Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation ca‑32 kiowa
in Fleet Air Arm (RAN)

This Australian licence built version of the Bell 206 Kiowa replaced the Westland Scout in hydrographic survey work for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Although 6 airframes were used over the period, only 3 were on strength at any one time and only two of these had continuous service with the RAN. The other was initially written off after nearly 4 years and it was replaced by a series of loaned airframes from Australian Army Aviation. The story is further complicated in that two of these replacements (N17-005 & N17-006) were Bell-sourced but CAC-assembled models. The other 4 were all CAC built. The loaned airframes were eventually returned to the Army at various times and in Aug 2000, the remaining 3 Kiowas were transferred to Army use.