Request for info on flying an Auster.
As with any other acft Mr 'C',
POWER ON FULL, keep the nose down till ya gets ya speed (relatively speakin' - we are in an Auster after all...) 'milk' the flaps up and climb(?) awawaaayyy...
Smile 'sheepishly' - Pacify ya passenger, and try again!
Cheers
POWER ON FULL, keep the nose down till ya gets ya speed (relatively speakin' - we are in an Auster after all...) 'milk' the flaps up and climb(?) awawaaayyy...
Smile 'sheepishly' - Pacify ya passenger, and try again!
Cheers
Bushies....
put a hopper in one and had a go at the crop spraying business on the Atherton Tablelands.
Things came unstuck nr Mareeba where the pilot hit a tree and terminated himself. BPD ? eventually got rebuilt but after that sad event, Bushies gave that line of business up.
As the saying goes... there a two types of Ag pilots, the very good and the very dead. Vale 'Fred'
Auster Ltd did do a croppie, the "Agricola" ( Latin for bomb?)
Not sure how many were built or what they were like to fly.
Anyone know more??? Any come to Oz.?
Did see the Percival EP 9 at PFD... same market. I believe one is still airworthy in Na Zilan.
Things came unstuck nr Mareeba where the pilot hit a tree and terminated himself. BPD ? eventually got rebuilt but after that sad event, Bushies gave that line of business up.
As the saying goes... there a two types of Ag pilots, the very good and the very dead. Vale 'Fred'
Auster Ltd did do a croppie, the "Agricola" ( Latin for bomb?)
Not sure how many were built or what they were like to fly.Anyone know more??? Any come to Oz.?
Did see the Percival EP 9 at PFD... same market. I believe one is still airworthy in Na Zilan.
Moderator
The Auster B8 Agricola was a commercially unsuccessful British agricultural aircraft designed for the aerial topdressing market which opened up in New Zealand in the early 1950s.
The aircraft was utilitarian rather than attractive; one web site has short-listed the Agricola in a competition for the ugliest aircraft of all time.
First flight 1955. 260 HP Continental engine. Nine built, one survives.
Centaurus,
The the taper wing Hornet Moth, that's why most that survive have been re-winged with DH-82 wings.
Given the sometimes vicious tip stall common to "those beautiful DH tapered wings", especially if the rigging was a bit out --- which was just about always, probably because the temperature and humidity on the day, was not the same as when the aircraft was last rigged, I long ago decided that the ground loop like you experienced was not really a ground loop at all, but the first turn of a spin, fortuitously arrested by mother earth.
Who remembers the good old days when the exercise was not "stall and recover practice", but "stalling and spin recovery", competence in the latter required before first solo.
Tootle pip!!
The the taper wing Hornet Moth, that's why most that survive have been re-winged with DH-82 wings.
Given the sometimes vicious tip stall common to "those beautiful DH tapered wings", especially if the rigging was a bit out --- which was just about always, probably because the temperature and humidity on the day, was not the same as when the aircraft was last rigged, I long ago decided that the ground loop like you experienced was not really a ground loop at all, but the first turn of a spin, fortuitously arrested by mother earth.
Who remembers the good old days when the exercise was not "stall and recover practice", but "stalling and spin recovery", competence in the latter required before first solo.
Tootle pip!!
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AUSTERS
Firstly Hornet Moths came in two models; DH87A and B. One had tapered wings the other had squared wing tips, not Tiger Moth wings.
Austers were easy to fly but hard to fly well, in came down to the Pilot not the aeroplane.
The Auster came in a myriad of models so very hard to generalize.
Most had 36 foot wing span and tendered to float on landing, if touch down came too early the tail dropped and they wanted to fly again (Bounces). A quick touch of forward stick glued them down well. The 32 foot span Austers such as the J5f that I once owned was one of best aerobatic A/C I have flown, Approach speeds varied but much slower than modern tinnys. Flying slowly was an Auster's party trick, Captain Jack Ellis (ex TAA) used to demo to us slow flight at around 23 knots (Don't try that at home).
Centaurus your first name wouldn't be Graham by any chance?
Tail wheels beat training wheels anytime, cheers.
Austers were easy to fly but hard to fly well, in came down to the Pilot not the aeroplane.
The Auster came in a myriad of models so very hard to generalize.
Most had 36 foot wing span and tendered to float on landing, if touch down came too early the tail dropped and they wanted to fly again (Bounces). A quick touch of forward stick glued them down well. The 32 foot span Austers such as the J5f that I once owned was one of best aerobatic A/C I have flown, Approach speeds varied but much slower than modern tinnys. Flying slowly was an Auster's party trick, Captain Jack Ellis (ex TAA) used to demo to us slow flight at around 23 knots (Don't try that at home).
Centaurus your first name wouldn't be Graham by any chance?
Tail wheels beat training wheels anytime, cheers.
Old etc.,
I stand by what I said, the several taper wing Hornet Moth's I have been "involved with" over the years were re-winged ---- with the later wings, if you want to put it that way, there probably were minor changes.
Nevertheless they were always referred to as "Tiger" wings, including by DH in the UK., and by Rollasons of Croyden, Surrey, who did many of the mods. on DH aircraft in the UK.
I am speaking of the early 1960's, not the production changes of the '30's.
Tootle pip!!
PS: I don't know what aerobatic (or as CASA prefers, that 'orrible word acrobatic) aircraft you have flown, but if the J5F was one of the better, you must have flown some odd aircraft.
I never did understand why DCA demanded a separate endorsement for the J5F, and none of the Examiners of that era seemed to know either, it "just was". Maybe Sir Donald Anderson got bitten by one??
I stand by what I said, the several taper wing Hornet Moth's I have been "involved with" over the years were re-winged ---- with the later wings, if you want to put it that way, there probably were minor changes.
Nevertheless they were always referred to as "Tiger" wings, including by DH in the UK., and by Rollasons of Croyden, Surrey, who did many of the mods. on DH aircraft in the UK.
I am speaking of the early 1960's, not the production changes of the '30's.
Tootle pip!!
PS: I don't know what aerobatic (or as CASA prefers, that 'orrible word acrobatic) aircraft you have flown, but if the J5F was one of the better, you must have flown some odd aircraft.
I never did understand why DCA demanded a separate endorsement for the J5F, and none of the Examiners of that era seemed to know either, it "just was". Maybe Sir Donald Anderson got bitten by one??
Last edited by LeadSled; 29th Dec 2011 at 05:55.
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Crop Spraying in an Auster
" Roma Aerial Service " based in Roma mid Queensland operated an Auster on Brigalow spraying. ( Brigalow is tree type scrub that grows to about 15 feet or so ) There was a 40 gallon tank in the area behind the pilot and the propeller was ultra fine fixed pitch. If I remember correctly it was 3'7" which gave plenty of get up and go but a cruising speed of less than 70 knots. The Auster did the job OK but one had to be sure the take off distance available was adequate because when fully loaded the tail was reluctant to come up. Once in the flying attitude she accelerated quickly but there was always a feeling of " heavyness " until at least half the load was spread.
The spray used was a mixture of diesel oil and a hormone called 245-T which later became known as Agent Orange. !!! But that is another story.
OP.
The spray used was a mixture of diesel oil and a hormone called 245-T which later became known as Agent Orange. !!! But that is another story.
OP.
Leadie,
Re My endorsement 'Auster except J5F' -
I was led to believe at the time it was because of an alleged 'viscious' stall in which a wing would / could(?) drop suddenly and 'catch' the uninitiated unawares....
Something to do with the 'clipped wings'..(?)
Re My endorsement 'Auster except J5F' -
I was led to believe at the time it was because of an alleged 'viscious' stall in which a wing would / could(?) drop suddenly and 'catch' the uninitiated unawares....
Something to do with the 'clipped wings'..(?)
ExFSO Griffo,
That's exactly as my original endorsement was written, when all the types were written across from my UK Board (Bored) of Trade (long before the CAA) license, when an Oz license was first issued.
As I had never heard of the differentiation in the UK, hence the question, and a variety of non-answers. Seems the problem, like many other perceived aviation problems, only happen (ed) in Australia.
Same same the Chipmunk spinning problems, never was a problem in the UK, and none of the UK registered Chippies I ever flew had anti-spin strakes fitted. Then again, we religiously completed the pre-aerobatic check, especially item (1) --- Brakes Off.
Must be a Coriolis effect??
Tootle pip!!
That's exactly as my original endorsement was written, when all the types were written across from my UK Board (Bored) of Trade (long before the CAA) license, when an Oz license was first issued.
As I had never heard of the differentiation in the UK, hence the question, and a variety of non-answers. Seems the problem, like many other perceived aviation problems, only happen (ed) in Australia.
Same same the Chipmunk spinning problems, never was a problem in the UK, and none of the UK registered Chippies I ever flew had anti-spin strakes fitted. Then again, we religiously completed the pre-aerobatic check, especially item (1) --- Brakes Off.
Must be a Coriolis effect??
Tootle pip!!
My Australian licence, early sixties, was endorsed the same, Auster except J5F. I could never understand the difference so did the normal thing for the early sixties and took no notice, flew the J5F just like any other Auster. I remember one Auster, haven't got the log books handy for the type, Mk 1?, AOP 1?, certainly not a J1B, wooden prop, quick 90 degree turn to the right if you closed the throttle quickly, no adjustment on the seat so if you have long legs remove the cushion from the seat back and you immediately saw double if you leaned back and touched the metal cross bar. I thought all Austers were uncivilised but this one excelled in the having no basic good points, you wrestled with the flap lever over your head and waved the long control cloumn around over what seemed and incredible amount of space to make anything much happen. Haven't flown one for as long as I can remember and don't really care if I don't fly one again.
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I flew a few different Austers. The best was VH-SCO a J5 fitted with Lycoming 0435 and variable pitch prop. Wing Tanks and a belly tank. Metal skin on the fuselage and seeding hopper fitted with an agitator. It performed like a rocket.
http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac...ml]VH-SCO.html
http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac...ml]VH-SCO.html
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nobody has mentioned those wonderful heel brakes!!
The Instructors rote; "heels on the floor not on the brakes", was a wasted phrase.
In a way of redeeming the type however, the switches were placed so a normal port rear prop swing gave one a fleeting opportunity to kill the beast if it started with too many rev's.
I believe as one should ride a motorcycle for 12 months before the issue of a drivers licence, (to see if you can survive of course), one should also be forced to go solo in the Auster before granting a pilot licence.