The Auster D.4 was a two-seat British light aircraft, a development of the
Auster Arrow with a horizontally opposed
Lycoming engine, which originated from a Portuguese Air Force requirement for a liaison/training aircraft.
[Wenham 2015, p.42] Six were built by Auster Aircraft at their
Rearsby
Rearsby is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. It is known for its Seven Arch Bridge, and is also home to the Preachers Stone.
Location
The parish has a population of about 1,000, being measured at ...
,
Leicestershire
Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...
, factory, of which five went to Portugal, and nine more were built under licence in Portugal by the Oficinas Gerais de Matereal Aeronautico
OGMA
OGMA – Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal S.A. is a Portuguese aerospace company focused on aircraft maintenance and manufacturing.
History
OGMA was founded as part of the reorganisation of the Portuguese Army's Aeronautic Service on June 2 ...
from sets of components built by Auster and shipped from Rearsby.
[Jackson 1974, pp. 186–188] The original contract was for 25 sets of components but this was reduced in favour of the same number of additional
Auster D5/160 sets.
Operational history
Most D4 aircraft were operated in Portugal by government sponsored groups. One example is still active (2018) owned by a UK-based private pilot owner.
Operators
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Portuguese Air Force
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Specifications
References
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{{Auster aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
1960s British civil utility aircraft
Auster aircraft
High-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1960