The first production aircraft, registered G-AGTO, was delivered in December 1945.
One of the more spectacular feats of the type was the first visit of a civilian aircraft to an aircraft carrier, HMS Illustrious in the English Channel in October 1946.

The Autocrat became one of the most successful post-war British light aircraft, with more than 400 built before the last Rearsby-built J/1s were delivered in 1952.
A large number of variants were built and the aircraft became the basis for a family of light aircraft.

The Autocrat of 1946 had achieved considerable sales success but orders died away in the late 1940s.
Few sales were achieved in the important Australian market as the Autocrat's 100 h.p.
engine was not powerful enough for the harsher summer conditions experienced there.

In 1950, Auster utilised an uncompleted Autocrat airframe and wing structure to produce the J/1B Aiglet.
This incorporated a larger fin and rudder to compensate for the installation of a 130 h.p.
de Havilland Gipsy Major engine which had been modified by the fitment of double scavenge pumps to match the cooling system.

The prototype J/1N Alpha first flew in 1950 and was followed by several other conversions of Autocrat airframes, but construction soon switched to the use of new airframes.
Most sales were made in Australia and New Zealand.
The majority of aircraft were exported engineless to Kingsford Smith Aviation Services in Sydney where they were completed and tested before delivery.
Many J/1s were converted to J/1N Alpha standard with a higher fin and fitted with a 130 h.p.
Gipsy Major engine, as used in the J/1B Aiglet.

The J/5 Adventurer three-seat high-wing monoplane was developed from the J/1 Autocrat, with extra power provided by the installation of the 130 h.p.
Gipsy Major engine, to enable more flexible operations in the hotter climate of Australia and New Zealand, where most examples were sold.
The J/5 series had a sloping engine bulkhead to enable a starter to be fitted, but with the disadvantage that only a ten-gallon fuel tank could be accommodated between the bulkhead and the instrument panel whereas the standard J/1, J/2 and J/4 had a 15-gallon tank.
Unlike the similarly powered J/1B Aiglet and J/1N Alpha, the Adventurer retained the smaller tail surfaces of the Autocrat, the new engine being set back sufficiently far for the original fin area to remain sufficient.

The prototype Adventurer was converted to the new standard from a J/1 Autocrat c/n 2093 and first flew on 15 November 1947.
This was followed by a further 58 production examples delivered between 1948 and 1952.

The company recognised a need for a four-seat touring aircraft to complement the three-seat J/1 Autocrat, developing the J/5 Autocar featuring wing-root fuel tanks and an enlarged cabin.
The prototype Autocar G-AJYK, a model J/5B, first flew in August 1949 and was exhibited at the 1949 Farnborough Air Show in September.
A demand for a more powerful version for the tropics produced the J/5G Autocar powered by a 155 hp (116 kW) Blackburn Cirrus Major engine, first flown in 1951.
This was followed by the J/5P Autocar, powered by a Gipsy Major 10 engine.

The need for rugged inexpensive trainer aircraft throughout the Commonwealth spurred Auster to develop the Aiglet Trainer, which, despite its name, had nothing to do with the J/1B Aiglet, being an aerobatic development of the J/5 Autocar, with new (shorter) 32 ft wingspan and stressed for aerobatics, the prototype flying for the first time on 2 June 1951.
The J/5F Aiglet Trainer was powered by a Gipsy Major 1 engine, and the J/5L Aiglet Trainer had a Gipsy Major 10 engine.
Most Aiglet Trainers were bought by private pilots and flying clubs, but 15 went to the Pakistan Air Force, 14 to the Iran Civil Aviation Club and two to the Lebanese Air Force.

The final development of the Auster J series was the J/1Y, which was subsequently re-designated and produced as the Auster D.5.
The first production aircraft, registered G-AGTO, was delivered in December 1945. One of the more spectacular feats of the type was the first visit of a civilian aircraft to an aircraft carrier, HMS Illustrious in the English Channel in October 1946. 
The Autocrat became one of the most successful post-war British light aircraft, with more than 400 built before the last Rearsby-built J/1s were delivered in 1952. A large number of variants were built and the aircraft became the basis for a family of light aircraft.
The Autocrat of 1946 had achieved considerable sales success but orders died away in the late 1940s. Few sales were achieved in the important Australian market as the Autocrat's 100 h.p. engine was not powerful enough for the harsher summer conditions experienced there.
In 1950, Auster utilised an uncompleted Autocrat airframe and wing structure to produce the J/1B Aiglet. This incorporated a larger fin and rudder to compensate for the installation of a 130 h.p. de Havilland Gipsy Major engine which had been modified by the fitment of double scavenge pumps to match the cooling system.
The prototype J/1N Alpha first flew in 1950 and was followed by several other conversions of Autocrat airframes, but construction soon switched to the use of new airframes. Most sales were made in Australia and New Zealand. The majority of aircraft were exported engineless to Kingsford Smith Aviation Services in Sydney where they were completed and tested before delivery. Many J/1s were converted to J/1N Alpha standard with a higher fin and fitted with a 130 h.p. Gipsy Major engine, as used in the J/1B Aiglet.
The J/5 Adventurer three-seat high-wing monoplane was developed from the J/1 Autocrat, with extra power provided by the installation of the 130 h.p. Gipsy Major engine, to enable more flexible operations in the hotter climate of Australia and New Zealand, where most examples were sold. The J/5 series had a sloping engine bulkhead to enable a starter to be fitted, but with the disadvantage that only a ten-gallon fuel tank could be accommodated between the bulkhead and the instrument panel whereas the standard J/1, J/2 and J/4 had a 15-gallon tank. Unlike the similarly powered J/1B Aiglet and J/1N Alpha, the Adventurer retained the smaller tail surfaces of the Autocrat, the new engine being set back sufficiently far for the original fin area to remain sufficient.
The prototype Adventurer was converted to the new standard from a J/1 Autocrat c/n 2093 and first flew on 15 November 1947. This was followed by a further 58 production examples delivered between 1948 and 1952.
The company recognised a need for a four-seat touring aircraft to complement the three-seat J/1 Autocrat, developing the J/5 Autocar featuring wing-root fuel tanks and an enlarged cabin. The prototype Autocar G-AJYK, a model J/5B, first flew in August 1949 and was exhibited at the 1949 Farnborough Air Show in September. A demand for a more powerful version for the tropics produced the J/5G Autocar powered by a 155 hp (116 kW) Blackburn Cirrus Major engine, first flown in 1951. This was followed by the J/5P Autocar, powered by a Gipsy Major 10 engine.
The need for rugged inexpensive trainer aircraft throughout the Commonwealth spurred Auster to develop the Aiglet Trainer, which, despite its name, had nothing to do with the J/1B Aiglet, being an aerobatic development of the J/5 Autocar, with new (shorter) 32 ft wingspan and stressed for aerobatics, the prototype flying for the first time on 2 June 1951. The J/5F Aiglet Trainer was powered by a Gipsy Major 1 engine, and the J/5L Aiglet Trainer had a Gipsy Major 10 engine. Most Aiglet Trainers were bought by private pilots and flying clubs, but 15 went to the Pakistan Air Force, 14 to the Iran Civil Aviation Club and two to the Lebanese Air Force.
The final development of the Auster J series was the J/1Y, which was subsequently re-designated and produced as the Auster D.5.
Auster J family