The Commonwealth CA-12 Boomerang, a stubby all-metal monoplane based upon the Wirraway trainer, itself based on the North American AT-6. It was tough and highly maneuverable but was slow and inferior to any Japanese fighters it would encounter but was better than nothing. The Boomerang first flew in early 1942, and entered service about a year later over the mountains of New Guinea where it distinguished itself in the close ground support role strafing Japanese troop concentrations and marking their positions for artillery. It played a vital role in keeping the trails across New Guinea in Allied hands and was greatly loved, both by its pilots and the infantry it supported. It was much like the Australians themselves, not a classy aircraft but scrappy, and tough.