FS2002/FS2004 Auster AOP.9. In the USA in the late 1930s, the Taylorcraft company enjoyed considerable success with its Models B, C and D light planes, which were built for private use. They were so successful that the designs were licensed for construction in England by the British Taylorcraft Company. When WWII broke out, the RAF put at least 100 of these aircraft into service as liaison and observation aircraft, under the designation Auster I, powered by a Blackburn Cirrus Minor I engine. The postwar Auster AOP (Air Observation Post) series was derived from the early British Taylorcraft models. The Mk 9, with a 160-hp Blackburn Cirrus Bombardier engine and a bigger wing, appeared in 1955 and remained in service into the late 1960s. Many ex-military Austers are now privately-owned around the world, and are highly prized for their ruggedness and short-field performance. Four kinds of paint examples (white, orage and two of camouflage) are included. By Kazunori Ito. 2,9 Mb
