Taylorcraft Auster Mk. III, IV and V, Auster Mk. AOP.6

Data current to 27 Dec 2020.

 (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3524518)

Taylorcraft Auster AOP Mk. III, RAF in support of RCA, Ortona, Italy, 10 Feb 1944. 

The Taylorcraft Auster was a British military liaison and observation aircraft in service during the Second World War.  The Auster Mk. III, IV and V were issued to 12 RAF, one Polish and three RCAF Air Observation Post (AOP) Squadrons.  No. 664 Squadron RCAF, No. 665 Squadron RCAF and No. 666 Squadron RCAF were issued the Auster Mk. IV and V, and were formed in the UK at RAF Andover in late 1944 and early 1945.  The RCAF squadrons were manned by Canadian personnel of the Royal Canadian Artillery and the RCAF, with brief secondment to the squadrons with pilots from the Royal Artillery; overall control was maintained in the UK by 70 Group, RAF Fighter Command.  The three squadrons deployed from RAF Andover, England, to the Netherlands, to Dunkirk, France, where the last Canadian 'shots' in Europe were fired, and later to occupied Germany.  The Canadian Army flew Auster AOP.6 aircraft post war.

 (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4232925)

Taylorcraft Auster AOP Mk. III, mission plans, Italy ca 1943.

Auster AOP.6, RCAF Serial No. 16673), OU-673.  (RCAF Photo)

The Auster AOP.6 was a military air observation aircraft produced by Auster Aircraft Ltd., to replace the numerous wartime Taylorcraft Auster aircraft then in-service.  It had a strengthened fuselage, increased all-up weight and a 145 hp (108 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Major 7 engine.  It had a different appearance to the wartime Austers due to the lengthened landing gear struts (due to the larger propeller), and external non-retractable aerofoil flaps.  More than 400 were built.  Canadians flew both the AOP.6 and the T7 trainer.

Auster AOP.6 (36), (Serial Nos. 16651-16686), T7 (6), (Serial Nos. 16687-16692), for a total of 42 aircraft.

RCAF Serial No., Construction Number, Reg. No. 

RCAF Serial No. 16651, c/n 2558, Reg. No. CF-MMY

RCAF Serial No. 16652, c/n 2576, Reg. No. CF-KBV

RCAF Serial No. 16653, c/n 2577, Reg. No. CF-KLD

RCAF Serial No. 16654, c/n 2578, Reg. No. CF-FJM

RCAF Serial No. 16655, c/n 2579, Reg. No. C-FKBW

RCAF Serial No. 16656, c/n 2580, Reg. No. CF-LGM

RCAF Serial No. 16657, c/n 2581, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16658, c/n 2582, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16659, c/n 2583, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16660, c/n 2584, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16661, c/n 2585, Reg. No. unkknown

RCAF Serial No. 16662, c/n 2586, Reg. No. CF-XNF, preserved in the British Columbia Air Museum Victoria, British Columbia

RCAF Serial No. 16663, c/n 2587, Reg. No. CF-KJP

RCAF Serial No. 16664, c/n 2588, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16665, c/n 2589, Reg. No. CF-KGZ

RCAF Serial No. 16666, c/n 2590, Reg. No. CF-LXT

RCAF Serial No. 16667, c/n 2591, Reg. No. CF-LIC

RCAF Serial No. 16668, c/n 2596, Reg. No. CF-MOE

RCAF Serial No. 16669, c/n 2597, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16670, c/n 2598, Reg. No. C-FLWK

RCAF Serial No. 16671, c/n 2599, Reg. No. CF-LWA

RCAF Serial No. 16672, c/n 2600, Reg. No. C-FLOE

RCAF Serial No. 16673, c/n unknown, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16674, c/n unknown, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16675, c/n 2853, Reg. No. CF-LPA

RCAF Serial No. 16676, c/n 2854, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16677, c/n 2855, Reg. No. CF-LSU

RCAF Serial No. 16678, c/n 2856, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16679, c/n 2857, Reg. No. CF-KFN

RCAF Serial No. 16680, c/n 2858, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16681, c/n 2859, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16682, c/n 2860, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16683, c/n 2861, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16684, c/n 2862, Reg. No. CF-OMW

RCAF Serial No. 16685, c/n 2863, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16686, c/n 2864, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16687, c/n 2865, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16688, c/n 2866, Reg. No. unknown

RCAF Serial No. 16689, c/n none, converted from T.7, Reg. No. CF-KPM

RCAF Serial No. 16690, c/n none, converted from T.7, Reg. No. CF-KLD

RCAF Serial No. 16691, c/n none, converted from T.7, Reg. No. CF-KYB

RCAF Serial No. 16692, c/n none, converted from T.7, Reg. No. CF-KPL

 (DND Photos via Mike Kaehler)

Auster AOP.6, RCAF Serial No. 16663, c/n 2587, coded ZE-663, Reg. No. CF-KJP, RCAF Station Trenton, Ontario, ca 1954-55.

Auster T7, RCAF (Serial No. 16688), BV-B, No. 444 Squadron, 5 Aug 1952.  (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3617347)

Auster T7, RCAF (Serial No. 16688), BV-B, No. 444 Squadron, 5 Aug 1952.  (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3584694)

Auster T7, RCAF (Serial No. 16688), BV-B, No. 444 Squadron, 5 Aug 1952.  (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3617348)

Auster AOP.5 (Serial No. TJ398).  Recently acquired for the RCAM and flown to the museum in an RCAF CC-130 Hercules transport from the UK.  It is painted to represent a Canadian Army artillery spotting aircraft operating in Italy during the Second World War.  (Clive Prothero-Brooks Photos)

 (Wiltshirespotter Photo)

 (Mike Kaehler Photos)

Auster AOP.6, RCAF (Serial No. 16662), C-FXNF, British Columbia Air Museum Victoria, British Columbia.