Country of origin:

Australia

Description:

Single-seat agricultural monoplane

Power Plant:

One 142 kw (190 hp) Lycoming O-435 six-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

In 1962 Agricultural Aviation Pty Ltd of Archerfield, QLD, decided to convert an Auster J-5 Adventurer for agricultural duties, converting it from a three-seater to a single-seater, fitting an American Lycoming six-cylinder engine, and installing a hopper in the rear of the cockpit, with spray bars on the wings. Aircraft chosen for the first conversion was VH-SCO (c/n 2806) which had previously operated as a private aircraft with the registration VH-KSG, receiving its Certificate of Registration No 1523 on 20 February 1948, being operated by Mr W Gall of Broken Hill, and later seeing service with the Broken Hill Aero Club, NSW.

It was traded to Kingsford Smith Aviation Service at Bankstown, NSW in September 1954 and sold on to Roma Aerial Services in Queensland, later going to the Darling Downs Aero Club at Toowoomba where, in October 1955, the registration was changed to VH-DDX. It operated as VH-DDX from October 1955 to December 1959 when it crashed at Talwood, QLD and was struck off the register. The aircraft had originally been constructed in the United Kingdom in 1947 as a J-5 Adventurer, had been shipped to Australia and had been assembled by Kingsford Smith Aviation Service with an Australian-built Gipsy Major engine with a wooden propeller.

It was rebuilt and became VH-SCO (named ‘Prairie Flower’) to Agricultural Aviation, still fitted with its original Gipsy Major engine, the Certificate of Registration No 4206 being issued on 14 November 1962. However, it was struck off the register again after another accident in 1965.

The company then decided to rebuild the aircraft for agricultural work using parts from the airframes of VH-KSI and BJ648. This involved the widening of the fuselage to take a hopper, which was capable of carrying 227 kg (500 lb), covering the fuselage with metal rather than fabric, installing extra large wheels and tyres for operations from rough strips, and installing the original de Havilland Gipsy Major 1J engine. It received a new Certificate of Airworthiness in November 1962.

In 1964 a decision was made to change the engine and it was fitted with the Lycoming O-435, the new aircraft being registered on 10 December 1965. It saw considerable service in following months spreading grass seed in the Darling Downs area until 1973 when it was withdrawn and replaced with a Piper Cherokee Six. It was then placed in storage at Archerfield.

In about 1985 it was sold and was again based on the Darling Downs of Queensland where it was rebuilt. It was sold again, transported to Camden, NSW and placed back on to the register, ownership being changed to Mr E S Annand of Ingleburn, NSW, who restored the aircraft for private use but still outwardly resembling the agricultural aircraft. This involved the removal of the hopper which had been used for seeding work, the hopper having been built from plywood and placed in the position of the rear seat. A 142 kw (190 hp) Lycoming O-435 engine driving a Hartzell variable pitch metal propeller was re-installed.

The aircraft was entered in the inaugural Auster Air Race from Maitland, NSW in 1985 but had to be withdrawn due to paper work problems. A full Certificate of Airworthiness was issued on 1 December 1986, the aircraft now being known as an Auster J-5-190 Ag-Special. However, after a few months of operation as a private aircraft, whilst landing at Luskintyre, NSW, it struck power lines and crashed, again being written off.