Auster J1 G-AGTO

“it will be super to re aquatint myself with an aircraft that Dad was so enthusiastic about.”

I congratulate your spill chocker on its inventiveness.

Fascinated to discover this thread about G-AGTO, as my Dad, John Dance was a very keen member of the Smiths Flying group/ Cleeve flying group that operated “AGTO” in the 1960’s.
I clearly remember flying from Staverton with Dad, often in the half circular red rear seat that I seem to recall was side on to direction of travel, and occasionally next to Dad. Peter Lewis and Clive Roberts ( who also had his own aircraft – vw powered turbulent?) were also regular flyers. Trips to The Isle of Wight, Cornwall and Old Warden all feature in my log, which totals 51 flying hours as a passenger in AGTO.
I used to get into trouble for stretching forward and applying the foot brakes whilst enjoying the ride back into the hangar, being pushed by the day’s crew! was DL Brown the rather enthusiastic gentleman who wore a wide brimmed hat- if so, he left a lasting memory for a 6 year old aviator!
Interest renewed, I plan a trip to Duxford later in the year, it will be super to re aquatint myself with an aircraft that Dad was so enthusiastic about.

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I too looked high and low for the ‘Auster’ stencils that were used on the tailplanes, even saw one being used in the early 60’s in a hangar when I was a youngster.

The best I can do for you Baz is this one…this is for the Autocrat of course but the style of the lettering for the ‘Aiglet’ stencil would be the same script…this may help in your restoration project.

Brian

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Thanks for that Brian! (Sorry the thanks has been a long time coming! 🙂 )

I flew in G-AGTO several times with Cliff Barnett before I had a PPL. Soon after, Cliff took me through the PPL himself (Cessnas). Later still, Cliff was going to check me out in G-AGTO, but as we taxied out the tacho stopped working, so we had to abort. Soon after that he went to work for Flight where, tragically, he lost his life in the mid ’80s. I have still never soloed an Auster.

By the way, G-AGTO was silver with red markings then. The upholstery was also red.

I have found a photo fo the Channel Airways Auster G-AGTX which would have been built/registered just after G-AGTO and actually have her CofA as Grandad had her in pieces in the Hangar (along with the ex-Ipswich Tiger Moth) when Channel went bust:

not sure if this is one of the Southend or Ipswich Austers

Sorry all – I’ve not been keeping up.

Bridon: If your 1/6 scale model is to be static then you have an immediate advantage over the medal-winning flying scale modeller. This is in terms of not having to worry too much about the structural strength of the cockpit and wing carry-through. A difficult area to model daintily enough on this and many other prototypes of steel tube construction.

Scotavia: How amusing that you mention the Ladybird Book of Aircraft. This erudite volume helped me survive interminable years of incarceration in a village Primary School. The routine was to ask teacher if one might get up to fetch some toilet paper (the old translucent type) and then to take as long as possible to do so. Much of a day could then be occupied by tracing the Ladybird book illustrations and claiming them as ‘art’. Even at that age I was only happy with aeroplanes flying from right to left in a picture. Thus the Auster Aiglet painting was a prime choice as it was ‘backwards’ and hence could be transferred R to L on paper with minimum effort. Unfortunately I had yet to learn that Auster pitot/static heads exist on the port side only!

Ref the bus window frames – this was I think actually a different (Birmingham-based) company, going back to the 19th Century. Some pre-war DH types use ‘Auster’ door handles but on date alone this cannot mean Auster as in Auster the aeroplane.

G-ORDY: I well remember ‘back in the day’, and at times the colour of your complexion – as immortalised by H-T in his Dragon Rapide air test. Seriously, I have long since wanted to shake your hand. I believe it is only now that we can appreciate the achievement of Vintage Aircraft magazine in capturing so many first-hand recollections while this was still possible. Seldom does a week go by that I don’t reach for the gold-blocked binders.

Baz62: G-AGTO picked up a contemporary Auster factory finish after a major overhaul at Rearsby in 1957. Elements of this scheme evidently persisted through the Cleeve Flying Group era which we have been discussing. Script on the fin is very much part of 1950s Auster styling, but caution using as a basis what I have applied to G-AGTO – emulating the insignia seen on G-AGYK at the 1979 PFA Rally – and especially my first attempt which Bridon has depicted. Factory new Autocrats in the 40s did not in fact have it at all!

The oddest surprise was to see the Auster script on bus window frames as i travelled to Blackpool airport spotting.

I too looked high and low for the ‘Auster’ stencils that were used on the tailplanes, even saw one being used in the early 60’s in a hangar when I was a youngster.

The best I can do for you Baz is this one…this is for the Autocrat of course but the style of the lettering for the ‘Aiglet’ stencil would be the same script…this may help in your restoration project.

Brian

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This thread is very interesting personally as I have a J5F Auster (ZK-BBZ) under rebuild here in New Zealand. My goal is to put her back into her original colour scheme from 1953 which is the Auster factory scheme similar to above. Interesting about the struts being red, she would have looked quite smart like that. Mine will be silver with red stripe, anti-glare and wheel hubs. Also the registration is red and appears under the port wing and on top of the starboard as per G-AGTO What I would like to find out is what is on the fin. I can make out the Auster name but am wondering what is written underneath? This is a photo taken in the 50s while with the Canterbury Aero Club. (Photo courtesy Ron Ark/Canterbury Aero Club [ATTACH=CONFIG]233117[/ATTACH]

EDIT. Have the answer. I managed to zoom in and see it actually says “Aiglet Trainer” on the tail and not Auster!

Lovely aeroplane Mark, I’m honoured to have got a few hours in her back in the day 🙂

Superb aircraft.

Thank you Mark for that trip down memory lane, for a reason i cannot define the Auster has always been my favourite British light aircraft and I have been lucky to fly in a few.I recall that the Ladybird book of Aircraft featured an Auster illustration from a painting but the reg eludes me and the book is in a very cold loft.

That was all very interesting information there Mark….nice to read all about the early days of G-AGTO….as for beating the Gold Medal winner’s 1/5 scale Auster, well all I can say is I expect his winning Crown will be very, very safe! 🙂

Digress on! It’s all very interesting – better than counting rivets.

Not only has Bridon to build it, he also has one to beat! See March 1995 Radio Control Models & Electronics for Keith Barrington’s 1/5 scale flying model of G-AGTO. Keith took a Gold Medal in that year’s Model Engineer Exhibition.

The Staverton-based Cleeve Flying Group owned the full-size aircraft from February 1963 until overwhelmed by a bill for fabric recovering; Flight One Ltd then assumed ownership in 1972. This period of 1,600 hours flying was punctuated by a major prang and consequent repair in 1967 – which old Rearsby hands have told us Beagle undertook only because G-AGTO was the first production Autocrat.

Before and after September 1967 the colour schemes were slightly different. In 1966 at least the appearance was just as in the opening photo. That is, silver overall except that it will not be obvious that the Auster insignia, wing struts, jury struts, steps, wheel hubs and spinner were all red. Likewise the cabin upholstery. At this point the registration was carried on top of the starboard wing only, and beneath the port wing. There were no wing leading edge stripes.

After Beagle Aircraft’s repair the rear lift struts became ‘heavy’ type (2 ½” chord) and the scheme was more plain – silver struts and steps, no signwriting on the fin, and possibly no over wing letters (not sure about that). The anti-dazzle panel colour was taken to the front edge of the top cowling rather than being masked in a curve. All told, the same appearance as in Tony’s 1978 photos. The shade of red I would describe as ‘tomato’ – a ripe one that is!

Of interest in mentioning the Cleeve Flying Group years is that Cliff Barnett of Flight magazine – later lost with photographer Stephen Piercey in a mid-air collision – gained his PPL in G-AGTO during the 1960s. The equally great and late Don L Brown, of Miles fame, also flew the aircraft regularly at Staverton. Came the day in 1969 when an ominous-looking envelope landed on his doormat, Don is said to have gone to fly solo in the Auster for one last time… before returning to find his medical revoked. However, this detail was not volunteered in correspondence that we had in 1986!

A quality snippet picked up only recently is that Don Brown once took Donald Campbell for a flight in G-AGTO.

But I digress!

Mark Miller

Thank you all for your invaluable help and for the photographs….now all I have to do is build it…:) !!

At Duxford on 28 October 1978…..but, unhelpfully, in monochrome as well!

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2 pictures below of Auster G-AGTO taken at Duxford in 1978. She is of course still resident and maintained at Duxford in immaculate condition.

G-AGTO DX June 78 by AJCDuxman, on Flickr

G-AGTO DX late 1978 by AJCDuxman, on Flickr

Duxman

Flikr – https://www.flickr.com/photos/64209520@N05/

Thank you Tony….that sorts out the memory!…amazing how things cloud over in the mind…solved the query thanks to you…well done, now all I have to do is build it!:rolleyes:

Regards

BrianG

Judging by this in 63 the same as the current scheme, burgundy red with a black anti dazzle panel and code only on one wing.

Tap on the piccie for a bigger shot

http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1058065/

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