Historical information

This schematic was drawn by W. J. Watkins for the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation during February 1957. It shows the XP-77 experimental conversion of the Wirraway general-purpose military aircraft. This drawing appears to depict the early stages of the CAC's Ceres design, which later had limited success as an agricultural aircraft carrying out tasks such as crop spraying. As the prototype first flew in February 1958, this diagram represents part of the development process for that aircraft. It also demonstrates an important phase in the history of the CAC, where, after the Second World War, the company was innovating in an attempt to stay relevant after the rapid shrinking of the RAAF.