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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 1713.PDF
832 FLIGHT, 2 December 1955 HANDLING THE A.0.P.9 Austens Versatile Spotter By C. M. LAMBERT ••FLIGHT" PHOTOGRAPHS NOW in full production and in service, the Auster A.O.P.9fills a requirement formulated some time ago by the Armyfor a new A.O.P. machine with a good deal higher per- formance and more elaborately equipped than its predecessors.In fact, the aircraft which resulted was for Austers a completely new design, the many noteworthy features of which weredescribed in Flight of June 11th, 1954. The requirement related in the main to artillery spotting work and general reconnaissance,with the possibility of quick adaptation in the field for such missions as telephone cable laying, leaflet-dropping, photographyand sky-shouting, and—with dual controls—training. The result is naturally an aircraft with a specialized perform-ance in which emphasis has been laid on the ability to operate from really rough and very small fields, with all the handling charac-teristics and aerodynamic features that this requires. Add a very comprehensive range of equipment, such as navigation andlanding lights, downward identification lights, oil dilution, car- burettor air filtration, pitot head and camera heating, full blind-flying instrument panel, cartridge starter and drooping ailerons (all this with a structure largely metal-covered) and there emergesan aircraft with a not-excessive cruising speed but a very low stalling speed and excellent handling characteristics. The undercarriage has large-tyred wheels, with single-dischydraulic brakes operated by the pilot's toes. Undercarriage springing is by small Dowty Liquid Spring units in compressionunder the cabin floor. The performance of this gear during landing and taxying on rough ground is remarkably good, butground handling is further facilitated by the addition of a hydraulically sprung tailwheel linked through springs to therudder cables. The A.O.P.9 carries as standard fittings a 500W generator, a15 amp/hr battery, a STR9X 11-channel V.H.F. radio and an A.62A H.F. radio with a trailing aerial deployed from a winchin the cabin roof through an eyelet on top of the rudder. A mixer box allows the selection of various combinations of intercom,V.H.F. and H.F., with the additional assets of a mute switch with spring-loaded and fixed positions. But for the military pilotprobably the most welcome feature, apart from excellent handling qualities, is a really advanced standard of comfort. The seatcushions are deep and soft and, though the rudder pedals are not adjustable, each of the two front seats can be moved on theground over a wide arc so that as the seat is moved forward it also rises upwards. There is plenty of elbow room. ; Controls are normally provided for one pilot only (dual can bequickly fitted) and round his seat are grouped a crowbar and a map pocket (in the left hand door), a Very pistol convenientlyhoused in the centre of the cabin floor, and a fire extinguisher between the front seats. Hydraulic flap-selector and pump are inthe cabin roof structure above his right hand, close to the trailing aerial winch. The front passenger's seat has the H.F. radio andV.H.F. selector and mixer box mounted right in front of it, and is provided with a convenient foot-rest. The access door on eachside shuts tight and the positive-locking catch is large and pro- tected by an efficient guard. Half of each side window is hingedat the top and can be swung out and locked in any position. They are very easy to open or shut, and when open no perceptibledraught enters either the front or rear cabin. The observer's seat in the back can face either way and has plenty of leg room,a foot-rest and a separate access door. When facing rearwards the observer sits under a single-piece moulded transparencyreaching down to knee height, through which he has a completely unobstructed view rearwards over the tail and sideways anddownwards. My first flight in the A.O.P.9 was, in fact, made as a rearward-facing passenger. I thoroughly enjoyed a grandstand view of the country around and much appreciated the very low levels of noiseand vibration and the complete absence of draughts. Freedom from draughts can also be appreciated in either of the front seats,which I later occupied in turn; and most welcome of all on a November afternoon was a cabin heater which blew hot air onto the legs and—for demisting—up the windscreen. For warmer climes there is an adjustable punkah louvre in each front windowfrom which fresh air could be directed onto any part of the body. After flying as passenger in the rear and front seats, Imoved over to the pilot's position and prepared to try the aircraft in the rather misty weather prevailing at Rearsby at the time.The visibility at 300ft was about one mile, but above that it improved a little as the haze hung mostly close to the ground.Right in front of me in the aircraft was the standard six-instru- ment blind-flying panel in which the V.S.I, has been replacedby the two-needle r.p.m. gauge. The A.S.I, reads in knots from 0 to 140 and the altimeter is of the latest three-needle type.Immediately to the right of this are oil-temperature and pressure gauges and beyond that the H.F. radio compartment. Along thetop of the dashboard runs a row of switches covering the lighting and other services, with the battery master switch at the extreme On the ground or in the air the A.O.P. 9, for the R.A.F. here and for the Indian Air Force (top), has a pur- poseful appearance not belied by its per- formance. The range of upward aileron movement is clearly shown at left.
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