Parnall was a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
aircraft manufacturer that evolved from a wood-working company before the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
to a significant designer of military and civil aircraft into the 1940s.
It was based in the west of England and was originally known as George Parnall & Co. Ltd.
History
![Yate](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Yate.parnall.memorial.arp.jpg)
In 1916, the
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
based
Parnall & Sons
Parnall & Sons Ltd was a shop and ship fitting and aircraft component manufacturer in Bristol, England. The original company was set up in 1820 by William Parnall in Narrow Wine Street, initially making weights and measures, before expanding int ...
shopfitter
Shop fitting (shopfitting) is the trade of fitting out retail and service Retailing, shops and Retailing, stores with equipment, fixtures and fittings. The trade applies to all kinds of outlets from small corner shops to hypermarkets. A shop fitte ...
s started to manufacture aircraft at the Colliseum Works at Park Row in Bristol.
During the First World War, the skilled staff were moved to sites around the city and in neighbouring
South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, South West England. Towns in the area include Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Thornbury, Filton, Patchway and Bradley Stoke, the latter three forming part ...
producing planes to their own designs and, under contract, those of other companies.
In 1919, the aircraft business was split from the parent company Parnall & Sons as George Parnall and Company.
In the 1920s, aircraft manufacture was centralised at a factory in
Yate
Yate is a town and civil parish in South Gloucestershire, England. It lies just to the southwest of the Cotswolds, Cotswold Hills and is northeast of Bristol city centre and from the centre of Bath, Somerset, Bath, with regular rail services ...
close to an airfield used by the
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colors =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, decorations ...
. In the 1930s,
gun turret
A gun turret (or simply turret) is a mounting platform from which weapons can be fired that affords protection, visibility and ability to turn and aim. A modern gun turret is generally a rotatable weapon mount that houses the crew or mechani ...
s for
bomber aircraft
A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped from an aircraf ...
were produced. The site was a strategic target for
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
bombing and during 1941, over fifty people were killed during the raids.
In 1935, Parnall Aircraft Limited was formed when George Parnall and Company amalgamated with the
Hendy Aircraft Company
The Hendy Aircraft Company was an early 1930s British light aircraft design company.
History
The company was formed as a partnership between Basil B. Henderson and H.A. Miles at 7 Park Lane, London, with Henderson being the chief designer. Most o ...
and
Nash and Thompson Limited
Nash & Thompson was a British engineering firm that developed and produced hydraulic, hydraulically operated gun turrets for aircraft. As part of Parnall, Parnall Aircraft it was also an important manufacturer of hydraulic-powered radar scanner ...
.
[Jackson 1974, p. 89] After the Second World War as aircraft component manufacture reduced, domestic appliances were built at the site. To reflect this move away from aviation the company changed its name to Parnall (Yate) Limited in 1946.
Aircraft
![Parnall Scout](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Parnall_Scout.jpg)
The
Parnall Scout
The Parnall Scout, unofficially nicknamed the Zeppelin Chaser, was a British fighter prototype of the 1910s. It was the first fighter design from Parnall.
Development
Parnall began work on a single-seat anti-airship fighter aircraft in 1916 bas ...
was a prototype single-seat anti-airship wooden biplane fighter aircraft developed in the 1910s. It was too heavy and slow and never went into production.
The
Parnall Panther
The Parnall Panther was a British carrier based spotter and reconnaissance aircraft designed and developed by Parnall and Sons in the latter years of World War I, continuing in service until 1926. A total of 150 Panthers were built by Bristol A ...
was a
carrier
Carrier may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Carrier'' (album), a 2013 album by The Dodos
* ''Carrier'' (board game), a South Pacific World War II board game
* ''Carrier'' (TV series), a ten-part documentary miniseries that aired on PBS in April 20 ...
-based wooden, single-bay
biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
spotter and reconnaissance aircraft designed by Harold Bolas, who had joined Parnall and Sons after leaving the
Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
*Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
*The rank of admiral
*Admiralty law
Admiralty can also refer to:
Buildings
* Admiralty, Traf ...
's
Air Department
The Air Department of the British Admiralty later succeeded briefly by the Air Section followed by the Air Division was established prior to World War I by Winston Churchill to administer the Royal Naval Air Service.
History
In 1908, the Briti ...
. It had a 230 hp Bentley BR2 rotary engine.
[ Following contractual disputes production was transferred to the ]Bristol Aeroplane Company
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aircraft engines. Notable a ...
.
The Parnall Puffin
The Parnall Puffin was an experimental amphibious fighter-reconnaissance biplane produced in the United Kingdom just after World War I. It had several unusual features, principally a single central float and an inverted vertical stabilizer and ...
was an experimental
An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...
amphibious
Amphibious means able to use either land or water. In particular it may refer to:
Animals
* Amphibian, a vertebrate animal of the class Amphibia (many of which live on land and breed in water)
* Amphibious caterpillar
* Amphibious fish, a fish ...
fighter-reconnaissance biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
.
The Parnall Plover
The Parnall Plover was a British single-seat naval fighter aircraft of the 1920s. Designed and built by George Parnall & Co. for use on Royal Navy aircraft carriers, it was ordered into small-scale production but after extensive evaluation, ...
single-seat naval fighter aircraft of the 1920s for use off the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
's aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
s, was ordered into small-scale production, but after extensive evaluation, the Fairey Flycatcher
The Fairey Flycatcher was a British single-seat biplane carrier-borne fighter aircraft made by Fairey Aviation Company which served from 1923 to 1934. It was produced with a conventional undercarriage for carrier use, although this could be exc ...
was preferred for large-scale service.
The Parnall Possum
The Parnall Possum was an experimental triplane, with a single, central engine driving wing-mounted propellers via shafts and gears. Two of these British aircraft were built in the mid-1920s.
Design and development
The Parnall Possum was one ...
was an experimental
An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...
triplane
A triplane is a fixed-wing aircraft equipped with three vertically stacked wing planes. Tailplanes and canard foreplanes are not normally included in this count, although they occasionally are.
Design principles
The triplane arrangement may ...
, with a single, central engine driving wing-mounted propellers via shafts and gears. Two of these aircraft were built in the mid-1920s.
The Parnall Pixie
The Parnall Pixie was a low powered British single-seat monoplane light aircraft originally designed to compete in the Lympne, UK trials for motor-gliders in 1923, where it was flown successfully by Norman Macmillan. It had two sets of wings, ...
was a low-powered single-seat monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
light aircraft originally designed to compete in the Lympne trials for motor-glider
A motor glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that can be flown with or without engine power. The FAI Gliding Commission Sporting Code definition is: a fixed-wing Aircraft#Heavier-than-air – aerodynes, aerodyne equipped with a means of propulsion (Mo ...
s in 1923, where it was flown successfully by Norman Macmillan. It had two sets of wings, one for cross-country flights and the other for speed; it later appeared as a biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
which could be converted into a monoplane. Parnall Pixie IIIa G-EBJG is still in existence with the Midland Air Museum
The Midland Air Museum (MAM) is situated just outside the village of Baginton in Warwickshire, England, and is adjacent to Coventry Airport. The museum includes the ''Sir Frank Whittle Jet Heritage Centre'' (named after the local aviation pione ...
, Coventry, England. The remains are in deep store and are not generally on view to the public without prior arrangement.
The Parnall Perch was a single-engined, side-by-side-seat aircraft designed as a general-purpose trainer. No contract on this specification was awarded and only one Perch was built.
The Parnall Peto
The Parnall Peto was a small seaplane designed to the British Air Ministry's specification 16/24 in the early 1920s for use as a submarine-carried reconnaissance aircraft.
Design and development
Two examples were designed and built by George ...
was a small seaplane
A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tec ...
with folding wings for use as a submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
-carried reconnaissance aircraft
A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using photography), signals intelligence, as ...
.
The Parnall Pike
The Parnall Pike was a 2/3-seat biplane Surveillance aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft, capable of operating off carrier decks or from water, built to an Air Ministry specification in 1927. Only one was constructed.
Design and development
The ...
was a two/three-seat biplane reconnaissance aircraft
A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using photography), signals intelligence, as ...
, capable of operating off carrier decks or from water, built in 1927."Parnall Pike"
''All-Aero''. Retrieved 5 March 2015. Only one was constructed.
The
Parnall Pipit
The Parnall Pipit was a single-engined, single-seat naval Fighter aircraft, fighter designed to an Air Ministry specification in 1927. Two prototypes were built but both were destroyed by tail flutter.
Design and development
The Pipit was Par ...
was a single-engine, single-seat naval
fighter designed to an
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
specification in 1927. Two prototypes were built but both were destroyed by tail flutter.
The
Parnall Imp
The Parnall Imp was an unusual single-engined, two-seat British biplane built in 1927. It had a straight cantilever lower wing which supported the markedly swept upper wing. Only one was built.
Design and development
The unusual appearance of ...
was an unusual single-engine, two-seat
biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
built in 1927. It had a straight
cantilever
A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a canti ...
lower wing which supported the markedly swept upper wing. Only one was built.
[Jackson 1974, p. 280]
The
Parnall Elf
The Parnall Elf is a British two seat light touring aircraft of the 1920s. Built by Parnall, George Parnall & Co. the Elf was the last aircraft designed by Harold Bolas before he left the company to go to the United States.
Design and develop ...
was a two-seat light touring biplane, three being built at Yate between 1928 and 1932.
The Elf was the last aircraft designed by Harold Bolas before he left the company to go to the United States.
The
Parnall Prawn was an
experimental
An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...
flying boat
A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fusela ...
built in 1930. Its single engine was fitted on a tilting mounting in the nose, so that the propeller could be kept clear of the water on takeoff and landing. Only one was built and it is not known whether it was ever flown.
The
Parnall Parasol
The Parnall Parasol was an Experimental aircraft, experimental parasol winged aircraft design to measure the aerodynamic forces on wings in flight. Two were built and flown in the early 1930s in the UK.
Design and development
There have always ...
was an
experimental
An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...
parasol wing
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
ed aircraft design to measure the aerodynamic forces on wings in flight. Two were built and flown in the early 1930s.
The
Parnall G.4/31 was a 1930s general purpose aircraft which could operate as a day and night bomber as well as the reconnaissance, torpedo and dive-bombing roles. It was a large angular biplane powered by a 690 hp (515 kW)
Bristol Pegasus IM3 with a
Townend ring
A Townend ring is a narrow- chord cowling ring fitted around the cylinders of an aircraft radial engine to reduce drag and improve cooling.
Development
The Townend ring was the invention of Dr. Hubert Townend of the British National Physica ...
.
The
Parnall Heck
The Parnall Heck was a 1930s United Kingdom, British four-seat cabin monoplane built by Parnall, Parnall Aircraft Limited at Yate, Gloucestershire. Originally a Hendy design, few were built. It combined the strength and comfort of a cabin aircra ...
was designed by Basil B. Henderson as a single-engined, conventional low-wing cabin monoplane, built of spruce with a plywood covering, initially a two-seater in tandem layout. The prototype was originally flown as the ''Hendy Heck'' but by the time of its first public demonstration in July 1935, the companies had merged and the aircraft was renamed as the ''Parnall Heck''.
The
Parnall 382
The Parnall 382 was a 1930s British single-engined monoplane trainer aircraft with two open cockpits, designed and developed by Parnall Aircraft Ltd.
Design and development
The Parnall 382 was designed to meet UK Air Ministry Specification T.1/3 ...
(also known as the Heck III), was a single-engined wooden
monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
trainer aircraft
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristi ...
with two open cockpits. It first flew in 1939.
References
*
Further reading
* Jarrett, Philip. "Parnall's Final Fling: The Parnall Type 381 Gunnery Research Aircraft". ''Air Enthusiast'', No. 55, Autumn 1994, pp. 16–20.
*
External links
PARNALL - Bristol's Other Plane-maker Alan Webb
{{Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom
Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United Kingdom
Defunct companies based in Bristol
1935 establishments in England