Auster AOP.5

[T6flyer]

Released today over at http://www.britsim.com/ is the latest Auster variant to emerge from Messrs Molyneaux, Horsey and myself (and the beta team) - the Auster Mk.5.

More of this variant were produced than any of the others and it served with the RAF from Normandy to Berlin and with countless other Air Forces around the world.

What makes this model so unique is that it is modelled from one currently flying today and Dave Molyneaux has been cleverly installed a wartime configuration and its modern day version into the same aeroplane. With a flick of a switch, the external and internal views completely change showing the various modifications made over the years. There cant be many other aeroplanes created in the simulator world that have this rather unique function.

Again, the project would have been very difficult to complete without the owner's help and with this Mk.5, we had the wonderful help of Roy Ingram. From walkaround photos, pilots notes and test reports and countless emails here there and everywhere, what you have today with Brian's Horsey superb flight model is a very accurate, almost replica (within the confines of the simulator of course).

Coupled with a new Lycoming sound set created by sound guru Gary Jones, it all makes a worthy edition to the simulator. If you havent had the opportunity to try the real thing, all of Dave's Austers are so wonderfully close to the real thing - that it is very very close to being there. We have had superb feedback from past owners and pilots and hope to do so with this one too. I only have a little bit of stick time in this very Mk.5, but like the others flown, always feel at home in them when sat infront of the screen.

I hope you all enjoy 'flying' her as we did in creating her for you.

Best wishes and Happy Landings,

Martin

[T6flyer]

The Auster modeled here was delivered to the RAF as one of 112 Auster Mk5 aircraft between August 1945 and February 1946. This aircraft was originally given the serial TW467 as currently worn. It served with 664 Squadron, a predominately Canadian Unit until disbandment at the end of May 1946.

The Auster Mk5 were issued to fifteen Royal Air Force (RAF) Air Observation Post (AOP) Squadrons. Four of them (Nos. 651, 654, 655 and No. 657) fought since 1943 in North Africa and Italy, being joined from August 1944 by No.663 Polish squadron. Other seven squadrons (Nos. 652, 653, 658, 659, 660, 661 and No. 662) operated since D-day in France and then the Low Countries. No. 664 Squadron RCAF, No. 665 Squadron RCAF, and No. 666 Squadron RCAF were also issued with the Auster Mk 5, formed in the UK at RAF Andover in late 1944 and early 1945. The RCAF squadrons were manned by Canadian personnel of the Royal Canadian Artillery and the Royal Canadian Air Force, with brief secondment to the squadrons with pilots from the Royal Artillery; overall control was maintained in the UK by 70 Group, RAF Fighter Command. The three squadrons deployed from RAF Andover, England, to the Netherlands, to Dunkirk, France, where the last Canadian 'shots' in Europe were fired, and later to occupied Germany. No.656 Squadron RAF used Austers within the South East Asia Command (SEAC) in Burma/India theatre.

664 Squadron was formed on 9 December 1944, at RAF Andover, its principal role being to direct artillery fire from the air. The pilots were officers recruited from the Royal Canadian Artillery and trained to fly at 22 E.F.T.S. Cambridge, further developing advanced flying skills at 43 Operational Training Unit RAF (43 OTU), RAF Andover. The first Commanding Officer was Major Dave Ely, RCA; the operational Commanding Officer was Major D.W. Blyth, RCA. In England the squadron operated under the overall control of No. 70 Group, RAF Fighter Command; prior to deployment to the European continent, the squadron was transferred to No. 84 Group, Second Tactical Air Force (2 TAF).
The squadron flew its first operational sortie over the enemy front in Holland on March 22, 1945. The principal aircraft flown in action was the Auster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylorcraft_Auster) Mk4 and 5. After V-E Day on May 8, 1945, the squadron was tasked with flying mail and passengers for 1st Canadian Army. The squadron continued flying like duties for the Canadian Army Occupation Force (CAOF) until the spring of 1946. 664 (AOP) Squadron, RCAF, was disbanded at Bad Zwischenahn, Germany, on 31 May 1946. The squadron had no motto or heraldic crest assigned to it.
As the number was not transferred to the Canadian authorities, it was revived post-war when the squadron was reformed as part of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force on 1 September 1949 at RAF Hucknall. Equipped with Auster aircraft, the squadron was based at RAF Huckall with 1970 (Reserve) AOP Flight, with other detached flights at RAF Ouston (later at RAF Usworth 1965 (Reserve) AOP Flight, RAF Desford (later at RAF Wymeswold 1969 (Reserve) AOP Flight) and Yeadon Aerodrome (also at Rufforth 1964 (Reserve) AOP Flight), before it was disbanded, like all other units of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, on 10 March 1957. The Mk 5 served with the unit from September 1949 until October 1951. After this date the unit only operated the Auster AOP6.
TW467 remained in RAF service with 664 Squadron (where it carried the codes ROD-F) until 4 December 1953 when on the very next day it was registered as G-ANIE to aircraft dealers RK Dundas Limited of London. On the 15 March 1954, it was sold to the Stibbard family of Marlborough, Wiltshire and stayed with them for over 30 years!!
After which it passed through three other owners, before it was purchased in June 2005 by its present owner Roy Ingram who keeps it at Elmsett near Ipswich.

Martin

[dogknot]

Really looks great! I'm anxious to get this beauty up in the air.

Warning!! -- Looks like some Italian outfit is attempting a hijack at your site though. It's trying to recommend an installer in addition to redirecting the links.

I think I will wait before doing any clicking.

[& Co.]

T6flyer, FYI, Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 with up-to-date bases gives a no-go to classicbritishfiles as it detects a threat (HEUR:Exploit.Script.Generic (http://www.securelist.com/fr/search?VN=HEUR:Exploit.Script.Generic))

It may be a false positive, it may not (EDIT: considering what dogknot's just posted while I was writing this, it may WELL not).

Meanwhile I can't get that Auster :(

[OleBoy]

I tried and got it fine through IE after checking via other browsers

[racartron]

Still a nogo on my system. I'm using Windows 7 ULtimate/64 bit and I.E. butgood 'ol Norton refuses to let me thru. I guess it's protecting me:icon_lol:

[RyDraiggoch]

If you are really in a rush to fly it I can put a link here for you

a CLEAN link

Leif

:)

The problem is NOT with us -- Rob has a header that he sold to our friends at Yahoo to raise money for the site - it appears the link is coming in from that

The site itself is clean

I have seen the pop up once and told Kaspersky to ignore it from now on -- which it did


Leif

[Z-claudius24]

Hi,

For info:
Just downloaded the Auster 5 from the Classic British site (browser=Firefox latest version)
No problems encountered

[OleBoy]

Another great freeware. And these Austers just keep getting better with every new release. This thing is excellent to any cub type I've experienced in the sim :ernae:

[OleBoy]

CBFiles is currently offline for complex maintenance and is likely to be down for the weekend. Apologies for any inconvience. Normal service to be resumed as soon as possible.

[racartron]

"If you are really in a rush to fly it I can put a link here for you..."

That would be awesome -- especially since the site is going to be down for a couple days. I had already knocked down the back wall of my hanger to fit in the latest Autser and it's awful cold down here in the South at the moment, so need to close it off ASAP. :icon_lol:

[RyDraiggoch]

CBFiles is currently offline for complex maintenance and is likely to be down for the weekend. Apologies for any inconvience. Normal service to be resumed as soon as possible.


Thank you for that Don

Rob English (TheHappyOtter) has been working on some major changes for the "Pond" for sometime, this combined with the stupidity factor today has forced him to take it off line for the
weekend while upgrades, clean up and a name change is accomplished. Those of us in the Admin
there apologise for any inconvience , and if you wish to access Dave Moly's Auster V or any of the other other new items I will be glad to send them on -- Again the "hack" did NOT affect
the library or any of the files in it....they are all fine, but it seemed a good time to take care of everything at once. Hopefully some of the other niggling problems will be cured at the same time.

Tom if you could - would you be so kind as to sticky this so your forums wont get cluttered up with questions about our site.

Again -- everything will be back as normal on Monday.

Thank you

Leif Harding
www.classicbritishfiles.com Admin team

[RyDraiggoch]

As an act of good faith here is a link to David's Auster MkV for those who wish it

http://www.sendspace.com/file/hp7w2o

All we ask is that if you do use this download , when the site comes back up you leve a quick message in the general forum there so Dave has an idea of how many copies are floating about


Enjoy

Leif

[Z-claudius24]

Hi,

Test flight demo video of the Auster AOP.5 "out of the box" :jump: (at the Auster house)
http://simtube.com/video/4397/Auster-AOP5

[RyDraiggoch]

Beautiful my friend -- can we send this along to the owner?

Leif

[Z-claudius24]

Hi,


Beautiful my friend -- can we send this along to the owner?Original movie file already send to T6flyer.

[Flyboy208]

Mikey Likey ! Thanks to the developers! Mike :ernae:

[molyned]

Glad you like her chaps :jump: always pleased to read such posts.
BTW I see that the video has already gone to Martin our man with the ear of the real Auster flyers. I hope when he sends the video to Roy, the owner (not a simmer) he explains about the waggon-wheel effect on the prop making it appear sometimes to rotate the wrong way :redface:
Cheers
Dave M(oly)

[Tom Clayton]

The site is back online and the top post has now been edited with the new URL. So go get 'er!

[nigel richards]

The site is back online and the top post has now been edited with the new URL. So go get 'er!

:salute:Hey Tom, just did myself a favour and followed your advice. :running:Nipped down to the Pond and came back with a brand new Auster faster than you could say Jens!
What a great little aircraft, panel included...just what I needed!
Superb low speed handling with flaps; not a hint of dropping a wing.
Found that with the right headwind (approx 45 knots as the parrot flies):kilroy: I can hover almost indefinately just outside the windows of the main assembly plant at Martin co.
WHERE'S OUR MARS JENS?:mixedsmi: