The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
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Royal Air Force. Via Wikimedia Commons
Taylorcraft Auster III
|
Crew |
2-3 |
|
Dimensions |
36'0" by 22'5" by 8'0" 10.97m by 6.83m by 2.44m |
| Wing area |
167 square feet 15.5 m2 |
|
Weight |
1050-1920 lbs 476-827 kg |
|
Maximum speed |
130 mph at sea level 210 km/h at sea level |
| Cruise speed | 112 mph at 1000 feet 180 km/h at 300 meters |
| Landing speed |
30 mph 48 km/h |
| Climb rate |
13 fps 4 m/s |
|
Service ceiling |
14,800 feet 4500 meters |
|
Range |
300 miles 480 km |
| Fuel |
15 gallons internal; 8 gallons external |
|
Engines |
one 130hp (97 kW) DH Gipsey Major I driving a two-bladed propeller |
| Production | 1800 of all types |
The Auster was a light unarmed
aircraft based on an American design similar to the L-5 Sentinel. It saw operation use in Burma spotting for artillery at the seige of Meiktila and with Australian forces in the Pacific. It could operate from the roughest of fields, and it could cruise so slowly that its usual defensive tactic was to circle tightly at very altitude, making it dangerous for a high-performance fighter to attempt a firing pass against it. On the other hand, it was highly vulnerable to ground fire.
References
fleetairarmarchive.net (accessed 2012-2-6)
HistoryOfWar.org (accessed 2012-2-6)
pilotfriend.com (accessed 2012-2-6)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2012 by Kent G. Budge. Index
