Auster Alpha parked in front of Auster's original assembly facilities at Rearsby in 1966
During the war the head office and drawing office were at a big old house on the outskirts of Thurmaston called "The Woodlands". The fuselages and wings were manufactured at Syston under the works manager by the name of Sharp. Sheet metalwork was done at the old 'en tout cas' works at Thurmaston. Final assembly, fitting out and testing took place at Rearsby aerodrome. The name changed to Auster (after the Roman name for the south wind) on 7 March 1946, when production shifted to Rearsby aerodrome, all in Leicestershire. All designs were evolved from the early Taylorcraft with a sprung skid or tailwheel beneath the fin (except for a low-wing aircraft called the "Agricola" designed for aerial farming work; only nine of these were completed). When the company was merged into Beagle Aircraft in June, 1961,[1] the high-wing design was developed still further as the Terrier and, with a nosewheel, the Airedale.
The Auster name was dropped in 1962 after Beagle Aircraft was created.
Model L – proposed two or three seat low-wing monoplane based on the Model G airframe with a Lycoming O-290-3 engine, not built.
The Auster A.2/45 second prototype, VL523, of 1949
Model M – Auster A.2/45 – 2 or 3-seat high-wing AOP aircraft, prototype only.[3]
Model N – Auster A.2/45 – re-engined Model M, prototype only.
Model P – Auster Avis – four-seater based on J/1 with slimmer fuselage, two built.
Model Q – Auster T7 – two-seat trainer version of AOP6.
Model S – AOP aircraft based on AOP6 with enlarged tail, prototype only.
Model A3 – two-seat light aircraft project with a Blackburn Cirrus Minor engine, not built.
Model A4 – two-seat development project of current (1948) designs with a Blackburn Cirrus Minor 2 engine, not built.
Model A5 – four-seat army co-operation project with a De Havilland Gipsy Major 10 engine, two version planned a conventional landing gear for air ambulance work and a tricycle landing gear version for communications and reconnaissance work, not built.
Model A6 – variant of the A4 with a Cirrus Minor engine driving a geared ducted fan, not built.
Model A7 – light twin project, not built.
Model A8 – three-seat AOP project with a Bombardier engine, not built.
Model A9 – Project to meet a Royal Air Force requirement for a two-seat training aircraft, the Percival Provost was selected and the A9 was not built.
Model B1 – mid-wing AOP project, not built.
Model B3 – radio-controlled target drone.
Model B4 – Auster B4 – four-seat high-winged ambulance aircraft
Model B5 – Auster AOP9 – 1950s military air observation aircraft
Model B6 – parasol-wing agricultural project with bubble canopy, not built.
