Taylorcraft Auster

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylorcraft_Auster

The Taylorcraft Auster was a British military liaison and observation aircraft
produced by the Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) Limited company during the
Second World War.

The Auster was a twice-removed development of an American Taylorcraft design of
civilian aircraft, the Model A. The Model A had to be redesigned in Britain to
meet more stringent Civil Aviation standards and was named the Taylorcraft Plus
C. After the start of the Second World War, the company developed the model
further as an Air Observation Post (AOP)—flown by officers of the Royal
Artillery and used for directing artillery fire of British Army Royal Artillery
units.

Post war, the Auster Mark V was used as the basis for the Auster J/1 Autocrat
intended for the civilian market; the British firm having changed their name to
Auster and stopped licensing from Taylorcraft. Further military aircraft were
supplied post war; the Auster AOP6, Auster T7 (a trainer), and the Auster AOP9.


Role
Liaison aircraft

Manufacturer
Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) Limited

Introduction
1942

Primary user
Royal Air Force

Number built
1,630

Developed from
Taylor Cub

Variants
Beagle A.61 Terrier

The Auster Mark III, IV and V were issued to 12 Royal Air Force (RAF), one
Polish and three Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Air Observation Post (AOP)
Squadrons. The first to deploy was No. 651 Squadron RAF. The leading elements
landed in Algiers on 12 November 1942 with eight aircraft, 11 Royal Artillery
(RA) pilots, 39 RA soldiers and 25 airmen (mostly maintenance technicians). The
normal strength of an AOP squadron was 12 aircraft, 19 RA officers (all pilots),
83 RA other ranks and 63 RAF including two administrative officers. Aircraft
were fitted with the Army's No 22 Wireless, an HF set providing two-way voice
communications with artillery units and formations on the ground.

On 31 March 1943 the Army Cooperation Command was disbanded, most of its assets
being used to form the Second Tactical Air Force.

Postwar Auster AOP aircraft were reorganised into independent flights (probably
because the RAF used Wing-Commanders, equivalent to Lieutenant-Colonels, to
command squadrons while the army insisted on a major's command) including 1903
Flight in Korea that had artillery pilots from several Commonwealth countries.
There was also an Auster-equipped Liaison Flight, No 1913, in that theatre. Air
OP flights also operated in the Malayan Emergency. Several AOP squadrons were
reformed within the Royal Auxiliary Air Force in 1949 and these operated some
AOP.5s, AOP.6s and AOP.9s until at least March 1957, when the Auxiliary Air
Force was disbanded. All Auster AOP units were transferred to the Army Air Corps
when it was formed in September 1957, with AAC squadrons using numbers starting
with 651.

The air observation duties, counter-insurgency and casualty evacuation roles
performed by Auster and similar light aircraft were generally taken over by
light helicopters from the mid-1960s.

Specifications (Auster V)

General characteristics
Crew: three
Length: 22 ft 5 in (6.83 m)
Wingspan: 36 ft 0 in (10.97 m)
Height: 8 ft 0 in (2.44 m)
Wing area: 167 ft² (15.51 m²)
Empty weight: 1,100 lb (499 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 1,850 lb (839 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-290-3 flat-four piston, 130 hp (97 kW)

Performance
Maximum speed: 113 kts (209 km/h)
Stall speed: 28 kts (51 km/h)
Range: 250 miles (402 km. Indefinite with aerial refuelling.)

Takeoff run: 91 ft (28 m)

Armament none





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