Towards the end of World War II, it was decided to develop a variant of the Auster AOP.Mk5 liaison/observation aircraft with a British engine. The de Havilland Gipsy Major 7 engine was fitted instead of the Lycoming O-290 engine fitted to previous variants, resulting in a more powerful aircraft. The extra power from the engine was used to increase weights instead of improving performance. The new variant was designated Auster AOP.Mk6, & also had lengthened landing gear to provide clearance for a larger propeller, a strengthened rear fuselage & external non-retractable aerofoil flaps.

The AOP.Mk6 first flew in May 1945, & production totalled 400. A training variant, the T.Mk7, was also produced & had dual controls. Over 80 were built & all could be modified back into AOP.Mk6s.

The aircraft was developed into the Auster AOP.Mk9, a much-improved aircraft with a powerful Blackburn Bombardier engine & better field performance. The AOP.Mk9 could operate from rough terrain, like ploughed fields. It could also be flown as a Casevac aircraft. The Auster AOP.Mk9 first flew in March 1954 & entered service with the Army Air Corps in 1955. The AOP.Mk9 served in Malaya, where it had only minor difficulties. The Army Air Corps halted procurement of additional AOP.Mk9s when it decided to replace most of its fixed-wing aircraft with helicopters. An upgraded AOP.Mk9 (the AOP.Mk11) was developed, but was not procured.

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