Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Two-seat air-observation-post aircraft

Power Plant:

One 97 kw (130 hp) de Havilland Gipsy Major four-cylinder in-line inverted air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

The Auster series was initially derived from the Taylorcraft Model D series and was built for the British Army for the air-observation-post role. The Auster Mk 1 with a 67 kw (90 hp) Cirrus Minor engine was flown for the first time in May 1942. This was then developed to the Mk 2 with a 97 kw (130 hp) Lycoming O-290-3 engine, but the first major production model, of which 467 examples were built, was the AOP-3, also known as the Mk 3 or Mk III. This introduced the more powerful Gipsy Major 1 engine and various refinements including split trailing-edge flaps. The Mk III was adopted by the RAF and saw operational service in North Africa during the invasion of Algeria, and during the Normandy landings on D-Day and thereafter in Europe. The Model E AOP III was the first Auster type to be imported to Australia.

The Mk III was a two-seat high-wing cabin monoplane, the wing being of steel tube construction with fabric covering, fitted with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. The constant chord wing employed a two-spar arrangement, each of solid spruce, with metal ribs and supported by two struts on each side. Split flaps were mounted under the trailing-edge. The fuselage and empennage were both of welded steel tube construction and fabric covered. Flight controls were fitted with mass balances, and longitudinal trim was effected by a basic trim below the elevator hinge line actuated by a lever in the cockpit roof.

Engine installed in the Mk III was a 97 kw (130 hp) de Havilland Gipsy Major Series I four-cylinder unit inverted and in-line, driving a wooden propeller. Starting was by hand, no electric starter being installed. Fuel capacity was 45 litres (10 Imp gals) in the main tank ahead of the windscreen, and a further 36 litres (8 Imp gals) in the auxiliary tank behind the seats.

Australian units which operated the Mk III included No 16 Air Observation Post (AOP) Flight, which was formed at Richmond, NSW on 8 October 1944 to go to Lae in New Guinea as part of Northern Command Headquarters under the control of No 83 (Army Co-operation) Wing. With this unit the Mk III became known as ‘the flying jeep and grasshopper’. It was equipped with radio and had good short-take off and landing capabilities, having an endurance of an hour and 40 minutes.

After conversion training at Richmond the aircraft were loaded into Douglas C-47s and the unit left Richmond on 16 October 1944. The unit served at Lae, Morotai and Labuan, returning to Canberra on 3 December 1945. Detachments served at other bases, such as Tarakan and Balikpapan.

One of the most important operations was the rescue of 11 American airmen from the Bawang Valley in Borneo in June 1945, these being crews of two Liberators shot down over Brunei Bay. On this occasion one Auster III A11-14, piloted by P O White, located and rescued the American crews which had been living in a Dyak village for eight months.

No 17 AOP Flight also operated the type. This unit was formed at Cairns, QLD on 1 October 1944 and operated from Bougainville, PNG from 17 November 1944, being disbanded on 7 December 1945. Detachments served from Vernon Strip, Jacquinot Bay, Tadji, Oxley and Toi Toi. Following the cessation of hostilities the unit returned to Australia.

Many aircraft were lost during service but none to enemy action. Some aircraft were converted to components in the islands due to the hard service and accidents they suffered in service. A few survived in service postwar until sold to civil operators.

Some 56 examples of the Mk 3 (or Mk III) were operated by the RAAF, being transferred from the RAF. These (serials A11-1 to A11-56) were used extensively throughout World War II and afterwards. After their retirement from military service some 26 examples of this model came on to the Australian Civil Aircraft Register, mostly ex-RAAF aircraft, and these flew on for many years in slowly decreasing numbers. They included: VH-ALS (c/n 293 – ex A11-55, MZ168); VH-SNI (c/n 238 – A11-1, MZ105); VH-BCF (c/n 601 – ex A11-39, NJ771); VH-BCG (c/n 615 – ex A11-40, NJ785); VH-BDM (c/n 639 – ex A11-33, NJ800); VH-RCT/VH-BED (c/n 320 – ex A11-38, MZ195); VH-BCQ/VH-BOQ (c/n 613 – ex A11-36, NJ783); VH- CYH (c/n 413, ex A11-41, NK126); and VH-KRL (c/n 546 – ex G-ATAX, PH-UFP, G-ATAX, PH-UFP, R-13, NJ916).

VH-MBA (c/n 436 -ex A11-53, NX500); VH-MHT (c/n 635 – ex A11-49, NJ797); VH-DAE (c/n 644 – ex A11-18, NJ810) which was lost without trace on 4 October 1950 on a flight from Coffs Harbour to Sydney, NSW; VH-SNS (c/n 271 – ex A11-54, MZ135); VH-BGI/-DQN (c/n 365 – ex A11-13, MZ251); VH-BGU/VH-FAE (c/n 363 – ex A11-17, MZ249) which crashed at Koo Wee Rup, VIC on 13 October 1968; VH-GAE/VH-DAE (c/n 644 – ex A11-18, NJ810); and VH-BBS (c/n 492 – ex A11-30, MT408) which crashed at Wacol, QLD on 3 April 1958.

VH-BDL/VH-MAD/VH-FED (c/n 430 – ex A11-32, NX494); VH-BKK/VH-CAJ/VH-DAJ (c/n 373 – ex A11-34, NJ970); VH-BHA/VH-PCR (c/n 654 – ex A11-37, NJ384); VH-RKA (c/n 531 – ex A11-47, MT450); VH-PRW (c/n 660 – ex A11-51, NJ838); VH-GCV (c/n 258 (ex A11-56, MZ123); VH-WAJ (c/n 330 (ex A11-432, MZ218); VH-WAI/VH-FBA (c/n 483 – ex MT393) which crashed at Marulan, NSW on 9 February 1974; and VH-BYJ (c/n 333 – ex A11-27, MZ220).