Percival Prentice
| Percival Prentice | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Trainer aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
March 31, 1946 |
| Commissioning: |
November 1947 |
| Production time: |
1947-1949 |
| Number of pieces: |
390 |
The Percival P.40 Prentice was a beginner trainer aircraft of the early post-war period of the British manufacturer Percival Aircraft Co .
History and construction
The Prentice was a low wing aircraft with a fixed tail wheel landing gear . The front seats were arranged side by side, with another seat behind for a third person. The machine was developed on the basis of a tender from the Ministry of Aviation and was the first all-metal aircraft to be manufactured by Percival. The prototype took off from Luton Airport on March 31, 1946 on its maiden flight. The first test flights revealed defects in the rudder, which led to a revision. In addition, the wing ends were angled upwards later. Between 1947 and 1949, 20 pre-series and 370 series machines (Prentice T.1) were delivered to the Royal Air Force .
Since the production facilities at Percival were full because of the production of the Percival Proctor and Percival Mengaser , the actual production was outsourced to subcontractors. Later, many machines were used for civilian use and for this purpose two folding seats were installed in the back row .
.jpg)
66 aircraft were manufactured under license by Hindustan Aircraft .
Military use
-
Argentina
-
India
-
Canada : 1 machine for evaluation -
Lebanon
-
United Kingdom : Royal Air Force
.svg){kind=small}
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 2/3 |
| length | 9.52 m |
| span | 14.02 m |
| height | 3.91 m |
| Wing area | 28.4 m² |
| Empty mass | 1466 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 1905 kg |
| Cruising speed | 219 km / h |
| Top speed | 230 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 5486 m |
| Range | 637 km |
| Engines | 1 × piston engine de Havilland Gipsy Queen 32 with 254 PS (187 kW) |
See also
literature
- Norman H. Ellison: Percivals Aircraft (The Archive Photographs Series). Chalford Publishing Company, Stroud 1997, ISBN 0-7524-0774-0 .
- JJ Halley: Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999. Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., Tonbridge 1985, ISBN 0-85130-136-3 .
- AJ Jackson: British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 3. Putnam, London 1988, ISBN 0-85177-818-6 .
- John Silvester: Percival Aircraft 1933–1954 (Parts 1–4). In: Airplane Monthly. Vol. 11, No. Jan-April 1–4, 1983.
- Ray Sturtivant: Royal Air Force Flying Training and Support Units. Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., Tonbridge 1997, ISBN 0-85130-252-1 .
- Owen Thetford: Aircraft of the Royal Air Force. Putnam & Company Ltd., London 1976, ISBN 0-370-10056-5 .
