Auster J-1 Alpha
The J-1N Alpha was Auster's answer to complaints that its popular J/1 Autocrat touring aircraft was underpowered for hot climates: fitting a de Havilland Gipsy Major engine and the taller vertical tail from the J/1B Aiglet gave it noticeably better climb and high-altitude performance. Built at Auster's Rearsby factory from the early 1950s, it sold well in Britain and found a further market in Australia, where the Autocrat's original 100hp engine had struggled in summer conditions. Like other Auster J-family aircraft it used fabric-covered tube-and-fitting construction inherited from the wartime Auster AOP series, keeping it simple and cheap to maintain.
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Did you know?
Auster's uprated J/1 Autocrat for hot climates, with a Gipsy Major engine and the taller Aiglet-style fin for better high-altitude climb.
Specifications
| Length | 7.1 m (23 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 10.9 m (36 ft) |
| Height | 2 m (7 ft) |
| Service ceiling | 13,000 ft (3,962 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 10,000 ft (3,048 m) |
| Rate of climb | 570 ft/min (2.9 m/s) |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Auster J-1 Alpha starts as a Rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Auster, the J-1 Alpha family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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