| Percival Vega Gull | |
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| Type | Civil touring aircraft, military trainer and communications aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Percival Aircraft Limited |
| Designed by | Edgar W. Percival |
| Maiden flight | November 1935 |
| Retired | 1945 |
| Primary users | Royal Air Force Fleet Air Arm |
| Produced | November 1935-July 1939 |
| Number built | 90 |
| Developed from | Percival Gull |
| Variants | Percival Proctor |
The Percival Vega Gull was a 1930s British, four-seater touring aeroplane built by Percival Aircraft Limited. It was a single-engine, low-wing, wood-and-fabric monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage.
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Design and development
Built by Percival Aircraft Limited of Gravesend, the Vega Gull was a development of their earlier Gull. The major changes from the earlier machine were the provision of an additional fourth seat, dual controls and flaps. It retained the de Havilland Gipsy Six air-cooled inline engine introduced in the D.3 Gull Six of 1934. The prototype first flew from Gravesend in November 1935.[1].
Operational history
Two early aircraft were entered into the Schlesinger Race from England to Johannesberg, South Africa. Aircraft registered G-AEKE was the only finisher landing at Rand Airport on 1 October 1936. The aircraft had left Portsmouth 52 hours 56 minutes 48 seconds earler. With the publicity of the win, Percival set up a production line at larger premises at Luton. The new type was an immediate success with production running to 90, the last production aircraft had its maiden flight on 27 July 1939. In addition to civil orders, 15 were ordered by the Air Ministry. Of these, 11 served with 24 Squadron Royal Air Force on communications duties and two were issued to the Fleet Air Arm, which was yet to come under Admiralty control. The remaining two were used by the British air attachés in Buenos Aires and Lisbon. A third aircraft for use by the British air attaché in Berlin was seized by the Germans at the outbreak of the Second World War. It remains unclear whether the Luftwaffe subsequently used this machine. After the outbreak of war, some numbers of Vega Gulls were requisitioned for military use. In the UK, 21 were impressed in 1939-40, 14 for the RAF and seven for the FAA. Two aircraft were impressed in each of Australia and India, while one other was "called to the colours" in New Zealand. [2] By the end of the war, the Vega Gull had been largely supplanted by its younger sibling, the Proctor, of which more than 1,100 were manufactured.
Variants
- Type K.1 Vega Gull : Single-engined, four-seat touring aeroplane.
Operators
Military operators
Specifications (Vega Gull)
Data from {British Aircraft of World War II}[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 3 passengers
- Length: 25 ft 6 in (7.77 m)
- Wingspan: 39 ft 6 in (12.04 m)
- Height: ft in (m)
- Wing area: 184 ft² (17.09 m²)
- Empty weight: 1,740 lb (789 kg)
- Loaded weight: 3,250 lb (1,474 kg)
- Useful load: lb (kg)
- Max takeoff weight: lb (kg)
- Powerplant: 1× de Havilland Gipsy Six six-cylinder air-colled inline 2-blade, 200-hp (149-kW)
Performance
- Never exceed speed: knots (mph, km/h)
- Maximum speed: 151 knots (174 mph, 280 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 130 knots (150 mph, 241 km/h)
- Stall speed: knots (mph, km/h)
- Range: 574 nm (660 mi, 1,062 km)
- Service ceiling 17,000 ft (5,182 m)
- Rate of climb: ft/min (m/s)
- Wing loading: lb/ft² (kg/m²)
- Power/mass: hp/lb (W/kg)
References
- Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 3. London: Putnam, 1974.ISBN 0-370-10014-X.
External links
Related content
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force
List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm
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