Airsail Auster AOP9 Radio control model kit

About the model:

The Auster AOP9 two / three seat, all metal, fabric covered high wing AOP (Air Observation Post) / light liaison monoplane was designed by the Rearsby (near Leicester) based Auster Aircraft Company specifically for military use. Although it bore close resemblance to the rest of the Auster family, the AOP9Άs large diameter heavy duty wheels, wings of greater area, large flaps, drooping ailerons, extensive cabin glazing and larger, noisier engine gave it its own distinctive appearance.

About the real aircraft:

The Auster AOP.9 was designed as a successor to the Auster AOP.6. Like its predecessor, it was a braced high-wing single engined monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. Although having the same general appearance, the AOP.9 was a new design, with larger wing area and a more powerful engine. The wing and tail were metal-skinned, but the fuselage and ailerons were fabric-covered. The fin and rudder assembly were more angular in the new aircraft with a noticeable dorsal fillet. A combination of the more powerful 180 hp (134 kW) Blackburn Cirrus Bombardier engine, larger wings and large flaps gave it an improved take-off and landing performance compared with the AOP.6. It could operate from ploughed fields and muddy surfaces using low pressure tyres and strengthened undercarriage.