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Aircraft |
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A selection
of pictures of aircraft seen at Croydon throughout it's
history |
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Taylorcraft
Aeroplanes (England) Ltd. (Auster) |
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The company began in 1938 at
the Britannia Works, Thurmaston near Leicester, England, as Taylorcraft
Aeroplanes (England) Limited, making light observation aircraft
designed by the Taylorcraft Aircraft Corporation of America.
1,604 high-wing Taylorcraft Auster monoplanes were built during
World War II for the armed forces of the UK and Canada, primarily
for the role of Air Observation Post. Auster Alpha parked in
front of Auster's original assembly facilities at Rearsby in
1966 During the war the head office and drawing office were at
a big old house on the outskirts of Thurmaston called "The
Woodlands". The fuselages and wings were manufactured at
Syston under the works manager by the name of Sharp. Sheet metalwork
was done at the old 'en tout cas' works at Thurmaston. Final
assembly, fitting out and testing took place at Rearsby aerodrome.
The name changed to Auster (after the Roman name for the south
wind) on the 7th of March 1946, when production shifted to Rearsby
aerodrome, all in Leicestershire. All designs were evolved from
the early Taylorcraft with a sprung skid or tailwheel beneath
the fin (except for a low-wing aircraft called the "Agricola"
designed for aerial farming work; only nine of these were completed).
When the company was merged into Beagle Aircraft in June, 1961,
the high-wing design was developed still further as the Terrier
and, with a nosewheel, the Airedale. The various Auster models
were extensively used in the UK and British colonies after WWII
for a variety of activities such as Air Observation Post (AOP),
mail delivery, VIP transport, private owner flights and joy rides
at seaside airports and town carnivals. The Auster name was dropped
in 1968. |
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Auster J1 |
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(above) 'Auster J1n Alpha'. mid 1950's |
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Auster J5 |
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(below) one of the flying schools 'Auster
Aiglet Trainer's' (type J5) that used the Olley hangar. mid 1950's. |
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(above and below) 'Auster Aiglet Trainers' of 'Airways Aero Association'.
mid 1950's |
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(above) another day and another group
in the same hangar. L to R .... 'Beechcraft Bonanza', 'Auster
Aiglet' and a 'Percival Prentice'. |
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(above) 'Auster Trainer' mid 1950's |
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(below) Auster 5 |
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Auster J8 |
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(above) 'Auster J8L Trainer'. mid 1950's |
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