Auster A.2/45
Auster Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1948 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Auster A.2/45 was a British late-1940s single-engined high-wing air observation monoplane built by Auster Aircraft at Rearsby, Leicestershire.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.17 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Strut-braced high-wing monoplane
- Enclosed cabin with pilot and observer in tandem
- Conventional tailwheel landing gear
It was a strut-braced high-wing monoplane with an enclosed cabin seating the pilot and observer in tandem, and a tailwheel undercarriage.
Specifications
- The Auster A.2/45 has a length of 9.17 m (30 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 13.26 m (44 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 210 km/h (130 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was designed to Air Ministry Specification A.2/45 for an air observation post aircraft for the British Army. The first prototype, VL522, flew on 27 April 1948, powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Queen 34 engine.
Variants
Only two prototypes were built, and the Heston JC.6 was the competitor to the same specification.
Where you'll see it
The Air Ministry requirement was cancelled on 20 March 1950, so the type never entered service.
Related aircraft
- Auster J/5 Adventurer
- Auster J/4
- Auster B.4
- Auster J/1 Autocrat
- Bisnovat 5
- Martin P5M-1 Marlin
- SNCASE SE-1010
- Beriev Be-6
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