Guideline Publications The Auster – Warpaint #131

[Mike]

 

The Auster – Warpaint #131

In British Military & Foreign Air Arm Service

Guideline Publications

 

 

The origin of the Auster comes from the War Ministry’s need for an aerial observation aircraft during the British rearmament efforts in the run-up to WWII.  They turned to a small company called Taylorcraft Aviation, who were based in Leicester in the UK, and quickly put together the initial design for this lightweight aircraft.  The design was simple, and was manufactured in two separate locations at Thurmaston, to be completed at a nearby aerodrome, where they were also tested before being handed over to their customer.  Over 1,500 were made there and in Canada for the role, with several updates to the design to improve its performance, aerodynamics and even enlarging the size of the windows to provide better situational awareness, which was key to enable the crew to watch fall of shot as well as keeping a watchful eye on the skies above for incoming enemy fighters, against which the little aircraft would stand no chance.

 

After the war many returned to civilian service, and other variants popped up before the company was bought by Beagle Aviation, which marked a change to the naming of the variants, and eventually the end of the type’s run.  There are still a number of them in the skies today, one of which makes appearances at Duxford air shows if I remember correctly.

 

 

 

The book by author Adrian M Balch is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover but has an increased page count from the norm and utilises a perfect binding instead of the usual pair of staples to accommodate the total of 60 pages plus content printed on the four sides of the glossy covers, and includes plans in 1:72, penned by Sam Pearson.  A short section details the birth of the type, then the subsequent variants and history carries on throughout the book, incorporating a summary of the operators and locations of service, which included the Antarctic as probably the most esoteric.  Many of the photos are previously unseen, having come from private collections of the author and a few others.

 

 

 

The pages include a lot of useful pictures with informative captions of aircraft on the apron, on the field, in the air, during trials, crashed upside-down on a glacier and under maintenance with panels missing, plus appropriate airframe photos dotted around, but in this book the majority of the photos are of the aircraft, rather than its engineering and maintenance.  The Profiles section shows the range of schemes that the type was painted, including some of the later AOP variants in more vibrant schemes.  The "In Detail" section has some numbered close-up photos with matching captions providing excellent information that will be a boon to modellers as well as people that just like to know what everything does.

 

 

 

My favourite variant is the ugly one of course, which is the one-off conversion to an air ambulance that could also be used to drop medical supplies if needed, with photos of it doing just that, as well as how they managed to fit two stretcher cases and a nurse into the peculiar boxy frame.

 

Conclusion

The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their consistent quality.  This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or in building this “WWII and beyond” Forward Air Control aircraft that did a lot more than it was originally intended for.

 

Very highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of

[Graham Boak]

Taylorcraft was an American company: British Taylorcraft were building their Plus D under licence and this is what was named Auster for British service use. (Which is why it was so quick....)

[JohnT]

Silly Question - where does the name Auster originate in relation to the Aircraft or Company?  I always wondered.

 

I gather its German for Oyster too

[Graham Boak]

The Auster company name appeared postwar, comes from its use as an aircraft name, for military use of (initially) the Taylorcraft Plus D.   The company was previously, and throughout the war, British Taylorcraft.   I would have expected this type to be given a mythological name, in line with the rules for Army Co-operation types, but have not been able to find a suitable candidate.  It is a word meaning "south", and perhaps linked to a southern wind, thus aligning it with other "wind" names such as Hurricane, Whirlwind, etc, but these were restricted to fighter types.  If this new book doesn't tell us, I'm not sure what would.  I've had it on order for some weeks, but am expecting it tomorrow.

[T-21]

Auster is Latin for Noltus a Southern wind in Roman times. The Auster Aircraft name came into being on 07 March 1946,

Edited February 10, 2022 by T-21

[Head in the clouds.]

This is a big tome compared to some Warpaint offerings and should serve modellers well, it has one pic which I have been after for a few years now and there it was...in colour too. Worth every penny.

[Paul J]

I have to get myself a  copy.  But what would be better is to have kits readily available. The AZ ones were good  but  not around long enough as I missed their mk.6 kit. A nice new tool from Airfix  in 1/ 72 and 48th  would be marvellous!

[AMB]

Thanks for your kind words guys.  The Airfix 1/72 Auster Antarctic  is being reissued with new transparencies and available next month. What we really need is a new tooling 1/48 Auster? 

Edited May 19, 2023 by AMB

[Mike]

4 minutes ago, AMB said:

Thanks for your kind words guys.  The Airfix 1/72 Auster Antarctic  is being reissued with new transparencies and available next month. What we really need is a new tooling 1/48 Auster? 

Hey!  Nice to see an author popping up in the thread discussing their book (I have the deductive skills of Sherlock Holmes), so to the thread

[AMB]

Just now, Mike said:

Hey!  Nice to see an author popping up in the thread discussing their book (I have the deductive skills of Sherlock Holmes), so to the thread

Thanks a lot - more Warpaint titles coming from me later this year - DHC Beaver just finished, nicely timed with Airfix's kit reissue and a new Xtradecal sheet from Hannants.

 

[Mike]

2 minutes ago, AMB said:

Thanks a lot - more Warpaint titles coming from me later this year - DHC Beaver just finished, nicely timed with Airfix's kit reissue and a new Xtradecal sheet from Hannants.

 

I always look forward to their new releases, as they're consistently good