Parnall 382

Parnall 382
Role Two-seat monoplane trainer
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer Parnall Aircraft Ltd
Designer Basil Henderson
First flight 1939
Number built 1
Developed from Parnall Heck

The Parnall 382 was a 1930s British single-engined monoplane trainer aircraft with two open cockpits, designed and developed by Parnall Aircraft Ltd.

Design and development

The Parnall 382 was designed to meet UK Air Ministry Specification T.1/37 for an 'ab initio' trainer, and was also known as the Parnall Heck III. Its competitors were the Heston T.1/37 and the Miles M.15. The Airspeed AS.36, General Aircraft GAL.32 and Percival P.20 were also proposed against specification T.1/37, but not accepted or built. None of the designs was selected for production orders; it has been suggested[1] that the required performance could not be achieved within the constraints of the Specification.

Construction was primarily wooden, with plywood-skinned spruce frames. The cantilever oleo-pneumatic fixed main undercarriage legs were faired with spats. The undercarriage, tail unit and outer wing panels were adapted from the Parnall Heck 2C. The propeller was a de Havilland fixed-pitch type. Student and tutor sat in open, tandem cockpits, but the rear cockpit was later enclosed.[2][3]

Operational history

One example of the Parnall 382 was built by Parnall Aircraft Ltd as a private venture project. The first flight was by G.A.C Warren at Yate Aerodrome in February 1939, with B conditions registration J1. In September 1939 it was registered G-AFKF. In June 1941, as the Parnall Heck III, it was allocated serial R9138 under contract 23979/39.[4] In trials at the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at Martlesham Heath, it was assessed as pleasant to fly and generally good as a trainer. Notwithstanding a few modifications, no order was forthcoming, and it was SOC (struck off charge) on 5 March 1943. It was allocated the serial 3600M[5] and ended its days as an Air Training Corps instructional airframe at Jones' West Monmouth School, Pontypool.

Specifications

Data from British Civil Aircraft Since 1919[2]

General characteristics

Performance

Notes

  1. Lukins
  2. 2.0 2.1 Jackson 1974
  3. Lewis, Peter (November 1965), Air Pictorial, UK: Rolls House Publishing Co Ltd, p. 403.
  4. Halley 1980
  5. Revell 1978

References

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