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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 2147.PDF
SEPTEMBER 2ND, 1943 251 heir Characteristics PERCIVAL PROCTOR , FIXED FAIRED UNDERCARRIACE POINTED NOSE HICH ASPECT.RATIO ' DIHEDRAL FROM CENTRE SECTION 7** RECTANCUIAR CENTRE SECTION DIMENSIONS Span Length Heigh- Wing area 39ft. 6in. 25ft. Win 7ft. bin. 197 sq. ft. AMONG the pre-war civil types of light aircraft which,with the necessary modifications, proved to beuseful machines for various non-operational duties, the Percival Proctor h&s been particularly successful. The Proctor, which has fulfilled the role of communica- tions aircraft with both the R.A.F. and the Fleet Air Arm, and that of a deck-landing trainer with the latter Service, is a military version of the well-known civil Vega Gull four- seater which had established an admirable reputation for itself just before the outbreak of war. The modifications which turned the Gull into the Proctor were only minor ones, about the only external differences to be seen being a redesigned windscreen and the presence of an aerial mast on the turtle-deck aft of the cabin. Intern- ally, the need to find room for wireless equipment meant reducing the seating accommodation from four to three. The airframe of the Proctor is entirely of wood, the high aspect-ratio, slightly tapered folding wings with rounded tips being built up of spruce and plywood with fabric covering, while the fuselage is a plywood structure with ply- wood covering. The wooden tail unit is fabric covered like the wings. The fixed, faired undercarriage is of the canti- lever type, the wheels being enclosed in streamlined spats. Its de Havilland Gipsy Six Series II inverted in line, air-cooled, six-cylinder engine has a normal rating of 185 h.p. at 2,100 r.p.m. at sea-level, and develops 205 h.p. for take-off. With a loaded weight of 3,250 lb., the Proctor has a top speed of i3o m.p.h. at 1,000ft. and a very useful cruising speed of 172 m.p.h. at 7,000ft. Its wing-loading is 16.5 lb./sq. ft., and its power-loading 15.85 lb./h.p. With a normal tankage of 40 gallons of fuel, it has a cruis- ing range of 600 miles, and its service ceiling is 17,000ft. It will thus be seen that the Proctor, whether used on communications or for training duties, has a very satis- factory performance for its size and power, allied to a high degree of economy—qualities which, accompanied by nice flying characteristics, wee collectively responsible for the success and popularity of the Vega Gull in happier days.
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