Percival Prince#Surviving aircraft

{{Infobox aircraft

|name= Prince

|image= File:Percival Sea Prince T.1 WF118 727 Sqn FAA 09.56.jpg{{!}}border

|caption=Royal Navy Sea Prince T.1 of 727 Squadron FAA from RNAS Brawdy operational with radar nose in September 1956

|type=Transport aircraft

|manufacturer=Percival Aircraft Limited

|first_flight= 13 May 1948

|introduction=

|retired=

|status=

|primary_user=

|more_users=

|produced=

|number_built=75 of all variants{{cite web|url=http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/PER50%20PRINCE%20PEMBROKE.doc|title=PER50 PRINCE PEMBROKE|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070314234714/http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/PER50%20PRINCE%20PEMBROKE.doc|archive-date=14 March 2007|df=dmy-all}}

|developed_from=Percival Merganser

|variants=

|developed_into= Percival Pembroke

}}

The Percival Prince is a British light transport of the early postwar period. It was a twin-engine, high-wing, cantilever monoplane of all-metal stressed-skin construction; the undercarriage was of retractable, tricycle type.

Development

The design of the Prince continued from the solitary Merganser. Further development of the type led to the Survey Prince survey aircraft and the Sea Prince. An improved version of the Prince 3 with an increased wingspan and engine and undercarriage modifications was developed for the Royal Air Force as the Percival Pembroke.

Operational history

File:Percival Prince 3E Standard Croydon 04.54.jpg in April 1954]]

The Prince was produced in six versions for the civil market. Several examples were operated as executive aircraft including Standard Motors and Shell Oil. Three aircraft were used by the UK Ministry of Civil Aviation as airport facilities checking aircraft.

The Sea Prince operated in two roles: in T.Mk.1 form it served as a navigation and anti-submarine trainer; the C.Mks. 1 and 2 were flown in the transport role. However, these were land planes and not COD (carrier on board delivery) aircraft.

Sea Princes operated in both roles from 1954 to 1972 and as a navigation trainer until 1978, when it was replaced by the Handley Page Jetstream

Variants

P.50 Prince 1 – prototype based on Merganser with modified fin and undercarriage and two 520 hp Alvis Leonides 501/4 engine, one built.
P.50 Prince 2 – As Prince 1 with sloping windscreen, stronger main spar, five built.
P.50 Prince 3 – As Prince 2 with Alvis Leonides 502/4 engine and lengthened nose on some aircraft, 12 built.
P.50 Prince 4 – Conversions to Alvis Leonides 503 engines, ten converted.
P.50 Prince 5 – original designation of the Percival President.
P.50 Prince 6 – Conversions to Alvis Leonides 504 engines.
P.54 Survey Prince – Prince 2 with lengthened transparent nose and camera hatches, six built.

File:Percival Sea Prince WP308.jpg in 2008]]

P.50 Sea Prince C1 – Prince 2 for Royal Navy use, three built.Silvester 1987, pp. 112 & 119
P.57 Sea Prince T1 – Prince 3 with long nose housing radar, twin wheeled main undercarriage and lengthened engine nacelles for navigation and anti-submarine training, 41 built.File:Percival Prince at Luton 31-Jan-1950.tif
P.57 Sea Prince C2 – Transport version of Sea Prince T1, four built.
B.T.1 – ({{langx|th|บ.ต.๑}}) Thai designation for the P.54.{{Cite web |title=Thai Military Aircraft Designations |url=https://designation-systems.net/non-us/thailand.html |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=designation-systems.net}}

Operators

=Civil operators=

; {{AUS}}

; {{BRN}}

Brunei Shell Petroleum Company

; {{BRA}}

Aeronorte

; {{FRA}}

; {{KEN}}

; {{NZL}}

; {{SIN}}

; {{SUI}}

; {{flag|Tanganyika}}

; {{flag|South Africa|1928}}

; {{UK}}

; {{USA}}

; {{VEN}}

=Military operators=

;{{AUS}}

Royal Australian Air Force – Three Princes were in service with the RAAF from 1952 to 1957. The aircraft were used for communications and support duties at the Weapons Research Establishment, Woomera, South Australia.
Air Trials Unit

;{{THA}}:

Thai Air Force – One Survey Prince aircraft.
Thai Army – One Survey Prince aircraft.

;{{UK}}:

Surviving aircraft

;Thailand

T1-1/98 – Prince 3A on display at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum in Bangkok.{{cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Percival Prince 3A, s/n T1-1/98 RTAF, c/n P41 |url=http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=1063 |website=Aerial Visuals |access-date=4 August 2020}}

;United Kingdom

P50/46 – Prince 6E on display with the Speke Aerodrome Heritage Group in Liverpool, Merseyside.{{cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Percival Prince 6E, c/n P50-46, c/r G-AMLZ |url=http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=114399 |website=Aerial Visuals |access-date=4 August 2020}}
WP313 – Sea Prince T.1 in storage at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton, Somerset.{{cite web |title=Percival Sea Prince T1 (WP313) |url=http://www.fleetairarm.com/exhibit/percival-sea-prince-t1-wp313/6-30-84.aspx |website=Fleet Air Arm Museum |access-date=3 August 2020}}
WF128 – Sea Prince T.1 on display at the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum in Flixton, Suffolk.{{cite web |title=OUR AIRCRAFT |url=http://www.aviationmuseum.net/ouraircraft.htm |website=Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum |access-date=3 August 2020}}
WP309 – Sea Prince T.1 on display at the Solway Aviation Museum in Irthington, Cumbria.{{cite web |title=Aircraft |url=http://www.solway-aviation-museum.co.uk/?page_id=105&page=2 |website=Solway Aviation Museum |access-date=3 August 2020}}
WP308 – Sea Prince T.1 on display at the Gatwick Aviation Museum in Charlwood, Surrey.{{cite web |title=Percival Sea Prince T.1. |url=http://www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk/prince/prince.html |website=Gatwick Aviation Museum |access-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190311022227/http://www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk/prince/prince.html |archive-date=11 March 2019}}
WF122 – Sea Prince T.1 under restoration with the Ulster Aviation Society in Lisburn, Antrim.{{cite web |title=Percival P.57 Sea Prince T.1 |url=https://www.ulsteraviationsociety.org/percival-sea-prince-t1 |website=Ulster Aviation Society |access-date=3 July 2024}} It was formerly on display at Aeroventure and operated by 750 Naval Air Squadron.{{cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Percival Sea Prince T.1, s/n WF122 RN, c/n P57/0018 |url=http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=67350 |website=Aerial Visuals |access-date=4 August 2020}}
WP321 – Sea Prince T.1 on display at the South Wales Aviation Museum in St Athan, Glamorgan.{{cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Percival Sea Prince T.1, s/n WP321 RN, c/n PAC/57/71, c/r G-BRFC |url=http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=56357 |website=Aerial Visuals |access-date=4 August 2020}}

;United States of America

N206UP - Prince 2 c/n P50/10, on display in private garden in Antelope Acres, California |url= https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=54966

Specifications (Sea Prince T.1)

File:Percival Sea Prince T1 3-view silhouette.jpg

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=British Naval Aircraft since 1912Thetford 1978, p.251.

|prime units?=kts

|genhide=

|crew=Two pilots

|capacity=Three pupils

|length m=

|length ft=46

|length in=4

|span m=

|span ft=56

|span in=0

|height m=

|height ft=16

|height in=1

|wing area sqm=

|wing area sqft=365

|empty weight kg=

|empty weight lb=8850

|gross weight kg=

|gross weight lb=11850

|fuel capacity=

|eng1 number=2

|eng1 name=Alvis Leonides 125

|eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled radial engines

|eng1 kw=

|eng1 hp=550

|prop blade number=

|prop name=

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=

|max speed mph=223

|max speed kts=

|max speed note=at {{convert|2000|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|cruise speed mph=183

|cruise speed note=at {{convert|11000|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|range km=

|range miles=

|range nmi=400

|ceiling m=

|ceiling ft=22000

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate ftmin=1400

|more performance=

|avionics=

}}

Notes

Bibliography

Grant, Robert S. "Canadian Prince". Air Enthusiast, No. 55, Autumn 1994, p. 13. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}
Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft 1919–1972: Volume III. London:Putnam, 1988. {{ISBN|0-85177-818-6}}.
Silvester, John. "Call to Arms: The Percival Sea Prince and Pembroke". Air Enthusiast, No. 55, Autumn 1994, pp. 56–61. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}
Silvester, John. Percival and Hunting Aircraft. Leicester: Midland Counties Publications 1987. {{ISBN|0-9513386-0-9}}.
Thetford, Owen, British Naval Aircraft since 1912. London:Putnam, 1978. {{ISBN|0-370-30021-1}}.