Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Two/three-seat military air-observation-post aircraft

Power Plant:

One 134 kw (180 hp) Blackburn Cirrus Bombardier 203 four-cylinder in-line air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

The Auster AOP-9 was designed specifically for the British Army Air Corps as an air-observation-post aircraft to replace previous Auster variants which had been civil designs converted to fill that role. No real prototype as such was built. The first machine built served as the prototype and the first production machine was flown on 19 March 1954. Deliveries to the British Army began in 1955.

Although it looked much like other Austers, the AOP-9 differed in that it was of all-metal construction and seated a pilot and two passengers in the communications role, or a pilot and observer in the air-observation-post role (with the observer being able to face fore and aft). Both doors could be jettisoned and the rear cabin floor could be removed to permit conversion for other roles, such as aerial photography.

Subsequently the AOP-9 entered service with the Indian Army and the Indian and South African Air Forces. A number are known to have landed on Royal Navy aircraft carriers, including XP278 on ‘HMS Hermes’ and XP241 on ‘HMS Centaur’; and TW584, WJ403 and VW993 operated off ‘HMS Ocean’ and ‘HMS Theseus’. Although the type never served on the strength of the Australian Army, Australian pilots are known to have operated the type whilst on exchange duty with the British Army.

Eventually the AOP-9 began to be replaced by helicopters in the British Army and a number were sold to civil owners. At least three examples have been seen in this region and two are known to exist in Australia. One (XP285) is on display at the Museum of Australian Army Flying at Oakey, QLD, this machine having been presented to the Australian Army Aviation Corps by the British Army in 1970 as a goodwill gesture.

Another (G-AXRR/XR241) was an entrant in the BP England – Australia air race in January 1969 and arrived at Bankstown, NSW having flown from the UK. This race was to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Captain James Cook’s discovery of Australia in the barque ‘HMS Endeavour’, and the 50th Anniversary of the flight of the Vickers Vimy G-EAOU by Ross and Keith Smith to Australia in 1919. It was flown by Major Somerton-Raynor and took 16 days with 141 hrs 10 mins flying time. It later returned to the UK and was then put into service with the Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford in Cambridgeshire.

Another (ex XK406), which was built in 1956, was imported to Australia in the mid-1970s and, after restoration in British Army markings, was registered as VH-XKA on 16 May 1989.  In recent years it has been operated by its owner from Little River, VIC.

It is interesting to note that Auster AOP-9s were operated by the British Army during 1963-1964 flying from Christmas Island with drums (218 litres / 48 Imp gals) of DDT installed in the rear cabin with spraybars driven by a wind-driven pump, to control the local insect population, WZ676 being known to be one used. 136,380 litres (30,000 Imp gals) were dispersed in 347 hours flying time. Two of the Austers used (WZ698 and XK410) were abandoned and left on the beach after being struck off charge in December 1963.

A development of the series was the Model E3/AOP-11 (XP254) which had a 194 kw (260 hp) Continental IO-470D engine which provided a maximum speed of 249 km/h (155 mph) and an initial rate of climb of 503 m/min (1,650 ft/min) but did not enter production.