History Government Aircraft Factories

1 history

1.1 world war ii
1.2 postwar operations
1.3 demise

history
world war ii

the entity established before outbreak of world war ii when australian government recognised supplies of aircraft traditional sources no longer assured. ensure supply of aircraft, in 1939 government set new department of supply , development aircraft construction branch within department; both organisations officially came being on 1 july 1939. organisation set produce bristol beaufort under licence in australia. after evaluation process assess operational needs of royal australian air force (raaf), british air mission sent australia recommended beaufort manufactured delivery both raaf , royal air force (raf).

it noteworthy @ stage (mid-1939) australian aircraft industry barely existed. private-enterprise commonwealth aircraft corporation had time completed 3 of first product, wirraway, , in process of building prototype of second type, wackett. both of these single-engined aircraft , wackett not advanced design criterion. other major aircraft manufacturer , de havilland australia, had time assembled aircraft manufactured parent company imported australia parts, commencing delivery of 20 tiger moths, built imported fuselages , locally manufactured wings, raaf in may 1939. total production in australia mid-1939 of types of aircraft less 100, , may have been less seventy. many of these one-offs , vast majority of wood-and-fabric construction tiger moth. contrast beaufort large twin-engined all-metal aircraft of advanced design time.

an initial order 180 beauforts placed in july 1939, delivery in equal numbers raaf , raf. time first aircraft delivered, organisation responsible manufacture had undergone several changes. in march 1940 aircraft construction branch renamed aircraft production commission. 3 months later oversight responsibility removed minister supply , development minister munitions. in june 1941 (by time production work had begun) aircraft production commission removed department of supply , development, placed within newly created department of aircraft production (dap) , after renamed aircraft advisory committee co-ordination of aircraft production actual aircraft manufacturer being constituted beaufort division, referred beaufort division of dap.

as australian-built beaufort fitted pratt & whitney r-1830 engines instead of bristol tauruses installed, aircraft required several design changes, partially accounting delay between initial order , first flight of first aircraft in august 1941 (a bristol-built aircraft had earlier been delivered australia , modified, flying r-1830s 3 months prior this). reason delay various other parts of aircraft (such undercarriage legs) come britain, because of embargo british government on war material after fall of france these had locally manufactured instead. 1 seemingly innocuous item caused major problems; no ball bearings manufactured in australia @ time, , none forthcoming britain local substitute had found , incorporated design.

the original intention first 90 aircraft delivered raf; in event 6 delivered air arm, although 59 assigned raf serials in t95xx , t96xx serial number blocks. flight of first australian-built aircraft culmination of efforts on 600 different companies , organisations - beaufort division being more-or-less responsible final assembly, wing centre-sections of aircraft being manufactured in-house @ fishermans bend, gun turrets being manufactured @ fairfield, victoria, , final assembly on 2 lines; @ fishermans bend , @ mascot. major assemblies manufactured state rail workshops of new south wales, victoria , south australia, , @ general motors holden factory in woodville, south australia. total of 700 beauforts had been built (a figure exceeded wirraway , tiger moth among australian-built aircraft) when production ended in august 1944; time main manufacturing effort had turned licence production of bristol beaufighter.

beaufighter production proceeded more smoothly forebear, might expected when same sub-contracting companies took part in both programmes. raaf had considered type february 1939 , placed initial order in june year, before prototype had flown. same supply problems delayed beaufort ended chance of raaf acquiring beaufighters time being, , wasn t until end of 1942 plans began laid beaufighter production. australian government gave go-ahead manufacture of 350 beaufighters on 30 january 1943 , preparations got underway in earnest. supply of engines britain still uncertain @ time, bristol-built aircraft re-engined wright gr-2600 cyclones insurance; in event australian-built beaufighters fitted imported bristol hercules engines. first dap beaufighter flew first time on 26 may 1944 , production , deliveries overlapped of beauforts, first 2 dozen beaufighters being built , delivered concurrently last fifty-or-so beauforts. orders increased 450 end of war programme terminated after 365 had been built, 21 partially built airframes not delivered.

postwar operations

gaf-built canberra b.20 of raaf @ london heathrow in october 1953 before start of england-new zealand air race



gaf jindivik target drone after assembly fairey aviation in uk in 1961

after end of second world war came scaling of australian aviation industry, number of employees in australia whole being reduced 90%. in case of dap there reorganisation, result of name change, longest-lasting , 1 organisation best-known - government aircraft factories (gaf).

by time of reorganisation, preparations production of next type emerge gaf underway. version of avro lincoln bomber. lincoln b.30 had extended nose accommodate 2 additional crew members , search radar , used in bombing , maritime reconnaissance roles. initial 5 aircraft largely assembled avro-built components , first flew on 17 march 1946. further 68 machines built gaf.

from 1953, gaf built 48 english electric canberra twin-jet tactical bombers under licence. these aircraft of uprated b.20 type range capability. many served in raafs contribution of forces in war in vietnam , later converted t.21 operational training standard.

in 1958 gaf responded emerging need high performance jet-powered radio controlled target drone designing gaf jindivik in collaboration aerospace firms in united kingdom. powered viper jet engine , recovered after flight landing on skids. served 1960s australian , united kingdom military , government entities.

demise

in 1987, government aircraft factories reorganised , renamed aerospace technologies of australia (asta). in june 1995 asta privatised, sale proceeds returning $40 million commonwealth. aerospace technologies of australia part of boeing australia.