High-wing light monoplane with welded tubular steel frame fuselage. The wings have internal wooden main spars and aluminium cross members. Wings, fuselage and tailplane are encased in canvas, stretched tight by means of treatment with dope. The plane has two rubber-tyred wheels below the cabin and a small castoring wheel on a spring below the tail. The engine fitted is a Blackburn Cirrus Minor.
The Auster J1 autocrat was a civilian aircraft derived from a military model Mk 5. The G-AGOH was the first prototype produced after the war to suit the civil market. After removing all the military equipment, improvements were made to manufacture a more economical aircraft consisting of: -
* A lower powered Blackburn Cirrus Minor 2 engine
* Extra headroom and passenger space
* Comfortable seating, including a third seat at the back
* Choice of colours and interior design
The first 50 J1's were sold for �850 each.
The Leicester Museum of Technology acquired the G-AGOH in 1969, where it was restored. Between 1970 and 1992 it was kept in an airworthy condition and flown to many rallies in the UK and abroad. It was also used for aerial surveys for natural history and archaeology.It made its last flight in 1995 to the Newark Air Museum, where it has been on loan as a static exhibit.
