39-580: The Percival Gull was a British single-engined monoplane , first flown in 1932. It was successful as a fast company transport, racing aircraft and long-range record breaker. It was developed into the Vega Gull and the Proctor . The Percival Gull was the first aircraft of the Percival Aircraft Company, formed in 1932 by Edgar Percival and Lt. Cdr E.B.W. Leake. It was designed by Percival himself, and
78-422: A biplane or other types of multiplanes , which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing configuration and is the simplest to build. However, during the early years of flight, these advantages were offset by its greater weight and lower manoeuvrability, making it relatively rare until the 1930s. Since then, the monoplane has been the most common form for
117-507: A D-series Gull never won the trophy. The speed of Gulls also made them attractive for the long distance flights popular in the 1930s and the Gull, fitted with extra tanks offered a range of 2,000 miles (3,220 km). On 4 October 1933 Charles Kingsford Smith started a flight in a Gull Four (G-ACJV), from Lympne Aerodrome to Darwin , Australia, arriving on 10 December 1933, in a record 7 days, 4 hrs, 44 min. On 17 June 1935 E.W. Percival piloted
156-433: A Gipsy Major engine in private ownership. Similarly, Vickers Armstrongs retained its Gull Six (G-ADFA) throughout the war. The P. designations were applied retrospectively in 1947, after the company had become Hunting Percival. Data from Jackson 1974, p. 96. General characteristics Performance Monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to
195-464: A Gull Six (G-ADEP) from Gravesend to Oran (Algeria), returning to Croydon Airport on the same day, and was later awarded the Oswald Watt Gold Medal in recognition of this flight. New Zealander Jean Batten made at least two noteworthy flights in her Gull Six (G-ADPR). On 11 November 1935, she departed from Lympne and flew in two legs to Thiès , Senegal. After a 12 hr, 30 min crossing of
234-495: A distance of 810 miles from Croydon Aerodrome , south of London, to Glasgow , Scotland and back again after an overnight stop. The winner of this first race was Frank L. Barnard , chief pilot of the Instone Air Line , in a passenger-carrying Airco DH.4 A. The 1939 race was cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II , and the contest did not resume until 1949. The 1951 race was abandoned due to bad weather. In 1953, there
273-475: A few specialist types. Jet and rocket engines have even more power and all modern high-speed aircraft, especially supersonic types, have been monoplanes. King%27s Cup Race The King's Cup air race is a British handicapped cross-country event, which has taken place annually since 1922. It is run by the Royal Aero Club Records Racing and Rally Association. The King's Cup is one of
312-410: A fixed-wing aircraft. The inherent efficiency of the monoplane is best achieved in the cantilever wing, which carries all structural forces internally. However, to fly at practical speeds the wing must be made thin, which requires a heavy structure to make it strong and stiff enough. External bracing can be used to improve structural efficiency, reducing weight and cost. For a wing of a given size,
351-608: A light aircraft, the configuration is significant because it offers superior visibility to the pilot. On light aircraft, shoulder-wings tend to be mounted further aft than a high wing, and so may need to be swept forward to maintain correct center of gravity . Examples of light aircraft with shoulder wings include the ARV Super2 , the Bölkow Junior , Saab Safari and the Barber Snark . A high wing has its upper surface on or above
390-404: A neatly faired installation. The rear fuselage was of square cross section with a rounded top. The glazed cabin joined smoothly into a raised dorsal fairing, and placed the pilot in front and two passenger seats, slightly staggered behind. Entry into the early models was via the sliding canopy. The main undercarriage was fixed and spatted, each wheel mounted on three struts in the early models; there
429-407: A pendulous fuselage which requires no wing dihedral for stability; and, by comparison with a low-wing, a shoulder-wing's limited ground effect reduces float on landing. Compared to a low-wing, shoulder-wing and high-wing configurations give increased propeller clearance on multi-engined aircraft. On a large aircraft, there is little practical difference between a shoulder wing and a high wing; but on
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#1732858715869468-464: A popular configuration for amphibians and small homebuilt and ultralight aircraft . Although the first successful aircraft were biplanes, the first attempts at heavier-than-air flying machines were monoplanes, and many pioneers continued to develop monoplane designs. For example, the first aeroplane to be put into production was the 1907 Santos-Dumont Demoiselle , while the Blériot XI flew across
507-754: A record 7 days 22 hr 43min. One Gull Six (G-ADEU) was evaluated by the RAE , resulting in an RAF order for the Percival Proctor , a variant of the Percival Vega Gull . About six Gull Sixes were impressed into the RAF and Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War , in the UK, Egypt and India; one of them was Jean Batten's (G-ADPR), as AX866 . Blackburn Aircraft continued to use its Gull Four Mk III (G-ADOE), later re-engined with
546-530: A tandem pair of open cockpits. It was sometimes known as the P.7 "Touring Gull". Gulls sold well to private owners, offering speed and comfort. Others were bought by charter companies, and were used for photographic and newspaper work. Gulls were used, for example, to cover distant but important events such as the Italo-Abyssinian war of 1935 . Some were used for company communications, for example by Avro Aircraft and Shell . The sole Gull Four Mk III (G-ADOE)
585-410: Is that the fuselage is closer to the ground which eases cargo loading, especially for aircraft with a rear-fuselage cargo door. Military cargo aircraft are predominantly high-wing designs with a rear cargo door. A parasol wing is not directly attached to the fuselage but held above it, supported by either cabane struts or a pylon. Additional bracing may be provided by struts or wires extending from
624-564: The English Channel in 1909. Throughout 1909–1910, Hubert Latham set multiple altitude records in his Antoinette IV monoplane, eventually reaching 1,384 m (4,541 ft). The equivalent German language term is Eindecker , as in the mid-wing Fokker Eindecker fighter of 1915 which for a time dominated the skies in what became known as the " Fokker scourge ". The German military Idflieg aircraft designation system prior to 1918 prefixed monoplane type designations with an E , until
663-665: The Fokker D.VIII and Morane-Saulnier AI in the later part of the First World War. A parasol wing also provides a high mounting point for engines and during the interwar period was popular on flying boats, which need to lift the propellers clear of spray. Examples include the Martin M-130 , Dornier Do 18 and the Consolidated PBY Catalina . Compared to a biplane , a parasol wing has less bracing and lower drag. It remains
702-451: The braced parasol wing became popular on fighter aircraft, although few arrived in time to see combat. It remained popular throughout the 1920s. On flying boats with a shallow hull, a parasol wing allows the engines to be mounted above the spray from the water when taking off and landing. This arrangement was popular on flying boats during the 1930s; a late example being the Consolidated PBY Catalina . It died out when taller hulls became
741-695: The 1930s, the cantilever monoplane was fast becoming the standard configuration for a fixed-wing aircraft. Advanced monoplane fighter-aircraft designs were mass-produced for military services around the world in both the Soviet Union and the United States in the early–mid 1930s, with the Polikarpov I-16 and the Boeing P-26 Peashooter respectively. Most military aircraft of WWII were monoplanes, as have been virtually all aircraft since, except for
780-626: The Atlantic on 13 November, she arrived at Port Natal , Brazil, and was later awarded the Britannia Trophy . On 5 October 1936, Batten flew from Lympne to Darwin in the record time of 5 days, 21 hr, 3 min, and then flyewon across the Tasman Sea to Auckland to set another total record time of 11 days, 45 min. On 4 May 1936 Amy Johnson , flying a Gull Six (G-ADZO), flew from Gravesend to Wingfield aerodrome, Cape Town and back to Croydon Airport in
819-542: The Hendy 302, with a horn balance and a notable nick on the leading edge where that balance met the fin, but this was soon replaced by the final symmetrialc elliptical and unbalanced design. The horizontal surfaces were also rounded, and tailplane incidence was adjustable in flight for trim; the elevators were mounted on a common shaft. Although Gull variants were powered by five different engines, these were all inverted inline air-cooled types driving two-bladed propellers, making for
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#1732858715869858-476: The aircraft more manoeuvrable, as on the Spitfire ; but aircraft that value stability over manoeuvrability may then need some dihedral . A feature of the low-wing position is its significant ground effect , giving the plane a tendency to float farther before landing. Conversely, this ground effect permits shorter takeoffs. A mid wing is mounted midway up the fuselage. The carry-through spar structure can reduce
897-521: The approval of the Fokker D.VIII fighter from its former "E.V" designation. However, the success of the Fokker was short-lived, and World War I was dominated by biplanes. Towards the end of the war, the parasol monoplane became popular and successful designs were produced into the 1920s. Nonetheless, relatively few monoplane types were built between 1914 and the late 1920s, compared with the number of biplanes. The reasons for this were primarily practical. With
936-401: The fastest flight as such. The aircraft are also divided into classes, with a winner for each class as well as the outright winner. The King's Cup air race was established by King George V as an incentive to the development of light aircraft and engine design. Initially, it was open to Commonwealth pilots only. The first King's Cup air race took place on 8 September 1922. It covered
975-402: The fuselage sides. The first parasol monoplanes were adaptations of shoulder wing monoplanes, since raising a shoulder mounted wing above the fuselage greatly improved visibility downwards, which was useful for reconnaissance roles, as with the widely used Morane-Saulnier L . The parasol wing allows for an efficient design with good pilot visibility, and was adopted for some fighters such as
1014-433: The general variations in wing configuration such as tail position and use of bracing, the main distinction between types of monoplane is where the wing is mounted vertically on the fuselage . A low wing is one which is located on or near the bottom of the fuselage. Placing the wing low allows good visibility upwards and frees the central fuselage from the wing spar carry-through. By reducing pendulum stability, it makes
1053-438: The last Gull built at Percival's new Luton works. The Gull was a low-wing cantilever monoplane, constructed of wood with fabric covering. The wings tapered in both thickness and chord, with dihedral outboard of the centre section. They were constructed according to Basil Henderson's patent, and folded rearwards at the rear spar for storage. There were split flaps inboard. The fin and rudder were initially very similar to those of
1092-415: The low engine powers and airspeeds available, the wings of a monoplane needed to be large in order to create enough lift while a biplane could have two smaller wings and so be made smaller and lighter. Towards the end of the First World War, the inherent high drag of the biplane was beginning to restrict performance. Engines were not yet powerful enough to make the heavy cantilever-wing monoplane viable, and
1131-484: The most prestigious prizes of the British air racing season. The entrants are divided into classes, and each is evaluated and given a time handicap for the start of the race. They all take off at varying times according to their handicap, with the handicappers' aim being that they should all cross the finishing line at the same moment. The art of winning the race outright is therefore to beat the handicappers, rather than to make
1170-410: The norm during World War II, allowing a high wing to be attached directly to the hull. As ever-increasing engine powers made the weight of all-metal construction and the cantilever wing more practical — first pioneered together by the revolutionary German Junkers J 1 factory demonstrator in 1915–16 — they became common during the post–World War I period, the day of the braced wing passed, and by
1209-449: The top of the fuselage. It shares many advantages and disadvantages with the shoulder wing, but on a light aircraft, the high wing has poorer upwards visibility. On light aircraft such as the Cessna 152 , the wing is usually located above the cabin, so that the wing spar passes over the occupants' heads, leaving the wing in the ideal fore-aft position. An advantage of the high-wing configuration
Percival Gull - Misplaced Pages Continue
1248-439: The useful fuselage volume near its centre of gravity, where space is often in most demand. A shoulder wing (a category between high-wing and mid-wing) is a configuration whereby the wing is mounted near the top of the fuselage but not on the very top. It is so called because it sits on the "shoulder" of the fuselage, rather than on the pilot's shoulder. Shoulder-wings and high-wings share some characteristics, namely: they support
1287-465: The weight reduction allows it to fly slower and with a lower-powered and more economical engine. For this reason, all monoplane wings in the pioneer era were braced and most were up until the early 1930s. However, the exposed struts or wires create additional drag, lowering aerodynamic efficiency and reducing the maximum speed. High-speed and long-range designs tend to be pure cantilevers, while low-speed short-range types are often given bracing. Besides
1326-563: Was a fatal mid-air collision at the King's Cup Air Race meeting at Southend Airport, in which John Crowther, a hotelier from the Marine Hotel, Tankerton, Kent, was killed. In 1961, for the first time, aircraft designed outside Great Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations were allowed to enter, after the 1960 race was won by a French designed but British built Druine Turbulent. Aircraft all-up-weight
1365-516: Was a small steerable tail wheel. The early models could be fitted with one of two 130 hp (97 kW) 4-cylinder engines, the Cirrus Hermes IV, or the de Havilland Gipsy Major . Alternatively, for racing or for pilots desiring more power, the 160 hp (119 kW) Napier Javelin III 6-cylinder engine was an option. The D.2 variants are known generically as the "Gull Four" (not "Gull IV"). That
1404-660: Was despite the Javelin 6-cylinder engine in the Gull Four Mk IIA, and that before the war the Gipsy Major-powered variant was known as the "Gull Major". In 1934, one Gull was modified with cabin doors, revised and shorter glazing, and a faired, single-strut main undercarriage. This version was known as the Gull Four Mk III, (retrospectively P.1D), and those refinements were incorporated in all later Gulls. The final variant
1443-586: Was strongly influenced by the Hendy 302 , designed by Basil "Hendy" Henderson, which he had owned and raced. The new company did not have the facilities to build the Gull, so the prototype was produced by the British Aircraft Company of Maidstone , Kent, and the first 24 production machines were manufactured by Parnall Aircraft of Yate , Gloucestershire. In 1934 the Percival Aircraft Company moved to Gravesend Airport , Kent, where it built its own Gulls, with
1482-461: Was the D.3 "Gull Six", similar to the D.2 "Gull Four Mk III" with the revised canopy and undercarriage, but with the much more powerful 200 hp (149 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Six 6-cylinder engine. This had the same length and span as the Gull Major variants, but was 195 lb (88 kg) heavier and much faster at 178 mph (286 km/h). One Gull Six (VT-AGV) had the cabin replaced with
1521-562: Was used by Blackburn Aircraft as a testbed for both the Cirrus Major Mks 1 and 2 engines. Gulls were sold abroad, to France, Australia, Japan, Brazil and elsewhere. Two Gulls worked the Karachi - Lahore mail run for Indian National Airways . On 9 July 1932, E.W. Percival flew the prototype Gull (G-ABUR) in the round Britain King's Cup Race , averaging almost 143 mph (230 km/h), although
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