowden, he was born in Parramatta, New South Wales, where his family had resided for four generations...
, Minister for Defence. The aircraft was launched on 7 July 1925 into Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
. The following day it hit a sandbank during taxi tests and later overturned whilst attempting a takeoff. Wackett was onboard with Brinsmead and two mechanics; all were unhurt. The aircraft was repaired and made its first flight on December 3 that year. Wackett subsequently installed a more-powerful 300 hp ADC Nimbus
ADC Nimbus
-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.-External links:*...
engine and an undercarriage
Undercarriage
The undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
, converting it into an amphibian
Amphibious aircraft
An amphibious aircraft or amphibian is an aircraft that can take off and land on either land or water. Fixed-wing amphibious aircraft are seaplanes that are equipped with retractable wheels, at the expense of extra weight and complexity, plus diminished range and fuel economy compared to planes...
. Following the modifications the Widgeon I was transferred to the RAAF and used at Point Cook for flying boat training from 1927. The aircraft operated with the RAAF until 1929, when it was scrapped. A larger amphibian, the Widgeon II, powered by a 440 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engine, was the next aircraft to emerge from the Experimental Section workshop. Wackett himself flew the Widgeon II extensively, later saying, "I proved its capability by flying it on a 9000 miles (14,484.1 km) journey across and around part of the Australian continent in 1928". The next aircraft developed at Randwick was the two-seat Warrigal I
Wackett Warrigal
The Warrigal I and II were Australian aircraft designed by Squadron Leader Lawrence James Wackett and built by the Experimental Section of the Royal Australian Air Force at Randwick, New South Wales, during the late 1920s. They were both single-engined, two-seat biplanes of mixed wood and metal...
of 1929, a biplane trainer
Trainer (aircraft)
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate in-flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristics and a simplified cockpit arrangement—allows...
of conventional design, powered by a 180 hp Armstrong Siddeley Lynx radial engine. This was followed in 1930 by the improved Warrigal II, powered by a 450 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar radial engine.
On 21 March 1927, Wackett was elected the inaugural Chairman of the NSW Division of the Institution of Aeronautical Engineers (IoAE) in Sydney. The following year, after the amalgamation of the Royal Aeronautical Society
Royal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a multidisciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community.-Function:...
(RAeS) and the IoAE parent body in Britain, he was appointed the inaugural Deputy Chairman of the Australasian Branch of the RAeS. He also found time to act as the New South Wales RAAF Aide de Camp to the Governor General, although the duties were not onerous.
Wackett in the 1930s
As a result of a government-sponsored report and pressure from British manufacturers, who saw Wackett as a threat to their monopoly on Australian orders, the Randwick Station was closed in 1931. Wackett resigned from the RAAF with the rankMilitary rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
of Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
and transferred (with some personnel and equipment) to the Cockatoo Island
Cockatoo Island, New South Wales
Cockatoo Island is the largest island in Sydney Harbour in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located at the junction of the Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers, Cockatoo Island is a former imperial prison, industrial school, reformatory and gaol. It was also the site of one of Australia's biggest...
Naval Dockyard. Here he was involved in the design of watercraft
Watercraft
A watercraft is a vessel or craft designed to move across or through water. The name is derived from the term "craft" which was used to describe all types of water going vessels...
as well as aircraft. He continued working for the RAAF - a single de Havilland D.H.60G Gipsy Moth was built at the Dockyard under his supervision and entered RAAF service in 1933. He also undertook civilian aviation projects including repair and modification projects, and built the Cockatoo Docks & Engineering LJW.6 Codock, a six passenger airliner powered by two Napier Javelin
Napier Javelin
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6....
engines of 160 hp, for Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Charles Kingsford Smith
Charles Kingsford Smith
Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith MC, AFC , often called by his nickname Smithy, was an early Australian aviator. In 1928, he earned global fame when he made the first trans-Pacific flight from the United States to Australia...
. A later design for a larger aircraft, the 4-engined Corella, did not leave the drawing board, nor did his other aircraft concepts; VH-URP, the solitary Codock, was the only Wackett aircraft design built at the Dockyard. His marine designs at the Dockyard included small motorboat
Motorboat
A motorboat is a boat which is powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gearbox and the propeller in one portable unit.An inboard/outboard contains a hybrid of a...
s such as the Cettien (which won the Griffith Cup in 1934 and 1935) and the racing hydroplane Century Tire II, and larger commercial passenger-carrying vessels as well.
In 1934, Wackett and some of his staff joined Tugan Aircraft
Tugan Aircraft
Tugan Aircraft Ltd. was an Australian aircraft manufacturer of the 1930s. It was based at Mascot aerodrome, now Sydney Airport. It is best-known for having manufactured the Gannet, the first Australian-designed aircraft to enter series production.- History :...
at Mascot aerodrome
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...
. The following year, following a series of accidents involving Australian-operated de Havilland D.H.86
De Havilland Express
The de Havilland Express was a four-engined passenger aircraft from the 1930s manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.-Development:...
s, he and his brother Ellis
Ellis Wackett
Air Vice Marshal Ellis Charles Wackett CB, CBE was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . Its chief engineer from 1935 to 1959, he served on the RAAF's controlling body, the Air Board, for a record 17 years, and has been credited with infusing operations with new standards of...
(who was then the Director of RAAF Technical Services) were asked to provide their views and recommendations to a special conference convened by the Civil Aviation Branch, held to examine the type and its shortcomings. In 1936 he was seconded to the RAAF to lead a technical mission to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(including future enemy nations Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and Fascist Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
) and the USA to evaluate modern aircraft types and select a type suitable to Australia's defence needs and within Australia's capabitities to build. The three-man mission lasted five months and on its return advised that the North American NA-16 was the most suitable type. On completion of the mission Wackett returned to Tugan Aircraft, where the Codock design was developed into the LJW7 Gannet six/seven passenger airliner powered by two de Havilland Gipsy Six
De Havilland Gipsy Six
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stephens, 1986, p. 50. ISBN 0-75094-479-X.* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7...
engines. This was the first of Wackett's designs to enter series production. The first aircraft was delivered in late 1935 and a total of eight Gannets were built for cilvilian customers and the RAAF. The RAAF took delivery of one new Gannet and subsequently operated another five second-hand examples. One RAAF aircraft was temporarily modified with Menasco engines as the LJW7A during 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...
.
Shortly after the establishment of the 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:...
(CAC), Tugan Aircraft was purchased to give CAC a nucleus of experienced personnel. Upon joining CAC Wackett immediately became the General Manager and he oversaw the entry into production of the first aircraft mass-produced in Australia, the CAC 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...
development of the NA-16 he had earlier recommended. The second type to emerge from CAC under Wackett's stewardship was the eponymous Wackett Trainer, the first prototype flying for the first time just after the outbreak of World War II.
Wackett, CAC and the RAAF in WWII and beyond
In many ways the story of Lawrence Wackett was inextricably linked with the history of the RAAF and CAC for over twenty years. He was hugely influential within the Australian aircraft industry as a whole and also within the RAAF, which often chose its combat aircraft types based on his recommendations. As already mentioned, this relationship began with the Wirraway.During the Second World War, Wackett presided over a company - that hadn't even existed a mere three years before the outbreak - employing thousands of people, that was now delivering hundreds of aircraft as well as engines and propellers for those aircraft. Aircraft types emerging from CAC during the war period included the innovative and advanced Woomera
CAC Woomera
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Ewer, Peter. Wounded Eagle: the bombing of Darwin and Australi's air defence scandal. Sydney: New Holland, 2009. ISBN 9781741108255...
and CA-15
CAC CA-15
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Crick, Darren. adf-serials.com, 2003.* Donald, David. "Commonwealth CA-15: The 'Kangaroo' Fighter". Wings of Fame, Volume 4, 1996, pp. 118–121. London: Aerospace Publishing. ISBN 1-874023-71-9. ISSN 1361-2034.* Francillon, René J. The Royal Australian Air...
, however like many of his pre-war designs these were built as prototypes only, being the victims of circumstance and changing requirements. He also suffered personal tragedy during the war when his son, Squadron Leader Wilbur Lawrence Wackett, was killed in 1944 while serving as a 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...
pilot with No. 31 Squadron RAAF
No. 31 Squadron RAAF
No. 31 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force airbase support squadron re-raised in July 2010. The Squadron was first formed in August 1942 and was disbanded in July 1946 after seeing action in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II.-History:No...
.
Following World War II his influence was again exerted over the RAAF when it became necessary to replace the de Havilland Vampire
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
first-generation jet fighters then in service. CAC initially offered the advanced CA-23 design to the RAAF but this lost out to the Hawker P.1081
Hawker P.1081
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Hannah, Donald. Hawker FlyPast Reference Library. Stamford, Lincolnshire, UK: Key Publishing Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-946219-01-X....
then in development in the UK. When the P.1081 was cancelled, Gloster Meteor
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
s were ordered in the interim, but the combat experiences of No. 77 Squadron RAAF
No. 77 Squadron RAAF
No. 77 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron. The Squadron was formed in 1942 and currently operates F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from RAAF Base Williamtown.-History:...
during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
showed that a more modern type was urgently needed. The anglophile
Anglophilia
An Anglophile is a person who is fond of English culture or, more broadly, British culture. Its antonym is Anglophobe.-Definition:The word comes from Latin Anglus "English" via French, and is ultimately derived from Old English Englisc "English" + Ancient Greek φίλος - philos, "friend"...
government of the day wanted to wait for the Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
to become available, but Wackett decided otherwise. He negotiated with North American Aviation
North American Aviation
North American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service...
and Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
to manufacture the Sabre
F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
jet fighter and Avon
Rolls-Royce Avon
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopaedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:**** a 1955 Flight article on the development of the Avon...
engine of those companies under licence. The use of the Avon and other features such as using 30mm Aden cannon
ADEN cannon
The Royal Small Arms Factory ADEN is a 30 mm revolver cannon used on many military aircraft, particularly those of the British Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm...
armament instead of .50in Browning machine guns necessitated a 60% redesign of the Sabre fuselage and resulted in perhaps the best variant of that aircraft. The RAAF Chief of Air Staff at the time, Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
George Jones
George Jones (RAAF officer)
Air Marshal Sir George Jones KBE, CB, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . He rose from private soldier in World War I to Air Marshal in 1948, and served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1942 to 1952, the longest continuous tenure of any RAAF chief...
(who had known Wackett since the time both served in 1 Sqn. AFC), was suitably impressed by the Avon-Sabre as it became known, and threw his weight behind the project. The Sabre was ordered for the RAAF to both its and CAC's benefit.
When the time came to replace the Sabre, Wackett once again was largely responsible for deciding which aircraft was selected, albeit with less desirable results from CAC's point of view. The selection race was even more wide open than that which saw the Sabre selected, with six types in the running. The Lockheed Starfighter
F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
was considered (by almost everyone except Wackett it seems) to be the best aircraft for the RAAF; the process had got to the stage where the Starfighter had been selected and the decision was about to be made public when Wackett declared to George Jones (by this time a member of the Board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of CAC), "I think that I should decide what aircraft the RAAF should buy!" and once more set to work to do just that. Wackett together with some members of the RAAF, had the decision for the Starfighter overturned in favour of the Dassault Mirage and CAC staff commenced working with Dassault (in the expectation that CAC would build the Mirage under licence as it had the Sabre and P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
fighters). However in a serious reverse to CAC the Government Aircraft Factory was selected to build the Mirage instead, this being a move by the government of the day to rationalise the Australian aircraft industry. Wackett and the CAC Board undertook extensive lobbying to reverse the decision but the best that could be achieved was a subcontract to build the Mirage's wings, tails and engines. The Mirage itself was a sound choice on Wackett's part that proved well suited to the RAAF's needs and the production programme was the last that Wackett oversaw; he retired in 1966 with the delivery of Mirage components in full swing.
Lawrence Wackett died on 18 March 1982. Four years after his death the company with which he was bound for so long, CAC, had ceased to exist. His name lives on - the RMIT University
RMIT University
RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....
established the Sir Lawrence Wackett Centre for Aerospace Design Technology in 1991 at the former CAC factory.
Awards and honours
- Knight CommanderKnight CommanderKnight Commander is the second most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are dormant . The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name...
of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. - Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
. - Air Force CrossAir Force Cross (United Kingdom)The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
- Royal Federation of Aero Clubs of Australia Oswald Watt Gold MedalOswald Watt Gold MedalThe Oswald Watt Gold Medal is an Australian aviation award named for Oswald Watt a decorated pilot in World War I.It originated in 1921 after the death of Oswald Watt and is awarded for "A most brilliant performance in the air or the most notable contribution to aviation by an Australian or in...
for 1974. - Royal Society of New South WalesRoyal Society of New South WalesThe Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney, Australia. It was established as the Philosophical Society of Australasia on 27 June 1821...
James Cook Medal for 1979. - Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.
External links
- Photograph of Ivor McIntyre and Lawrence Wackett (on right) taken at the time Wackett flew the Widgeon around Australia.
- Warbler image.
- Widgeon I history & images.
- Flying Boats of the World Widgeon page.
- Images of various Wackett designs.
- List of Wackett design papers.
- Tugan Gannet image.
- Image of a Tugan Gannett (sic) at Mascot