Percival Prentice

Designed to meet Air Ministry Specification T.23/43, the Prentice was the first all-metal aircraft to be produced by the Percival Aircraft Company. The prototype Prentice TV163 first flew from Percival's factory at Luton Airport, Bedfordshire on 31 March 1946. Early trials revealed inadequate rudder control, resulting in a revised rudder and a large cutout in the elevators. The aircraft were later modified with turned-up wingtips.[1] Over 370 were delivered to the RAF between 1947 and 1949.

An unusual design feature was the provision for three seats. While the instructor and pupil were equipped with dual controls in a side-by-side arrangement in the front, a second pupil sat in the rear seat without controls to receive "air experience". Both pupils could communicate with the instructor. Night flying training was to be carried out in daylight by means of amber screens incorporated into the canopy and the use of special goggles. The amber screens were folded back when not in use.[2]

Several hundred Prentices were ordered for RAF use. Since the Percival factory was concentrating on production of the Percival Proctor and the Merganser light transport aircraft, production was sub-contracted to the Blackburn Aircraft works at Brough.[2]

After these modifications, the Prentice was passed into RAF service, initially with the regular Flying Training Schools (FTS) including the RAF College, Cranwell where they replaced the remaining de Havilland Tiger Moths. Later deliveries went to the Reserve Flying Schools (RFS). The type was used as a pilot trainer until 1952 at the RAF College where it was replaced by the de Havilland (Canada) Chipmunk and in late 1953 at the other schools, when it was replaced by the Percival Provost. Two Air Signals Schools also operated the type to train air signallers, until the last were withdrawn from No.1 ASS at RAF Swanton Morley, Norfolk, in mid 1956.[3]

A preserved Percival Prentice giving a pleasure flight in 2007

252 redundant RAF Prentices were later bought in 1956 by Aviation Traders Ltd, a company owned by Freddie Laker.[4] and were stored at Stansted and Southend. Most were eventually scrapped but 28 were converted for civil use with two seats and two jumpseats behind the two pilots' seats, separated by a structure which housed the original 4-channel radio. This conversion had quite poor performance with four passengers. One aircraft (G-AOKL) was based at Stansted Aerodrome near London around 1963 and used by the Parachute Club for parachuting with at least three jumpers. One aircraft was converted to a seven-seat layout for pleasure flights. One (G-AOPL) was acquired from Shackleton Aviation at Sywell by Captain Jon Cousens, a Desert Intelligence Officer in the Trucial Oman Scouts and flown to Sharjah in 1967; later being flown on to South Africa where it remained until it ceased flying.

The aircraft had a poor performance with any load at high temperatures and initially had poor spin recovery.

Forty-two aircraft were built under licence by Hindustan Aircraft for the Indian Air Force.[5]

Three fictional civilian Percival Prentice are featured in The Black Island (French: L'Île noire), the 7th volume of The Adventures of Tintin, the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. The planes are used by money forgers, flying over Sussex and Scotland.

Prentice T.1

Standard three-seat trainer for Royal Air Force and export. 251 hp (187 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Queen 32 engine.[6]

Prentice T.2

Fitted with supercharged 296 hp (221 kW) Gipsy Queen 51.[6] One built.[5]

Prentice T.3

Fitted with 345 hp (257 kW) Gipsy Queen 70-2.[6] 62 built.[5]

 Argentina

• Argentine Air Force – Purchased 100 T.1s, with delivery from September 1948.[5]

 Canada

• Royal Canadian Air Force – One aircraft was evaluated and tested by the RCAF in 1948.

 India

• Indian Air Force – Received 20 Percival-built T.3s plus 42 built under licence by Hindustan Aircraft.[5][7]

 Lebanon

• Lebanese Air Force – Received 3 T.1s.[5]

 United Kingdom

• Royal Air Force[8]
  • Central Flying School
  • No.1 FTS
  • No.2 FTS
  • No.3 FTS
  • No.6 FTS
  • No.7 FTS
  • No.22 FTS
  • No.16 RFS
  • No.22 RFS
  • No.23 RFS
  • No.24 RFS
  • No.25 RFS

Percival Prentice T.1

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1947,[11][12]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2-3
• Length: 31 ft 3 in (9.53 m)
• Wingspan: 46 ft 0 in (14.02 m)
• Height: 12 ft 10.5 in (3.924 m) with tail in rigging position
• Aspect ratio: 6.94[13]
• Airfoil: RAF 48[14]
• Empty weight: 2,891 lb (1,311 kg)
• Gross weight: 3,860 lb (1,751 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 40 imp gal (48 US gal; 182 l) fuel in two wing tanks ; 4.9 imp gal (6 US gal; 22 l) oil
• Powerplant: 1 × de Havilland Gipsy Queen 51 6-cylinder air-cooled inverted in-line piston engine, 296 hp (221 kW) supercharged

or 251 hp (187 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Queen 32 un-supercharged engine

• Propellers: 2-bladed de Havilland constant-speed propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 171 mph (275 km/h, 149 kn) at 6,800 ft (2,073 m)

153 mph (133 kn; 246 km/h) at sea level

• Cruise speed: 160 mph (260 km/h, 140 kn) at 5,400 ft (1,646 m) maximum continuous

147 mph (128 kn; 237 km/h) at sea level maximum continuous

154 mph (134 kn; 248 km/h) at 12,200 ft (3,719 m) maximum economic

129 mph (112 kn; 208 km/h) at sea level maximum economic

• Stall speed: 62.4 mph (100.4 km/h, 54.2 kn) flaps up

51 mph (44 kn; 82 km/h) flaps down

• Range: 505 mi (813 km, 439 nmi) at sea level maximum economic

517 mph (449 kn; 832 km/h) at 12,200 ft (3,719 m) maximum economic

• Endurance: 3 hours 55 minutes maximum economic at sea level ; 3 hours 43 minutes 139 mph (121 kn; 224 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,524 m)
• Service ceiling: 19,000 ft (5,800 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,070 ft/min (5.4 m/s) initial

960 ft/min (4.88 m/s) at 5,000 ft (1,524 m)

• Wing loading: 12.65 lb/sq ft (61.8 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.0769 hp/lb (0.1264 kW/kg)
  
• Take-off run: 600 ft (183 m) from grass in still air at sea level ISA

525 ft (160 m) from hard runway in still air at sea level ISA

• Take-off distance to 50 ft (15 m): 1,110 ft (338 m) from grass in still air at sea level ISA

1,035 ft (315 m) from hard runway in still air at sea level ISA

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk
• LWD Junak
• Yakovlev Yak-18
• Zlin Trener

Related lists

• List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Percival Prentice.

• "Prentice in the Air" a 1948 Flight article