Warbird Information Exchange

Hello,

I'm trying to find photos of the above aeroplane, particularly of the instrument panel and the engine cowling.

The reason being is that a group of friends of mine, build Auster aircraft for the Microsoft Flight Simulator program and although have already built 10 models, have now decided to start from the beginning as the Plus C and D were the first aeroplanes to be built under license by Taylorcraft(UK) in the late 1930s.

Its proved to be not the easiest aeroplane to find any information on (all that we have at the moment is an article in Flight International of August 1939), so thought would ask here to see if anyone can help.

Best wishes,

Martin Pengelly

GOOGLE Museum of Flight in Seattle, they have NC 19893 resplendent in bright blue with gold trim hanging from the ceiling of the Great Gallery and have for over 25 years.
I was @ the MoF when it flew in from Eastern Washington via a very circuitous route down to the Portland Ore. area then up the I-5 corridor because the 40 two cylinder engine wouldn't allow it to climb high enough to clear 3600 ft. Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascades.

The Inspector wrote:GOOGLE Museum of Flight in Seattle, they have NC 19893 resplendent in bright blue with gold trim hanging from the ceiling of the Great Gallery and have for over 25 years.

Thanks for that. We have already been in contact with the Museum and they have been wonderful to us. Currently they are having a look through their photo archive to see if they have any useful cockpit photos. Someone at my local airfield has lent me a couple of issues of the EAA Vintage Aircraft Magazine and one of them has a lovely article on a 1940 Taylorcraft, which shows the cockpit and some really useful detail photos.

One website that we have come across that has been extremely helpful is:
http://www.alliancememory.org/index.php

Under the Taylorcraft heading, there are hundreds of photos of their production at the factory.

And what is the most surprising part of the project so far, is that Nr C G Taylor was in fact an Englishman from Nottingham who emigrated to America in the early 1920s with his brother. A Mr A L Wykes visited him in 1938 and purchased one model B, a fuselage jig, 55 engines and the rest is history as far as Austers go.

Best wishes,

Martin

I've always wondered if that was a distant cousin as my mother's maiden name was Wykes...

Ryan

RyanShort1 wrote:I've always wondered if that was a distant cousin as my mother's maiden name was Wykes...

Ryan

According to the information I have Mr Lance Wykes was a first world war pilot who retained his interest in aviation after the war. He was a Leicestershire Man from the Barrow-on-Stour - Rotheley area who was managing director of the firm of Crowther Ltd of Brittiana Works, Thurmaston, Leicester. This company dealt in textile machinery and cable covering machines.

The Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) Ltd was formed in 1938 and a capital of £15000 was raised between AL Wykes, F Bates, Percy Wykes (Lance's Uncle) and other family connections so as to launch the company.

He was killed on the 14th May 1944 when demonstrating the Auster Mk.4 prototype at Abbey Park, Leicester, when he hit the railway embankment on the park boundary.

Martin