Rare Replica CA-13 Boomerang & Yakovlev Yak-3UPW 'Walkabout' & display

Displaying at the Shuttleworth Festival of Flight 2025, these aircraft were presented by the Belgian based Warbird Display Team and filmed on the Saturday of the two day event. The Boomerang is a replica, built around a surviving tube frame from the original aircraft carrying serial number A46-139. Here it's flown by the owner, Remko Sijben. The Yakovlev Yak-3UPW is a conversion of a Yak-11 variant, owned and flown by Rick Van Der Graaf.
Thanks to them and the team for bringing over these superb aircraft and to 'Boomer' for allowing and being patient with me for the 'Walkabout'.

Commonwealth Aircraft corporation (CAC) CA-13 Boomerang, 'Phooey', A46-139 is a replica, constructed during 1992 by Sanders Aeronautics in California, USA.
Dennis Sanders started with an original Boomerang tube frame, but was unable to source many of the original Boomerang parts. What he couldn’t find, he modified from readily available T-6 parts. He clipped the wings over two and a half feet on each side and built custom ailerons that extended into what had been the flap well. Every brazier-head rivet on the fuselage was drilled, its hole dimpled, and replaced by a flush rivet. The firewall forward was completely redesigned to accommodate the large size of the R-1830. It was completed in 1991 with Dennis Sanders performing its first flight on 20th July. It was initially registered as NX32CS, but this was later changed and remains as N32CS.
Weighing in at less than 6,000 pounds, this Boomerang boasts nearly 1,500 horsepower, giving it greater power-to-weight ratio than a P-51.
It passed through several US owners until being purchased by the current owner, Remko Sijben, in 2014 when it was shipped to Belgium. It now forms part of the Warbird display Team alongside the Yak-3UPW also seen here.
It wears nose art of Disney cartoon character 'Donald Duck and wording 'Phooey' after Donald Ducks frequent exclamation 'Aw, phooey!'.
During WW2 this was originally added to Boomerang A46-195 / QE-A of 4 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), although the remaining colour scheme on this aircraft is of an 83 Squadron Boomerang that was based at RAAF Strathpine, Queensland and other Australian bases between September 1943 and the end of WW2. In August 1944 it was damaged during an emergency landing caused by an engine failure, at Blackhall, Queensland, but It was repaired and continued to serve with 83 Squadron in the air defence role.
The replica aircraft is owned by Remko Sijben, who was also flying it for this display.

Yak 3UPW:-
This aircraft was originally made as a C-11 under licence by Czech aircraft manufacturer LET. The C-11 was their licence built version of the Yakovlev Yak-11. The C-11 type first flew in 1953 and was produced until 1956, with 708 being made by LET. The aircraft was converted into a Yak-3UPW by Romanian aircraft manufacturer Avioane Craiova during 1994, given a new construction number of 003, and shipped to the USA. During 2005 it was found by the current owners as a project of parts in USA. Lacking an engine and propellor, it was purchased and shipped to Brasschaat, Belgium. Between 2005 and 2008 the aircraft was completed, with a 1200 HP Pratt & Whitney R1830/92 and new prop, the same type as used on the DC-3, but shortened and a Soviet Air Force colour scheme was applied with serial number white 48.
A pre-oiler pump was added to the oil system as well as a cartridge-type oil filter. The pre-oiler is a pump that allows you to force the oil into the engine under pressure before starting. A 'dry start' would otherwise cause a lot of wear and tear on the engine, because it takes time for the oil to reach everywhere. That's why we pre-oil for two minutes before every first start of the day, which in principle
significantly improves the engine's lifespan." The new oil filter is a modification, of the same (paper) type as used in cars. It's just a larger model and approved for aviation. This is much more efficient than the rather coarse filter that comes standard in the engine. A new stainless steel firewall was added to replace the inferior Romanian version. There is also a proprietary stainless steel exhaust. Its first flight was on 28 August 2008, while registered as RA-3482K. During 2012 it was added to the French civil aircraft register as F-AZZK. The aircraft is owned by Rick Van Der Graaf, who also flew it for this display.


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