Percival Prince
| Prince | |
|---|---|
| |
| Royal Navy Sea Prince T.1 of 727 Squadron FAA from RNAS Brawdy operational with radar nose in September 1956 | |
| Role | Transport aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Percival Aircraft Limited |
| First flight | 13 May 1948 |
| Number built | 75 of all variants[1] |
| Developed from | Percival Merganser |
| Variants | Percival Pembroke |
The Percival Prince is a British light transport of the early postwar period. It was a twin-engine, high-wing, cantilever monoplane of all-metal stressed-skin construction; the undercarriage was of retractable, tricycle type.
Development
The design of the Prince continued from the solitary Merganser. Further development of the type led to the Survey Prince survey aircraft and the Sea Prince. An improved version of the Prince 3 with an increased wingspan and engine and undercarriage modifications was developed for the Royal Air Force as the Percival Pembroke.
Operational history
The Prince was produced in six versions for the civil market. Several examples were operated as executive aircraft including Standard Motors and Shell Oil. Three aircraft were used by the UK Ministry of Civil Aviation as airport facilities checking aircraft.
The Sea Prince operated in two roles: in T.Mk.1 form it served as a navigation and anti-submarine trainer; the C.Mks. 1 and 2 were flown in the transport role. However, these were land planes and not COD (carrier on board delivery) aircraft. Sea Princes operated in both roles from 1954 to 1972 and as a navigation trainer until 1978, when it was replaced by the Handley Page Jetstream
Variants
- P.50 Prince 1 – prototype based on Merganser with modified fin and undercarriage and two 520 hp Alvis Leonides 501/4 engine, one built.
- P.50 Prince 2 – As Prince 1 with sloping windscreen, stronger main spar, five built.
- P.50 Prince 3 – As Prince 2 with Alvis Leonides 502/4 engine and lengthened nose on some aircraft, 12 built.
- P.50 Prince 4 – Conversions to Alvis Leonides 503 engines, ten converted.
- P.50 Prince 5 – original designation of the Percival President.
- P.50 Prince 6 – Conversions to Alvis Leonides 504 engines.
- P.54 Survey Prince – Prince 2 with lengthened transparent nose and camera hatches, six built.
- P.57 Sea Prince C1 – Prince 2 for Royal Navy use, three built.
- P.57 Sea Prince T1 – Prince 3 with long nose housing radar, twin wheeled main undercarriage and lengthened engine nacelles for navigation and anti-submarine training, 41 built.
- P.57 Sea Prince C2 – Transport version of Sea Prince T1, four built.
Operators
Civil operators
France
Kenya
New Zealand
Singapore
Switzerland
Tanganyika
South Africa
United Kingdom
United States
Venezuela
Military operators
- Royal Australian Air Force – Three Princes were in service with the RAAF from 1952 to 1957. The aircraft were used for communications and support duties at the Weapons Research Establishment, Woomera, South Australia.
- Air Trials Unit
- Thai Air Force – One Survey Prince aircraft.
- Thai Army – One Survey Prince aircraft.
- Fleet Air Arm[1]
- Royal Naval Reserve
- 1830 Squadron RNVR
- 1840 Squadron RNVR
- 1841 Squadron RNVR
- 1844 Squadron RNVR
Survivors
- On display, Prince, T1-1/98 (cn P.50/41), at Royal Thai Air Force Museum, Don Muang AFB
- On display, Prince 3E, G-AMLZ (cn P50/46), at Speke Aerodrome Heritage Group, Merseyside, England
- Reserve Collection, Sea Prince T.1 WP313 at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Somerset, England. [2]
- On display, Sea Prince T.1 WF128 at the Flixton Aviation Museum, Suffolk, England
- On display, Sea Prince T.1 WP309 at the Solway Aviation Museum, Carlisle Airport, England.[3]
- On display, Sea Prince T.1 WF118 (569) G-DACA at the Gatwick Aviation Museum, Surrey, England
- On display, Sea Prince T.1 WF122 (575)CU (c/n PAC/57/18), Now under restoration Ulster Aviation Society[4] formerly at Aeroventure,Doncaster,Sth Yorks. Formally of 750 Sqdrn Fleet Air Arm.
- On display, Sea Prince T.1 WP321 at South Wales Aviation Museum (SWAM) at former RAF St Athan site near Cardiff
Specifications (Sea Prince T.1)
Data from British Naval Aircraft since 1912[5]
General characteristics
- Crew: Two pilots
- Capacity: Three pupils
- Length: 46 ft 4 in (14.12 m)
- Wingspan: 56 ft 0 in (17.07 m)
- Height: 16 ft 1 in (4.90 m)
- Wing area: 365 sq ft (33.9 m2)
- Empty weight: 8,850 lb (4,014 kg)
- Gross weight: 11,850 lb (5,375 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × Alvis Leonides 125 9-cylinder air-cooled radial engines, 550 hp (410 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 194 kn (223 mph, 359 km/h) at 2,000 ft (610 m)
- Cruise speed: 159 kn (183 mph, 295 km/h) at 11,000 ft (3,400 m)
- Range: 400 nmi (460 mi, 740 km)
- Service ceiling: 22,000 ft (6,700 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,400 ft/min (7.1 m/s)
See also
Related development
References
- Notes
- ^ a b c "PER50 PRINCE PEMBROKE". Archived from the original on 14 March 2007.
- ^ http://www.fleetairarm.com/exhibit/percival-sea-prince-t1-wp313/6-30-84.aspx
- ^ http://www.solway-aviation-museum.co.uk/?page_id=105 Solway Aviation Museum page retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ "Ulster Aviation Society's Heritage Collection of Aircraft". ulsteraviationsociety.org.
- Bibliography
- Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft 1919–1972: Volume III. London:Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-818-6.
- Thetford, Owen, British Naval Aircraft since 1912. London:Putnam, 1978. ISBN 0-370-30021-1.
External links
