06/30/2011. The Wackett two-seat low-wing cantilever monoplane was designed by Wing Commander Lawrence J. Wackett to fulfill the requirements of a primary trainer suited to Australian conditions. Designated CA-2 Wackett, the first prototype of CAC's first in-house design flew on September 19, 1939, serialed A3-1001 (c/n 101). Fitted with an 145 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major four-cylinder air-cooled inverted in-line engine, it proved underpowered, so the second prototype, serialed A3-1002 (c/n 102), flew in November 1939 fitted with the similar 200 hp Gipsy-Six engine.

In August 1940 the RAAF ordered 200 examples of the type (s/n A3-1 to
A3-200, c/n 235 to 434) which was designated CA-6 Wackett and powered by the 175 hp Warner Scarab seven-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, the first flew on February 6, 1941.

The pictured aircraft was produced in 1941 under the serial A3-83 and served till 1945 when it was put up for sale on January 10. It was sold in August and the registration VH-AJW was reserved but its first civil registration became VH-EAZ on July 9, 1947 when it was sold to Qantas and operated by Kingsford Smith Aviation of Bankstown. It was reregistered VH-AIQ on May 22, 1951, it crashed at Sandy Hills, New South Wales on February 3, 1956, and was deregistered five days later.