| 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.
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]
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.
Data from British Civil Aircraft Since 1919 [2] [6]
General characteristics
Performance
