Aircraft Designed in Australia

DB Design Bureau Home | Aircraft Designed in Australia | Ultralight Aircraft Designed in Australia | Gliders Designed in Australia | Australian Aircraft Projects


DB Design Bureau's
Incomplete Listing of Type-Certified Aircraft which were designed In Australia

In an attempt to document all the aircraft which were designed in Australia, I present the following incomplete list (incomplete, because I'm sure I have not covered all the bases, and plenty of folks will have more information than me - which I will gladly add to the list!). So far, the list stands at 50 aircraft...

First, some definitions of what this list is intended to cover:

1. The aircraft must have been designed in Australia, built in Australia, and flown successfully.
2. This page lists those aircraft which have been type certified, approved for VH- registration or accepted into military service.
3. The list does not cover modifications of overseas designs for local production. In theory this should rule out the Wirraway (a modified version of the North American NA-16-2K for production in Australia), however I am including it, since it is such a favourite.
5. This is only intended as a list (not a detailed history of each aircraft listed). Some of the images are linked to websites where you can obtain more information about the aircraft.

Image & Link
Manufacturer and Model Details Free Flight Plans or Kits?
Aeronautical Engineers Australia
Maverick
First flight: 12/1987
Designer: Graham Swannell
and Geoff Danes
Description: Single seat low wing aerobatic aircraft.
N/A
AMSCo
AMSCo monoplane
First flight: 
Designer: Charles Pratt
Description: Single seat high wing parasol sport aircraft. 1 built.
3-views:
Pedashenko
FF Plans:
Buckmaster (Peanut)
Austral
Mamba
First flight: 
Designer: 
Comments: Two seat high wing utility aircraft.
3-views:
Aircraft Magazine
Australite
Ultrabat
First flight: 
Concept: George Markey
Designer: Graham Swanell
Prototype built by: Scott Winton & George Markey
Comments: Single seat low wing aerobatic aircraft.
N/A

Australian Aircraft & Engineering Company
B6
First flight: 
Designer: Harry Broadsmith.
Comments: Single engined biplane. Touted as "Australia's first airliner". Powered by a RR Eagle engine.
N/A
Australian Aircraft Co.
Cabin Sports
First flight: 
Designer: Geoffrey Wickner
Comments: 
N/A
Australian Aircraft Co.
Wico Lion
First flight: 
Designer: Geoffrey Wickner
Comments: Single seat high wing radial engine powered sport aircraft. 
N/A
Australian Aircraft Co.
Wico Wizard
First flight:
Designer: Geoffrey Wickner
Comments: Low wing aircraft. More details sought.
N/A
Butler
ABA-1
First flight: 
Designer: Arthur Butler
Comments: Single seat high wing parasol. More details sought.
N/A
Butler
BAT-2
First flight:
Designer: Arthur Butler
Comments: High wing cabin monoplane. Only 1 produced (VH-ARG).
N/A
Cockatoo Naval Dockyard
LJW6 Codock
First flight: 06/03/1934
Designer: Lawrence Wackett
Comments: Twin engined high wing airliner. Design was commissioned by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith. Only 1 produced (VH-URP).
N/A
Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
Boomerang (CA-12, 13 & 14)
First flight: 
Designer: Fred David
Comments: Single seat low wing fighter aircraft. Utilised some Wirraway components.
3-view:
Pedashenko
FF Plan:
Pres Bruning (Peanut)
FF Kit:
Dumas Products (30")
Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
CA-15
First flight: 03/1946
Designer: Fred David
Comments: Single seat piston-engined fighter aircraft. Sometimes referred to as the "Kangaroo".
3-view:
Buckmaster

FF Plans:
Buckmaster (24") 
Buckmaster (18")
R/C Plan:
Hopgood (Airborne Magazine)
Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
Ceres (CA-28)
First flight: 1958
Designer: Ian Ring (Chief Designer) and J.C. Humphries
Comments: Single seat agricultural aircraft. Designed to  use some Wirraway components.
FF Plan:
Buckmaster (24")
Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
Wackett (CA-2 & 6)
First flight: 19/09/1939
Designer: Lawrence Wackett
Comments: 2 seat advanced training aircraft.
3-view:
Buckmaster
FF Plans:
Buckmaster (CA-2 16")
Buckmaster (CA-6 16")
Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
Winjeel (CA-22 & 25)
First flight: 03/02/1951
Designer: Ian Ring (Chief Designer)
Comments: 2 seat advanced training aircraft. 
3-View:
Vella
FF Plan:
Buckmaster (26")
Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
Wirraway (CA-1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10A, 16)
First flight: 
Designer: 
Comments:
3-views:
3-view
Modelarg magazine

FF Plan:
Model Aircrafts (16")
Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
Woomera (CA-4 & 11)
First flight: 
Designer: Lawrence Wackett
Comments: Prototype twin engined bomber.
3-view:
unknown
Corby
Starlet
First flight: 
Designer: John Corby
Comments: Single seat low wing home-built sport aircraft.
FF Plans:
Willis (16") FAC 65
Nunez (Peanut) FAC News
De Havilland Australia
DHA-2 Drover
First flight: 01/1948
Designer: 
Comments: 3-engined feeder airliner based on the twin engined DH Dove.
3-view:
Buckmaster
Eagle Aircraft
Eagle 150
First flight: 23/10/1993
Designer: Graham Swannell
Description: 2 seat side by side tandem wing training aircraft.
N/A
Explorer Aircraft Corporation
Explorer 350
First flight:
Designer: Graham Swannell
Description: Prototype for an 8-seat utility aircraft. Has since gone into production in the USA.
3-view:
Swannell
Fawcett Aviation
Fawcett 120
First flight: 11/1954
Designer: Luigi Pellarini
Description: Prototype 4 seat high wing training and touring aircraft. Only 1 produced.
N/A

General Aircraft Company
Genairco
First flight:
Designer:
Description: Open cockpit 3 seat passenger biplane.
N/A
General Aircraft Company
Cabin version Genairco
First flight:
Designer:
Description: Enclosed cabin 4 seat passenger biplane.
N/A
Gippsland Aeronautics
Fatman (GA-200)
First flight: 1991
Designer: Colin Nicholson (Chief Designer)
Description: 2 place low wing agricultural aircraft.
3-view:
Gippsland Aeronautics
Gippsland Aeronautics
GA8 Airvan
First flight: 03/03/1995
Designer: Colin Nicholson (Chief Designer)
Description: 8 place single engined high wing utility aircraft.
3-view:
Buckmaster
Goair
Goair Trainer
First flight: 07/1995
Designer: 
Description: 2 place low wing training aircraft. 
N/A
Government Aircraft Factory
Pika
First flight: 
Designer: 
Description: Single engined low wing experimental research aircraft. Manned prototype for the Jindivik RPV.
N/A
Government Aircraft Factory
N22 & N24 Nomad
First flight: 
Designer: 
Description: Twin engined high wing STOL feeder airliner & utility aircraft.
3-views:
Buckmaster
FF Plans:
Buckmaster (28")
Jabiru Aircraft Pty. Ltd.
ST-3
First flight: 
Designer: 
Description: Single engined high wing training & aircraft. Identical to the Jabiru LSA but meets airworthiness standards for VH- registration.
3-view:
ST-3 (Jabiru Aircraft)
Jabiru Aircraft Pty. Ltd.
SP & UL
First flight: 
Designer: 
Description: 2 seat high wing training and sport aircraft (can be home-built from a kit or factory built).
3-view:
SP (Jabiru Aircraft)  
UL (Jabiru Aircraft)

Jabiru Aircraft Pty. Ltd.
J200
First flight: 16/03/2002
Designer: 
Description: 2 seat high wing training and sport aircraft (can be home-built from a kit or factory built).
3-view:
N/A

Jabiru Aircraft Pty. Ltd.
J400
First flight: 16/03/2002 (in 2-seater configuration)
Designer: 
Description: 4 seat high wing training and sport aircraft (can be home-built from a kit or factory built).
3-view:
J400 (Jabiru Aircraft)
Kingsford Smith Aviation Services
KS-1
KS-2 (shown in photo)
First flight: 28/03/1957
Designer: C.W. (Bill) Smith
Description: Single seat agricultural aircraft (conversion of the Wackett trainer, with chemical hopper replacing front seat). Only 1 produced (VH-AJH).
3-view:
KS-1 (Buckmaster)
FF plan:
(Buckmaster)
Kingsford Smith Aviation Services
Cropmaster (KS-3)
First flight: 29/11/1957
Designer: C.W. (Bill) Smith
Description: Single seat agricultural aircraft (conversion of the Wackett trainer, with chemical hopper replacing rear seat).
3-view:
KS-3 (Buckmaster)
FF plan:
(Buckmaster)
Kingsford Smith Aviation Services
Tanker (PL7)
First flight: 20/09/1956
Designer: Luigi Pellarini
Description: Single engined single seat agricultural biplane.
3-view:
Buckmaster
Larkin Aviation Supply Co. (LASCo)
Lasconder
First flight:
Designer: 
Description: 3 engined 4 place high wing feeder airliner.
N/A
Larkin Aviation Supply Co. (LASCo)
Lascoter
First flight: 
Designer: 
Description: Single engined high wing survey & utility aircraft.
N/A
RAAF Randwick Experimental Station
Widgeon I 
Widgeon II (shown in photo)
First flight: 
Designer: Lawrence Wackett
Description: Single engined amphibious biplane.
N/A
RAAF Randwick Experimental Station
Warrigal I (shown in photo)
Warrigal II
First flight: 
Designer: Lawrence Wackett
Description: Single engined biplane trainer.
N/A
Seabird Aviation
Seeker
First flight: 
Designer: Bill Whitney
Description: 2 seat high wing observation & surveillance aircraft.
N/A
Southern Cross Aviation Ltd
SC1
First flight: 02/02/1961
Designers: Newton Hodgekiss and Brian Wager
Description: 2 seat low wing training / aerobatic aircraft 
3-view:
Buckmaster
FF Plans:
Buckmaster (20.5")
Storch Aviation Australia
Storch
First flight: 
Designer: Nestor Slepcev
Description: 2 seat high wing home-built sport aircraft. 75% scale replica of the WWII Fiesler Storch.
N/A

Supapup Light Aircraft
Aeropup
First flight: 
Designer: 
Description: Single seat or 2 seat high wing home-built sport aircraft 
N/A
Supa Pup Aircraft
Supa Pup IV
First flight: 
Designer: 
Description: Single seat or 2 seat high wing home-built sport aircraft 
N/A
Transavia
PL-12 Airtruk
First flight: 
Designer: Luigi Pellarini
Description: Single engined agricultural / utility aircraft.
3-view:
N/A
Tugan Aircraft
LJW7 Gannet
First flight: 
Designer: Lawrence Wackett
Description: Twin engined high wing passenger aircraft. A development of the Codock.
3-view:
Pedashenko
Victa Ltd
Air Tourer 100
First flight: 12/12/1961
Designer: Henry Millicer
Description: 2 place low wing training / aerobatic aircraft.
3-views:
Millicer Aircraft Ind.
Buckmaster
FF Plan:
Stephenson (Peanut)

Victa Ltd
Air Cruiser
First flight: 18/07/1966
Designer: Henry Millicer.
Description: 4 seat low wing touring aircraft. Developed into the CT-4 Airtrainer by Aero Engine Spares Ltd in New Zealand.
FF Kit:
Airsail CT-4 (related)
Victa Ltd
R2
First flight:
Description: 4 seat low wing sport and touring aircraft. Designed by Luigi Pellarini.
3-view:
Pedashenko
Yeoman Aviation Pty Ltd
Yeoman 175
First flight: 15/01/1960
Designer: C.W. (Bill) Smith
Description: Single prototype modified Wackett for testing new Cropmaster all-metal tail design. Warner Scarab radial engine.
FF Plan:
Buckmaster
Yeoman Aviation Pty Ltd
YA-1 Cropmaster 250 (Shown in photo)
YA-1 Cropmaster 250R Series 2
First flight: 15/01/1960
Designer: C.W. (Bill) Smith
Description: Single seat low wing agricultural aircraft. Modified version of the Wackett for top dressing, spraying and aerial seeding. Lycoming or Continental engine.
3-view:
Buckmaster
FF Plans:
Prototype - Buckmaster
Production - Buckmaster

Your contributions, corrections & comments to help me complete this list are most welcome... send me an e-mail to derekb"at"unite.com.au


First created 15/10/2002  -  Last updated 11/02/2005