History:

Following the cessation of hostilities in World War I, the Austral Monoplane Company of Hunter Street, Sydney, NSW advertised ‘you can fly with a motor cycle engine – working plans £1.’ This aircraft was a canard with a motor cycle engine driving a pusher propeller. Advertising said ‘you can build an Austral monoplane in your workshop or garage…While great engineers were concentrating on the design of great bombing and fighter aeroplanes, the designers of the Austral Monoplane were quietly working out a machine that everyone could build and fly cheaply. The Austral will carry a heavy man and develop a speed of from 30 to 60 miles per hour powered by a motor cycle engine…..You don’t need elaborate shop equipment. All you need is to know to use a few simple tools and you can build an Austral in your spare time. All materials can be obtained locally.’

The design was said to be the concept of Mr F Kay-Stratton, an engineer from South Kensington, NSW. Perhaps the first homebuilt ultralight in this region, plans for it were widely advertised but little is known about how many, if any, were built. It is believed work commenced on a number. However, there is some question as to whether it was in fact an Australian design, some theorising that it was in fact a development of the White Monoplane, a homebuilt designed and made available to the home builder by George D White in Los Angeles in 1917. At that time claims were made that hundreds of amateurs were building and flying the design.

Further information:

Information on this aircraft is currently limited. The Author welcomes any further specifications and/or details to update the site.