Auster J1 Autocrat G-JAYI, G-AJRE
| Location: Coventry | In Service: |
| Manufacturer: Auster Aircraft Limited, Rearasby, Leicestershire | Purpose: Three-seat touring and training monoplane |
|
Power Plant: Blackburn Cirrus Minor 100hp |
Length: 23ft 2in |
| Construction: Fabric-covered metal and wood framework | Maximum speed: 125 mph Range: 320 miles Service ceiling 12,500ft Rate of climb: 650 ft./min Wing loading: Thrust/weight: |
Armament:
History: The Auster was built throughout the second world war by the English sister company to the American Taylorcraft Corporation. British-born Clarence Taylor had designed the original Taylor Cub, later to become the ubiquitous Piper Cub. While Taylor's design brilliance can't be doubted, his commercial acumen was outshone by William Piper. At the end of the war, Taylorcraft was renamed Auster Aircraft Limited, and a new version of Taylor's design was begun. The Auster shares many design features with the better-known Cub. Both are light, simple, high-wing monoplanes. But where the Cub wins friends with its forgiving flight characteristics, the Auster demands rather more from its pilot. But in the right hands it's a gem. The trickiness comes as a result of the Auster's exceptional slow-flight capabilites. Its stall speed is well below 30mph, allowing it to land almost vertically in a modest headwind. This allows it to take off and land in unbelievably short distances. It takes an experienced hand to get an Auster down smoothly, because they just don't want to stop flying!
