Parnall Peto
| Parnall Peto | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Submarine aircraft for sea reconnaissance |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: |
George Parnall & Co. Ltd, Bristol |
| First flight: |
1925 |
| Production time: |
no series production |
| Number of pieces: |
2 |
The Parnall Peto was a two-seat submarine aircraft made by the British manufacturer Parnall in 1925. The Peto is one of the smallest seaplanes that have been built to this day.
history
The first known transport of an aircraft on board a submarine took place in 1916, when two Sopwith-Schneider seaplanes were dismantled on board the British HMS E.22 . The two copies of the Peto were built according to the requirements specification 16/24 of the Royal Air Force and received the military license plates N181 and N182. The boat HMS M.2 was selected for the tests under operational conditions , the second of three boats that were specially designed for the use of a 12-inch (30.5-cm) gun and were intended for use for coastal fire .
After M.1 sank after a collision in the English Channel, M.2 was converted and the gun replaced by a hangar. A crane was placed on top so that the aircraft could be lifted back on board after the mission. The door at the front of the hangar had rails on the inside so that the aircraft could be pushed forward after opening the door that folded forward. A launch catapult was only installed in 1929, until then the machines were launched into the water with a crane.
The Peto was designed by Harold Bolas , who joined Parnall in 1917 as chief designer. The Peto's maiden flight took place in 1925 at the Yate Aerodrom near Bristol . The land landing gear of a Parnall Pike was used, which appeared to be considerably oversized on the small machine. The first water tests with the N181 were carried out in Felixstowe in November 1925 and with the N182 in 1926. The tests lasted until 1929. After an accident-related reconstruction, the second machine was then given the registration number N255 and returned to Felixstowe at the end of 1930. In the final report of February 6, 1931, the flight and handling characteristics of the type were assessed very positively.
construction
The Peto was mainly made of spruce wood and covered with fabric. Reinforcements of the construction and the tail unit fittings were made of stainless steel . The material, which was still difficult to weld at the time, was a novelty in aircraft construction at that time . Due to the significantly different spans of the lower and upper wings, the aircraft had a one - and- a -half-decker or sesquiplane design. After folding in the wings, the wingspan was only 2.40 m (8 ft). Only the upper surface was V-shaped .
Although metal floats were later used, the first designs were of the "Saunders Consuta" type. These consisted of mahogany - plywood , and the individual panels were stitched together with copper wire.
The prototype N181 was initially equipped with a three-cylinder radial engine Bristol Lucifer Mk. III, which had an output of 114.5 hp and propelled a wooden propeller. The N182 received a Lucifer Mk. IV with an output of 127.8 hp. The intended radio equipment was installed here for the first time. In 1929 both machines were equipped with a 5-cylinder radial engine Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose Mk. I (138 HP continuous output, 153 HP maximum) and a two-blade metal propeller Fairey-Reed. For the final tests, the N181 was equipped with a Mongoose Mk. II (145.5 HP continuous output, 157 HP maximum).
Even if only two copies were built, at least six different sets of wings were tested. These differed in the profiles used (RAF 15 and RAF 31), the buoyancy aids and the end curve.
Whereabouts
N255 was lost when M.2 sank off Portland on January 26, 1932 because the hangar door was not completely closed.
Technical specifications
(apply to the N181 with an RAF-31 profile, slotted wings with straight wing tips)
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 2 |
| length | 6.88 m (22 ft 7.5 in) |
| span | 8.66 m (28 ft 5 in) |
| height | 2.44 m (8 ft) |
| Wing area | 16 m² (172.25 ft²) |
| Empty mass | 635 kg (1398 lb) |
| Takeoff mass | 893 kg (1966 lb) |
| Top speed | 181 km / h (97.8 kts) |
| Minimum speed | 92 km / h (49.5 kts) |
| Landing speed | 94 km / h (51 kts) |
| Service ceiling | 2800 m (9170 ft) |
| Engines | an Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose II with 145.5 HP continuous output and 157 HP maximum output |
See also
literature
- Alec Lumsden & Terry Heffernan: Per Mare Probare (Part 16) - Parnall Peto , Airplane Monthly, June 1989, pp. 328-333
Web links
- Side view and data on luftfahrtmuseum.com
- Youtube video with original recordings of a catapult launch in 1930
Individual evidence
- ↑ Lumsden / Heffernan, Airplane Monthly, June 1989, p. 328