Austers – What's wrong with them?

I would be happy just to have a flight in one, never flown in an Auster.

Planemike

If you get the chance take it. You’ll be glad you did.

Martin,

Actually i was up to nefarious activities in the countryside when one flew over the cuckoo’s nest. 😀

Well actually a singleton followed by a pair about 5 mins later sometime between 7-8pm Sunday. Three Austers returning with haggis i presume ?

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And did you get back about 8pm Sunday night by chance ?

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Little bit earlier, but that was us….I did try to figure out which house was yours as we went over!

Martin

I’ve just spent a week touring Scotland in an Auster and had a wonderful time.

And did you get back about 8pm Sunday night by chance ?

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I’ve just spent a week touring Scotland in an Auster and had a wonderful time. They may be boring to some, but they play an important part of our aviation heritage and besides being a major contributor to the postwar civilian market, have seen military action in WW2, Korea, Aden, Malaya, Borneo etc etc.

Each to their own of course, but there is something about them, that makes them that little bit unique!!

Martin

You should read the latest issue of Flyer magazine then. Brian Lecomber has some not so nice thing to say about the Auster:D In short he thinks it is similar to the Morris Minor Post Office van a lot of people are restoring these days. They were crap to drive when new, and are still crap to drive now, with the historical significance of a lump of chewing gum. Yet the owners love them………….:D:D:D:D

You shouldn’t take everything Mr L says as gospel though. In a moment of humour (or pique) he claims that the idea behind the Chipmunk was to produce something more aerodynamic than the Tiger Moth and then claims that it could have been achieved by bolting a plank on top of a milk float:D I love his phraseology.

Someone once put it to me that it was the Auster and the Tiger Moth that together successfully destroyed Britain’s post war light aeroplane industry!!!

People were so relieved to see Cessnas and Pipers crossing the atlantic….

They made the Cherokee look good afterall.:D

Perversely I was rather relived to get out of Cessna’s and Pipers and into an Auster. 🙂

A.N.Other:- Hello, how was the flight?
Auster pilot:- Pardon?

Anyway, I love pre war aeroplanes even if they were built post war.

No problem. I’ll sell you a fully airworthy Clutton FRED for ten thousand pounds less than that! :diablo:

No thanks, I spend too much time on my hair in the morning for a FRED! Although if it was the BE2 for the same price i’d be interested…. :diablo:

lol thats within my price range though 🙂

Someone once put it to me that it was the Auster and the Tiger Moth that together successfully destroyed Britain’s post war light aeroplane industry!!!

People were so relieved to see Cessnas and Pipers crossing the atlantic….

They made the Cherokee look good afterall.:D

No problem. I’ll sell you a fully airworthy Clutton FRED for ten thousand pounds less than that! :diablo:

The Auster is very much the product of its times.
A (forgive the pun) austerity-built Taylorcraft with a pre-war Gipsy Major or Cirrus engine up front.

They are tricky to land, sometimes ponderous, thirsty, smelly, oily, and leak when it rains – as a Tiger Moth owner ‘AHY, you should love it!

Not sure the FRED classes as Historic!!!!!!!:rolleyes:

Blimey, where do I start with this one! As for Merlinmagic thinking of them as expensive, last I heard there were two airworthy Austers for sale for around £14,000 – not many other historic aircraft you can buy airworthy for that price.

No problem. I’ll sell you a fully airworthy Clutton FRED for ten thousand pounds less than that! :diablo:

The Auster is very much the product of its times.
A (forgive the pun) austerity-built Taylorcraft with a pre-war Gipsy Major or Cirrus engine up front.

They are tricky to land, sometimes ponderous, thirsty, smelly, oily, and leak when it rains – as a Tiger Moth owner ‘AHY, you should love it!

now I am having difficulity in coming up with reasons why I should like them.

You should read the latest issue of Flyer magazine then. Brian Lecomber has some not so nice thing to say about the Auster:D In short he thinks it is similar to the Morris Minor Post Office van a lot of people are restoring these days. They were crap to drive when new, and are still crap to drive now, with the historical significance of a lump of chewing gum. Yet the owners love them………….:D:D:D:D

Blimey, where do I start with this one! As for Merlinmagic thinking of them as expensive, last I heard there were two airworthy Austers for sale for around £14,000 – not many other historic aircraft you can buy airworthy for that price.

As well as the very low price, there’s also fairly good spares support, superb short take off and landing characteristics, plenty of room inside for you and a friend or significant other to go away for a few days with a big tent and baggage in the back, or even take the kids. Very interesting history, especially if you buy an ex-military Auster, they usually create a lot of interest whenever they go somewhere, the International Auster Club, at least the UK section, is very active and friendly getting you in to interesting places.

If you can get an Operation and Maintenance Handbook, you will have the set.

You can get CD copies off ebay.

What sort of maintenance manuals are about, I have:

anyone care to suggest other doco that would be good to aquire.

cheers

I would be happy just to have a flight in one, never flown in an Auster.

Planemike

G-HHHH is a Robinson Helicopter. G-AHHH is lovely J1N!

And originally a J/1! Yes, they’re idiosyncratic, possibly over-engineered (?) as many British aircaraft designs were (yes, I know it’s origins were American….), but to me they have a certain quintessential charm which is difficult to define and I guess they have been responsible for many people’s first aircraft flights over the years at North Denes, Skegness et al….. My hope one day is to fly one PIC, but that’s a little way off at the moment.

(And I’m sure Rob Langham and I could put up a strong defence, given the time to get our heads together……!! ;))

Now G-HHHH is a Mk.3 and that is an interesting aeroplane here in Australia. Most were ex-RAAF.and I must admit if I had to have an Auster that would have been my choice of mark. However mine is one once owned by somebody called Bobby Gibbs who was some kind of Ace I think from WW2.

He formed Gibbs Sepik Airways in New Guinea and this is where my Auster earned its keep at one time.

cheers

G-HHHH is a Robinson Helicopter. G-AHHH is a lovely J1N!