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GAF Jindivik Target Aircraft
The Jindivik pilotless, jet-powered target aircraft is the most successful Australian aviation design in terms of numbers exported and for its very long production life. Design work began at the Government Aircraft Factories, Port Melbourne in 1948 to a British Ministry of Supply Specification E.7/48. Remote-controlled and piloted versions were designed by a GAF team led by Ian Fleming. The piloted version known as the Pika was intended as a trials aircraft to test the design of the Jindivik which was said to be an Aboriginal word meaning 'the hunted one'.
Jindivik was intended to provide the Joint British-Australian Weapons Research Establishment in South Australia with a suitable high-speed target to assist development of guided missiles and rockets. The Pika piloted version was first flown at Woomera, SA in 1950 but only two were built. The first radio remote-control flight by a Jindivik took place on 28 August 1952 with an Adder engine as used by Pika. Production aircraft were fitted with an Armstrong-Siddeley Viper jet engine. Apart from Britain and Australia, sales were made to Sweden and the US Navy. The design was developed progressively (Mk's 3 & 4) with refinements in the control equipment, longer span wings for higher alitude operations and provision for camera pods and towing of infra-red and radar targets. All versions used a jettisonable three-wheeled trolley for take-off and a retractable sprung skid for landing.
By 1986, 500 Jindiviks had been built and production stopped in 1997. They remained in service in Britain until 2003 when the last Mk 4A was flown at Llanbedr in Wales.
(showing 1 - 9) 9 items
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Aeroplane Model - Government Aircraft Factories (GAF), Jindivik Mk. 3, Pilotless Target Ai ...
This 1:12 scale model of a GAF Jindivik Mk.3 was purchased by the Museum from the Government Aircraft Factories in 1960.
Images: 1 -
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Aeroplane Model - Bristol DAP Beaufighter Mk 21
Large 1:8 scale model donated to the Museum in 1960 by the Goverment Aircraft Factory which succeeded the Department of Aircraft production. It represents a DAP Beaufighter Mk 21 as flo ...
From: Melbourne, Australia Images: 0 -
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Rocket Boost Motor - 'Mattina', GAF Ikara Missile, circa 1975
The Mattina solid-propellant rocket boost motor was designed for installation in Ikara anti-submarine missiles built by the Government Aircraft Factories. Mattina is the clear launch bo ...
From: Maribyrnong, Australia Images: 0 -
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Guided Missile Model - Government Aircraft Factories (GAF), Malkara, 1960
Model of the joint UK- Australian developed Malkara anti-armour guided surface to surface missile. Development and production of Malkara and its associated wire guidance system was most ...
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Rocket Boost Motor - Australia, Rodinga, 1975
A Rodinga solid propellant jettisonable boost rocket motor of the type fitted to the Turana target missile. This was a single nozzle 6,000 lb thrust motor with a nominal burning time of ...
From: Maribyrnong, Australia Images: 0 -
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Rocket Motor - 'Murawa', GAF Ikara Missile, 1970
The Murawa solid fuel, two-stage rocket motor was designed by Bristol Aerojet Ltd in the late 1950s as a powerplant for the Ikara guided anti-submarine missile developed by the Governme ...
From: Maribyrnong, Australia Images: 0 -
Guided Target Missile - Government Aircraft Factories GAF), Turana, circa 1975
The Museum received this example of a Turana from Aerospace Technologies of Australia (formerly GAF) in 1994 and has the serial number P1-012. It has five small black parachute stencils ...
From: Melbourne, Australia Images: 1 -
Aircraft Fuselage Section - Government Aircraft Factories (GAF), Nomad, 1982
The Museum has the unskinned front fuselage section of an unidentified GAF-built Nomad. The fuselage section is of conventional semi-monocoque construction with frames and stringers of ...
From: Port Melbourne, Australia Images: 2 -
Guided Anti-Submarine Missile - Government Aircraft Factory, Australia, Ikara, 1972
The Ikara anti-submarine missile was designed and built by the Government Aircraft Factory in Melbourne for use from warships developed from the earlier Malkara anti-tank missile. The s ...
From: Melbourne, Australia Images: 1
