CAC CA-28 Ceres
Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation · Australia · first flew 1958 · light aircraft
The Commonwealth Aircraft CA-28 Ceres is a crop-duster built in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1959 and 1963. It was a development of the Wirraway trainer.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.36 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-seat crop duster with a high-mounted cockpit
- Hopper installed between the engine and the cockpit
- Fixed landing gear with CAC Mustang main wheels
The outer wing panels had slotted trailing-edge flaps and fixed leading-edge slats, and the engine was a Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radial.
Specifications
- The CAC CA-28 Ceres has a length of 9.36 m (31 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.3 m (47 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The prototype first flew in February 1958 with test pilot Bill Scott, and the first production aircraft was delivered in April 1959.
Variants
The design used some Wirraway components, mainly the tail group and landing gear legs, but was really a new type with a new fuselage and a hopper of 41 cubic feet. After five were built provision was made for a rear-facing seat.
Where you'll see it
Production ended in July 1963 after 21 aircraft, six of them exported to New Zealand. CAC had hoped to sell at least fifty, but the Ceres lost out to more modern designs such as the Piper Pawnee and the PAC Fletcher.
Related aircraft
- Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Sabre
- Commonwealth CA-25 Winjeel
- Commonwealth CA-15
- Commonwealth CA-12 Boomerang
- Aero Commander 500
- Antonov A-11
- Antonov A-13
- Auster J/1U Workmaster
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.