The Historic Army Aircraft Flight, displaying an Auster AOP Mk.9, De Havilland Beaver AL Mk.1 and Agusta/Westland Sioux AH Mk.1, on the Sunday of The Duxford Battle of Britain Airshow 2021.
Auster:-
The Auster first entered operational service in the Air Observation Post (AOP) role when 651(AOP) Squadron formed at Old Sarum on 1st August 1941, with Mk1s.
AOP squadrons saw active service throughout WW2 in North Africa, Europe and the Far East, flown by pilots from the Royal Artillery. The Auster Mk6 came in 1949 and was flown by AOP pilots in the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.
The Auster AOP Mk9 prototype first flew on 19th March 1954 and entered service in February 1955. A more powerful engine, larger wings, large flaps and a stronger undercarriage gave it better take-off and landing performance. An extended cabin enabled its use in AOP, Command and Control, light transport and liaison, with an aft observer facing to front or back. It was used by the British Army of the Rhine and during the 1950s Malayan Emergency and in Aden in the early 1960s.
It's powered by a Blackburn Cirrus Bombardier 4-cylinder inverted inline piston engine developing 180 bhp at sea level. Maximum speed is 140 knots and cruise speed is 90 knots with a range of 360 nautical miles or endurance of 4 hours.
The Historic Army Aircraft Flight’s (HAAF) Auster AOP9, XR244, arrived at Middle Wallop in 1961 as a training aircraft.
Beaver:-
The de Havilland Canada Beaver DHC-2 was designed by Canadian pilots to operate in, and help develop, the hostile Arctic regions of Northern Canada, using floats, wheels or skis. With its 450 bhp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior 9-cylinder radial engine, it has a maximum speed of 173 knots and can cruise at 110 knots. With full tip tanks, endurance is 5 hours.
A Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) workhorse, it's a popular and sought-after aircraft by civilian operators.
The Beaver AL Mk1 was the type made for the British Army. Entering service in a medium range Utility role, it made its mark with the Army in Aden, Malaya and Borneo and became the main Army surveillance platform in Northern Ireland until replacement by the Britten-Norman Islander in 1989.
First delivered to 11 Flight, 656 Squadron Army Air Corps (AAC) in the Far East in October 1961, XP820 stayed there until June 1967 then went to 132 Flight, Royal Corps of Transport (RCT), Old Sarum and then 6 Flight AAC, Netheravon.
XP820 was allocated to the HAAF in May 1989 and remains in ‘as delivered’ condition.
Sioux Helicopter:-
The Bell 47 (Sioux) first flew on 8th December 1945 and went to the US military in 1946. It served with much success during the 1950s in Korea (M*A*S*H) and the 1950s to 1970s in Vietnam.
It started with the British Military in 1964 when the Army got 30 Bell 47s, called 'Sioux AH1', from Agusta in Italy, followed by 250 built by Westland Helicopters in Yeovil. 15 more were RAF AH2's , with a different radio fit and extra flight instruments, to use for training.
It has a 6-cylinder Lycoming TVO 435-B1A turbocharged engine producing 270 bhp. Maximum speed is 91 knots, cruising speed about 70 knots, range 250 nautical miles and endurance 2 hours 30 mins.
Serving with the British Military until June 1977, the Sioux was extremely versatile and used in many roles in the UK, Germany, the Middle East and the Far East. Roles included: Air Observation Post (AOP) for the Royal Artillery, local reconnaissance, casualty evacuation, light liaison, under slung loads, operations of ships, training and photography.
The HAAF's Sioux ,XT131, arrived at Middle Wallop in 1964 as a training aircraft and has remained since.
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