Percival Petrel

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}} {{Use British English|date=January 2017}} {{Infobox aircraft | name = Q.6 | image = Percival Petrel.jpg | caption = | type = Six-seat military communications aircraft, four- or six-seat civil feederliner | manufacturer = Percival Aircraft Ltd | designer = Edgar Percival | first_flight = 14 September 1937 | introduction = 1938 | retired = | status = Retired | primary_user = Royal Air Force | more_users = Fleet Air Arm<br/>Lithuania<br/>Egypt | produced = | number_built = 27 | variants = }}

The '''Percival Q.6''' was a 1930s British communications aircraft built by Percival Aircraft Limited at Luton. Originally, the Percival Q.6 was a civil transport but It was used during the Second World War by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy as a communications and liaison aircraft.<ref name="Mondey"/> It was a twin-engine, low-wing monoplane with a tailwheel undercarriage. {{TOC limit|limit=2}}

==Design and development== The Percival Type-Q was Percival's first twin-engine aircraft. It was constructed of wood, with plywood and fabric covering. It had a fixed, tailwheel undercarriage, with faired mainwheels, although four of the production machines would be equipped with retractable undercarriage.

Two versions were designed: the '''Q.4''', a four-seat executive transport, and the '''Q.6''', a six-seat feederliner. The Q.4 was not built. The prototype Q.6, registration ''G-AEYE'', first flew on 14 September 1937 at Luton Airport. Production started in 1938, and the first production aircraft, registered ''G-AFFD'', was delivered to Sir Philip Sassoon on 2 March 1938.

==Operational history== A small number were exported, including one to the King Ghazi I of Iraq, two to the Lithuanian Ministry of Communications, one to the Australian Civil Aviation Board and two to the Egyptian government in military camouflage. A total of 27 aircraft were built (one prototype and 26 production aircraft). thumb|Ex RAF Petrel operated in the UK in 1949 by Ductile Steels as an executive transport The Royal Air Force bought seven aircraft for communications duties under Air Ministry Specification 25/38; these were unofficially named '''Petrel'''. The Egyptian government bought two Q.6s.

In the early months of the Second World War, most of the civil Q.6s were requisitioned for service with the RAF and RN. Two Q.6s of the Lithuanian Air Lines were impressed by the Soviet Air Forces in 1940 and used with Soviet airline Aeroflot on Riga-Velikye Luki or Riga-Moscow lines.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Saulius Štulas, Jonas Monkevičius|title=Lėktuvai Percival Q6|url=http://www.plienosparnai.lt/page.php?82|website=Plieno Sparnai|language=Lithuanian}}</ref>

With one exception, all the civilian Q.6s served with the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Between 1946 and 1947, four requisitioned Q.6s and three Petrels were sold to civilian buyers. These were operated by small UK airlines, as executive transports and flown by private pilot owners.

==Variants== ;Q.4 :Four-seat civil executive transport, none built. ;Q.6 :Six-seat civil feederliner. ;Q.6 Mk I :Prototype fitted with wings intended for the Q.4 variant, one built. ;Q.6 Mk II :Production variant with fixed landing gear, 12 built. ;Q.6 Mk III :Variant with retractable landing gear. four built and one conversion from Mk II. ;Q.6 Mk IV :Proposed air survey variant, not built. ;Q.6 Mk V :Variant for military communications with a toilet, four passenger seats, nine-built. ;Petrel :Name given to Q.6 Mk V military communications aircraft.

==Operators==

===Civilian operators=== ;{{AUS}} ;{{FRA}} ;{{flagicon|India|British}} British India ;{{flag|Iraq|1924}} *King Ghazi I *thumb|Percival Q.6 of Lithuanian Air Lines, 1939, KaunasIraqi State Railways ;{{flag|Lithuania|1918}}

*Lithuanian Air Lines ;{{UK}} *Starways *Western Airways

The aircraft was also operated by flying clubs, companies and private individuals.

* Aeroflot in 1940-1941 operated two aircraft captured in June 1940 from Lithuanian Air Lines following the Occupation of the Baltic states.

===Military operators=== ;{{flag|Egypt|1922}} *Royal Egyptian Air Force, two aircraft used by the Royal Flight ;{{flag|Iraq|1924}} *Royal Iraqi Air Force, one aircraft acquired in 1939 ;

;{{UK}} *Royal Air Force **No. 24 Squadron RAF **No. 173 Squadron RAF **No. 267 Squadron RAF **No. 510 Squadron RAF *Fleet Air Arm

==Surviving aircraft== One '''Q.6''', the first production registered ''G-AFFD'', is still current on the United Kingdom Civil Aircraft Register but with an expired certificate of airworthiness. Currently being stored at Seething Airfield, Norwich, Norfolk.<ref>''G-INFO – UK Civil Aircraft Register''. [http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=60&pagetype=65&appid=1&mode=detailnosummary&fullregmark=G-AFFD "G-AFFD."] ''UK Civil Aircraft Register.'' Retrieved: 16 March 2007.</ref> Under restoration to flight condition. This aircraft is believed to be the only remaining example of the aircraft type.

==Specifications (Percival Q.6 Petrel)== thumb|Percival Q.4 3-view L'Aerophile January 1938 {{Aircraft specs |ref=''Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1938'',<ref name=JAWA1938>{{cite book |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1938 |editor1-last=Grey |editor1-first=C.G. |year=1938 |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & company, ltd |location=London |editor2-last=Bridgman |editor2-first=Leonard |pages=63c–64c}}</ref> ''The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II''<ref name="Mondey">{{cite book |last1=Mondey |first1=David |title=The Hamlyn concise guide to British aircraft of World War II |date=1994 |publisher=Chancellor Press |location=London |isbn=1-85152-668-4}}</ref> |prime units?=imp  |crew=2 |capacity=4-6 passengers |length ft=32 |length in=3 |length note= |span ft=46 |span in=8 |span note= |height ft=9 |height in=9 |height note= |wing area sqft=278 |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight lb=3500 |empty weight note= |gross weight lb=5500 |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |more general=  |eng1 number=2 |eng1 name=de Havilland Gipsy Six II |eng1 type=6-cylinder air-cooled inverted in-line piston engines |eng1 hp=205 |eng1 note=

|prop blade number= |prop name=de Havilland Propellers controllable-pitch propellers |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop dia note=  |max speed mph=195 |max speed note=at sea level |cruise speed mph=181 |cruise speed note=at {{cvt|7000|ft}} with retractable undercarriage ::::{{cvt|172|mph|kn km/h}} at {{cvt|7000|ft}} with fixed undercarriage *'''Landing speed:''' {{cvt|58|mph|kn km/h}} with flaps extended |stall speed mph= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed note= |range miles=700-750 |range note= |ferry range miles= |ferry range note= |endurance=4 hours at cruise |ceiling ft=21000 |ceiling note= |climb rate ftmin=1150 |climb rate note=<br> *'''Absolute ceiling on one engine:''' {{cvt|6500|ft}} |time to altitude= |lift to drag= |wing loading lb/sqft=19.8 |wing loading note= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |power/mass={{cvt|0.075|hp/lb}} |more performance= }}

==See also== {{aircontent  |related= |similar aircraft= *Airspeed Envoy |lists= *List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm *List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force *List of aircraft of World War II |see also=

}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * {{cite book |last1=Ellis |first1=Ken |title=Wrecks & relics |date=2006 |publisher=Midland |location=Hinckley, UK |isbn=1-85780-235-7 |edition=20th}} * {{cite book |title=The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aircraft |publisher=Orbis Publications |location=London |date=1985 }} * {{cite book |last1=Jackson |first1=A. J. |title=British civil aircraft 1919-1972 Volume III |date=1974 |publisher=Putnam |location=London |isbn=978-0-370-10014-2 |edition=2nd |pages=104–106, 515–516}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Percival Petrel}} * {{cite web |title=Percival Q.6 Petrel performance and specifications |url=http://www.pilotfriend.com/aircraft%20performance/Percival/6.htm |website=Pilotfriend : Certified Aircraft Database |access-date=28 June 2020}}

Petrel Category:1930s British military transport aircraft Category:Low-wing aircraft Category:Aircraft first flown in 1937 Category:Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear Category:Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear

Percival Petrel

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