Very new old boy

[petermcleland]

With regard to editing the script, I know that there are quite a few typos in it. I have no idea how anyone outside this forum would ever know that it exists. How is your thinking on this?

Ralph,

If you wanted to give the final version a slightly wider readership, I could put a link to a download of the .pdf file on my website, with a suitable introductory text

[DelP]

Ralph,

Thank you for your memoirs..I've enjoyed reading them immensely......even if I didn't respond

ATB,

Derek

[T6flyer]

XR240 didnt make it to the 50th Anniversary of the Army Air Corps at Middle Wallop as Richard took the Mk.6 instead. In all we took six Austers (WZ662 being the only 9 there) to join another 6 Austers, 5 Tiger Moths and a Queen Bee and 5 Chipmunks. Not very well organised by the powers that be, but at least we got there for what must be a historic date.

Best wishes to all,

Martin

[T6flyer]

Ralph, this one is going to be a shot in the dark but may just possibly be a pointer to the type of Auster that I flew.

If I am right, aircrafts' and their cockpit layout are usually the same until a different version is produced, by this I am talking of days gone by and not of modern aircraft.

This particular Auster had its' flap lever situated on the floor in-between the pilots seats operated by a trigger with a ring, (one had to be careful when selecting flap as when the trigger was depressed and the lever pulled up or down for flap settings you would released it and it would click back into place once it reached the first setting (only two flap settings) twice I had the skin of my first finger caught as it snapped shut and found it hurt!! :-(

The throttle lever was Y shaped not the standard single lever one would expect with the fuel cut out being a plunger just underneath.

Again, I know that there are variations in the cockpit layouts but this may help in some way of determining the Mk I flew.

Regards Nigel.

Umm after flying in such an aeroplane to Middle Wallop this weekend, your Auster is a................Beagle Terrier. I tried in the past to think of a Auster type that fitted your description, but upon coming back home yesterday, thought yep this is the one!!

If you can provide any more information as to locations and dates, I can probably tie the identity down for you as have the records for all Terriers.

Best wishes,

Martin

[Nigel H-J]

Hi Martin

Unfortunately I never kept a log of my powered flights in the Auster as powered flying was so expensive!! :-( Nearly half of my income went on gliding and having to pay the rounds in the club bar afterwards!!

£9 a week pay and £15 pound an hour for a flight so used to wait until in-between aerotows before taking it up on a half hour circuit bashing exercise or a quick cross country about once or twice a month.

The only information that I can give which may narrow down the search is:

This Auster was used as a tug aircraft at various civil and RAF Station Gliding Clubs and frequented the Lincolnshire skies throughout the early to mid seventies.

Joint Owners?:

Al Cree. Flew with him many times as well as with Chas below.

Chas Morgan (was a navigator at RAF Conningsby on Phantoms 12/12/70 when I first joined the East Midlands Gliding Club at RAF Swinderby Lincs. He was also our CFI).

Another name also may have been associated with this Auster is Jack Nicholl, he used to be the CFI of the Bardney Gliding Club and owned a commercial window cleaning business in Lincoln which has since been taken over by his son.

May be any of the above names are listed in the aircraft log book?

Hope this helps Martin.

Many thanks in advance.

Nigel.



.

[migman29]

Hello Ralph.

Bit of a belated welcome to you.

Thanks for the memoirs.The reading is fantastic.

Miggers :dance:

[T6flyer]

Nigel,

After a lot of head scratching, I have unearthed your 'mystery' Auster - well Beagle A61 Terrier 1.

It was originally built as a Auster AOP.6 and was delivered to the Army Air Corps on the 7th February 1952 with the serial number WJ363. In 1959 it was one of ten converted to T.Mk.10 standard (fitted with dual controls).

It was sold to Beagle on 9th November 1966 and converted to Terrier 1 standards.

A query arises here as another file of mine says that the airframe was not converted by Beagle at all, as it has no c/n, and was converted by the RGSA themselves. Its known that they did convert another 6 into a Terrier and this became G-AVYU- fate unknown.

Only 18 Terrier 1s were built before the airframe was improved in the form of the 2, with a larger fin and rudder, different flaps, long exhaust, spats and a hydraulically damped tail wheel spring. 45 Terrier 2s were built.

First flight after conversion was made on 18 May 1967 and the airframe was given the registration G-AVCS. First owner was the RAF Gliding and Soaring Association at Bicester. After this it went to a Major R. M. Rose at Coningsby (July 1969) and then as you suggested J. N. Nicholl at Lincoln. He purchased it in September 1971.

After that I cant tell you much more, cept that the aircraft is currently unregistered (has been since 1989) and is owned by two gentlemen in the Cranfield area.

The good news is though, we have found what the aeroplane is. I'll speak to some of my Auster contacts at the weekend and see if can come up with a suitable photo of CS.

Best wishes,

Martin

[Garry Russell]

Out of interest I have this entry for G-AVYU on my records...shows something of it's fate.



G-AVYU RAFGSA/Auster Terrier 1 3746 WJ401 24-11-67 Canx as Wfu 06-05-75 Shipped to Australia

I have no idea if that was shipped complete or as spares

Garry

[Nigel H-J]

Martin, very many thanks for your quick response and detailed account of the Auster, that was a very interesting read on its' history. For instance I did not know that Jack had actually purchased this Auster in 1971 as I never flew with him in it though I can remember one day he was using Swinderby to practice his landings prior to gaining his PPL. A very interesting account, very many thanks.

Garry, seems that you have also been working behind the scenes as well, thanks for that info and only hope that it is still being used for what it was built for......Flying!!

Regards Nigel.

[T6flyer]

There is a very nice photo of WJ363 in the 'Auster' book in the Images of Aviation series published by Tempus. Photo was taken in 1965 when it served with No.38 Group Communications Flight.

Martin