das Percival Proctor war ein britisches Funkschul- und Kommunikationsflugzeug des Zweiten Weltkriegs. Die Proctor war ein einmotoriger Tiefdecker mit Platz für drei oder vier Personen, je nach Modell.
das Percival Proctorwas a military derivative of the elegant pre-warVega Gull. While its predecessor was a record-breaking civilian speedster, the Proctor was “beefed up” for the rigors of service life. It became the standard radio trainer for the RAF and Royal Navy during WWII, used to teach thousands of wireless operators how to use the cumbersome T/R 1154/55 radio sets they would later operate in heavy bombers like the Lancaster.
Attribute
Technical Specification (Proctor Mk IV)
Rolle
Radio Trainer / Communications / Liaison
Crew
3 or 4 (depending on variant)
First Flight
October 8, 1939
Triebwerk
1 × de Havilland Gipsy Queen II 6-cylinder inverted inline
Horsepower
210 hp (157 kW)
Höchstgeschwindigkeit
160 mph (257 km/h)
Cruise Speed
140 mph (225 km/h)
Range
500 miles (805 km)
Design Refinement & Military Tweaks
The “Preceptor” Redesign:The Mk IV (originally intended to be named thePreceptor) featured a significantly larger, deeper fuselage than the earlier marks. This allowed it to carry a crew of four—a pilot, an instructor, and two students—making it a much more efficient classroom in the sky.
Wing-Folding Capability:Inherited from the Gull family, the Proctor’s wings could be folded back along the fuselage. This was a critical feature for the Fleet Air Arm (Royal Navy), allowing the aircraft to be stored in the cramped hangars of aircraft carriers.
Wooden Construction:The airframe was primarily built of wood (spruce and plywood) covered in fabric. While this saved strategic metals during wartime, it led to the type’s eventual downfall in the 1960s when concerns about “glue failure” in aging wooden airframes saw most Proctors grounded.
The “Emergency Bomber”:In 1940, during the height of the invasion scare, a variant (P.29) was tested as an emergency light bomber capable of carrying 16 small 20lb bombs under the wings to attack landing craft on British beaches.
Post-War Service & Civil Success
The “Proctor 5”:After the war, Percival produced theProctor 5, a dedicated civilian model based on the Mk IV. It was popular with charter companies and wealthy private owners as a fast, comfortable four-seat “air limousine.”
Record-Breaking Pedigree:In 1946, the famous long-distance pilotJim Mollisonflew a Proctor 5 from England to Brazil, a journey of over 4,600 miles, proving that the Proctor still possessed the long-range DNA of its Vega Gull ancestors.
Global Operator:Proctors were used by over a dozen nations post-war, including the Belgian Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force (used by the Governor-General), and the French Air Force.
Rare Survivors:Because of the wooden structural issues, very few airworthy Proctors remain today. One of the most famous survivors isNP294, which was famously found in a private garden being used as a child’s plaything before being rescued for restoration.