Hello,
I’m trying to find some details about invasions stripes applied to Austers (particularly AOP5’s).
First question… Does anyone have any war time photos of Austers with invasion stripes that they would be able to share with us / me?
Second, was there any set ‘rules’ for applying the invasion stripes? What I mean by that is this… Looking at modern photos of Austers with invasion stripes on them, you’ll see some have full bands around the fuselage and wings, some just have them on the lower surfaces and some just have them on the wings. Also, some invasion stripes cover the serial number, sometimes the serial number was moved further down the fuselage. Was a just a case of each unit doing their own thing or are these just inaccuracies that have crept in over time?
A period photo would really help… Can you help where google failed?!!!!
By: Robert Whitton - 12th May 2011 at 11:15
The colour scheme on VX927 looks good and I suppose its the rear glazing this is the external feature that differs most from the Mk7. But as you say it is now a Beagle Terrier and while I like the standard Beagle colours the military scheme is very smart and highly visible in the air!
By: VX927 - 11th May 2011 at 20:03
Firstly… Thank you all very much for the replies.
ABM. I’m sorry you that that
There’s nothing worse that a fully converted BEAGLE Terrier wearing camouflage and its original military serial masquerading as an old military Auster.
I didn’t think that 927 looked that bad! I mean, the military colour scheme isn’t for everyone, and yes, she is now a beagle terrier, not that Auster T7 she started out as but really… Is it so bad to paint her in military colours? – I’ll let you decide that one, but I guess its a case of ‘each to their own’!
John – Thank you for your kind words re 927. I wont be painting invasions stripes on her! Even in her military days as a T7, the stripes would be inappropriate! However, I was asking as I know on an Auster AOP5 which is soon to return to flight, and the owners want to put invasion stripes on her!
The photos on here of true war time Austers are fantastic… Thank you all.
By: Mudmover - 11th May 2011 at 17:58
What’s not to like?
By: AMB - 11th May 2011 at 16:00
I think that Austers look great no matter what the colour scheme is. However for visibility in the air perhaps camouflage would not be best even with invasion stripes. 🙂
I quite agree. There are already far too many Austers repainted in military colours. Every year yet another owner decides to retro their aircraft back to its military camouflage, which is a pity. I can understand AOP.9s being camouflaged as there were very few that weren’t but other owners often seem to fail to reach the superb standards of Richard and the Eggesford Group when it comes to accurately restoring military Austers. There’s nothing worse that a fully converted BEAGLE Terrier wearing camouflage and its original military serial masquerading as an old military Auster,without being properly de-converted. If the aircraft in question has a period 1940s-50s UK civil registration, there is nothing nicer than a smart civilian scheme such as G-AMMS,’GXU or ‘JYB (shown here) wear and with the Auster company twin-stripes trademark down the fuselage side.
By: Mark V - 10th May 2011 at 18:23
:)Please. Don’t put invasion stripes on your Auster, my personal view is they look awful, and if that’s your aeroplane in the avatar it looks great.
John
I personally try to steer clients away from them (and have been quite successful) – anyway they are applied they look either inaccurate or messy!
By: Rogier - 10th May 2011 at 15:55
Picture of a model A.O.P.? in Airbrushing For Modellers by Goldman and Rubenstein 1974.
Stripes only to wings. Undersurface is black extending up sides. Brn / Grn camouflage upper surface. No serial letters/numbers visible.
Model credited to Bill Quinn
If anyone can match 1/72 model with a photo of a real one, I’d be interested.
By: Robert Whitton - 9th May 2011 at 10:10
I think that Austers look great no matter what the colour scheme is. However for visibility in the air perhaps camouflage would not be best even with invasion stripes. 🙂
By: T6flyer - 9th May 2011 at 10:07
Two more……
Martin
By: Steve Bond - 9th May 2011 at 09:45
Here you are
By: John Aeroclub - 8th May 2011 at 13:13
:)Please. Don’t put invasion stripes on your Auster, my personal view is they look awful, and if that’s your aeroplane in the avatar it looks great.
John
By: Cranswick - 8th May 2011 at 13:00
Auster ‘Invasion stripes’
Suggest you beg steal or borrow ‘2nd Tactical Air Force’ Vol 4, wherein this complex subject is discussed. Yes there certainly were rules but there were exceptions and variations. You’ll find striped Austers illustrated on pp. 635 and 700.
By: Mark V - 8th May 2011 at 12:56
There were dimensional ‘rules’ for applying these markings – but they were done quickly in the field and the end results varied somewhat. You can see anything from stripes which look like they were applied with a mop to very neat efforts which seem to defy the urgency of the times! Sometimes they covered serial numbers and code letters and in other cases it appears the stripes were carefully painted around these identifying marks. The lack of upper surface stripes that you have observed was in fact due to an order to remove them issued a few weeks after D-Day – thats why you see partial stripes on fuselage sides. Often this was achieved by over-painting in the original colour (or one close to it!).
Sign In
May 8, 2011 at 11:57 am