QDM
Just adding to your Auster facts...
Not all have British in-line engines, many have Lycomings - mostly the 0290.
Yes, they are British built but they are closely based on an American Taylorcraft design. In fact, the first aircraft were actually called Talorcraft plus D's. The name 'Auster' was coined by the British military I believe, and stuck.
The Taylor in Taylorcraft is the very same C.G Taylor that designed the original Taylor Cub in 1930. The story goes that whilst Tayor was off ill for a while in 1935, Bill Piper (Taylor's business partner and the marketing guy) had a 24 year old designer called Jamouneau restlyle the boxy E 2 Cub into the curvy J 2. Taylor was furious and the resulting showdown ended with Piper buying out Taylors's shares - this company became Piper as we know it today. Taylor set up Taylorcraft and set out to design an aircraft to beat the Cub - the model 'B'... (forerunner of the Auster)
Being the original 'bloke with too many planes' I also own a 1/3rd share in a 1941 Taylorcraft BC12 - this is like a light Auster with no flaps and an A 65 engine. It goes like the clappers (90+mph cruise) but has a less gentle stall than the Cub and the visibility out is god awful. I hardly ever fly it as I prefer the L4....
Kingy
Last edited by Kingy; 19th January 2003 at 02:54.