Help ID this aircraft panel

**BenVK** · 11-05-2010, 03:25 PM

Saw this for sale recently and I'm intrigued but can't for the life of me identify what aircraft it might be from. Looks to be an engine cowling because of the air scoop and flame retardent material on the back. It's about a metre long by half a metre wide and no visible markings apparently.

Seem old to me and pre jet era construction but that's just a guess. Any ideas guys? Thanks.

**noelh** · 11-05-2010, 05:10 PM

Rings a bell from somewhere. The colours seem to be either the US South East Asia scheme or Belgian or even a Soviet era. It looks more like a possible auxiliary intake. This might make it Russian? They seem to be common on Soviet jets.

**BenVK** · 11-05-2010, 10:49 PM

I think you may be might.

BTW, adverstised as WWII RAF of Luftwaffe!
You have to be so bloody careful with these things.

**zwerge** · 11-06-2010, 03:13 PM

This looks similar on this MiG 19.

**BenVK** · 11-08-2010, 11:36 PM

Got it with help from another forum.

Auster AOP 9.

**davejb** · 11-09-2010, 01:38 AM

Im not so sure of it being from the AUSTER, as there is no secondary intake below the main one plus the one above is one whole section of panel and the one you show is one whole section of panel but i think your on the right track, could it be from a tiger moth i cant find my photos to verify and i cant remember the exact configuration

**noelh** · 11-09-2010, 11:52 AM

No I would have to say it's an AOP 9. The secondary intake could be a later addition. It was in service for a long time and it's common enough for aircraft to be modded for a new piece of kit. This panel could be from an early model that crashed or whatever. There are drawings of the AOP 9 without the secondary intake which presumably date from the early days of the aircraft. The main intake is quite big for a light aircraft. They must have had some serious cooling problems the engine. I notice the SARO Skeeter helicopter which shared the engine also has a large air scoop on it's engine panel.

I have to say I never thought of the Army Air Corps when I saw the paint work. But they were the last to use the Dark Green, Dark Earth colour scheme.

Interesting mystery to solve. But it's hardly worth buying is it? The Auster lacks glamour doesn't it?

**WW2Hunter** · 11-09-2010, 12:50 PM

by noelh

Rings a bell from somewhere. The colours seem to be either the US South East Asia scheme or Belgian or even a Soviet era. It looks more like a possible auxiliary intake. This might make it Russian? They seem to be common on Soviet jets.

The Belgian airforce used the Auster AOP 6, 22 of them from 1947(not the same side panel), not the AOP 9. The AOP 9 was a post WW II production (first flew on March 19th, 1954)
But it does resemble the AOP 9 Side panel.
Grtz,
Steven