Parnall Heck
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| Heck | |
|---|---|
| Type | Cabin Tourer |
| Manufacturer | Parnall Aircraft Limited |
| Designed by | Basil B Henderson |
| Maiden flight | 1934 |
| Retired | 1950 |
| Primary users | Parnall Aircraft Royal Air Force |
| Number built | 8 |
The Parnall Heck was a 1930s British four-seat cabin monoplane built by Parnall Aircraft Limited at Yate, Gloucestershire.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Heck was designed by Basil B. Henderson originally as the Hendy 3308 Heck. The prototype was built by the Westland Aircraft Works at Yeovil, it was a single-engined, tandem, two-seat, low-wing cabin monoplane, built of spruce with a plywood covering. It had a manually operated undercarriage. The prototype, registered G-ACTC, first flew in July 1934. Parnall Aircraft Limited was formed in May 1935 when George Parnall and Company merged with the Hendy Aircraft Company and the armament engineering firm Nash and Thompson Limited. The Heck was redesignated the Parnall Heck. A number of problems with the undercarriage led to it being locked down and covered with trouser type fairings. The aircraft set a new record for the run from Cape Town to England of 6 days, 8 hours and 27 minutes in November 1936.
A small production line was started at Yate, Gloucestershire and the production version was designated the Heck 2C. The production aircraft were three-seaters and fixed spatted undercarriages. None of the aircraft were sold and four were operated by Parnall Aircraft as communications aircraft. When the war started the aircraft were camouflaged.
The fifth and sixth aircraft were used for trial installations of engines and armaments, including the development of the gun sight installation for the Spitfire and Hurricane. In March 1943 one aircraft was impressed into service with the Royal Air Force on communications and liaison duties.
A two-seat open cockpit version was flown as the Heck 3 in February 1939 but was not ordered.
The last surviving Heck was the second production aircraft which was damaged beyond repair in a taxying accident in June 1950. The aircraft had just come 7th in the King's Cup Race at Wolverhampton (with a speed of 159 mph) when a landing civil Spitfire hit the rear of the Heck and demolished it.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Civil operators
[edit] Military operators
[edit] Specifications (Heck 2C)
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Length: 26 ft 1½ in (7.96 m)
- Wingspan: 31 ft 6 in (9.60 m)
- Height: 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)
- Wing area: 105.2 ft² (9.78 m²)
- Empty weight: 1,750 lb (795 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 2,700 lb (1227 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× de Havilland Gipsy Six , 200 hp (149 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 161 knots (185 mph, 298 km/h)
- Range: 526 nm (605 miles, 974 km)
- Service ceiling: 16,700 ft (5090 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,100 ft/min (5.6 m/s)
[edit] Reference
- Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 3. London: Putnam. ISBN 0 370 10014 X.
[edit] External links
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