The Percival P.56 Provost is a basic

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 ...

that was designed and manufactured by British aviation company

Percival Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the G ...

. During the 1950s, the Provost was developed for the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

(RAF) as a replacement for the

Percival Prentice The Percival Prentice was a basic trainer of the Royal Air Force in the early postwar period. It is a low-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. Front seating was in a side-by-side configuration with a rear seat provided. Desi ...

. Designed by

Henry Millicer Henry K. Millicer, AM (11 June 1915 – 28 August 1996) born Henryk Kazimierz Milicer, was a Polish-Australian aircraft designer and pilot. Early life and Second World War Millicer was born in Warsaw, Poland, the son of Kazimierz Mili ...

, it was a single-engined low-wing

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 ...

, furnished with a fixed,

tailwheel Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...

undercarriage and, like the preceding Prentice, had a side-by-side seating arrangement. First flying on 24 February 1950, the prototypes participated in an official evaluation, after which the type was selected to meet

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 T.16/48. The Provost entered service with the RAF during 1953 and quickly proved to be more capable than the preceding Prentice. It was a relatively successful aircraft, being exported for multiple overseas operators. Various models were developed, both armed and unarmed, to meet with customer demands. The Provost later adapted to make use of a turbojet engine, producing the

BAC Jet Provost The BAC Jet Provost is a British jet trainer aircraft that was in use with the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1955 to 1993. It was originally developed by Hunting Percival from the earlier piston engine-powered Percival Provost basic trainer, and ...

. During the 1960s, the type was withdrawn from RAF service in favour of its jet-powered successor. It continued to be used for decades after with various export customers.

Development

The origins of the Provost can be found in the issuing of

specification T.16/48, which called for a single-engined basic trainer aircraft to meet ''Operational Requirement 257'', seeking a replacement for the

's (RAF) existing fleet of

trainers.Meekcoms and Morgan 1994, p. 380. A major priority of the specification was to introduce more direct supervision and observation of student pilots by instructors in order to reduce the rate of late-stage dropouts. On 11 September 1948, this specification was issued, attracting the attention of various aviation companies; the Air Ministry ultimately received in excess of 30 proposals.

was amongst those companies that decided to produce a response, their design has been attributed to the

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

-born

aeronautical engineer Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is si ...

(Millicer later moved to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, where he designed the award-winning

Victa Airtourer The Victa Airtourer is an all-metal light low-wing monoplane touring aircraft that was developed in Australia, and was manufactured in both Australia and New Zealand. Design and development The Airtourer was the winning design, submitted by Hen ...

light aircraft). After reviewing the numerous submissions, the Air Ministry selected a pair of designs, the ''Percival P.56'' and the Handley Page H.P.R. 2, and issued contracts for the construction of prototypes to both companies. On 13 January 1950, Percival was received its contract for a pair of prototypes, both of which being powered by the

Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah The Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah is a seven-cylinder British air-cooled aircraft radial engine of 834 cu in (13.65 L) capacity introduced in 1935 and produced until 1948. Early variants of the Cheetah were initially known as the Lynx Major.Lums ...

engine. Additionally, the company decided to construct a third prototype, powered by the more powerful Alvis Leonides Mk 25

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ca ...

. On 24 February 1950, the

-powered prototype

serial number A serial number is a unique identifier assigned incrementally or sequentially to an item, to ''uniquely'' identify it. Serial numbers need not be strictly numerical. They may contain letters and other typographical symbols, or may consist enti ...

''WE522'' performed its

maiden flight The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets. The maiden flight of a new aircraft type is alwa ...

.Thetford 1957, . Months later, an extensive evaluation was performed of the Provost prototypes, which was flown head-to-head with the rival H.P.R. 2 at

RAF Boscombe Down MoD Boscombe Down ' is the home of a military aircraft testing site, on the southeastern outskirts of the town of Amesbury, Wiltshire, England. The site is managed by QinetiQ, the private defence company created as part of the breakup of the Def ...

; it also underwent

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

trials overseas. Reportedly, feedback from trials was largely favourable, especially of its handling characteristics, with only minor refinements being recommended. Ultimately, the Leonides-powered P.56 was selected for production as the ''Provost T.1''; on 29 May 1951, an initial order for 200 aircraft was placed. During 1961, production of the type was terminated, by which point a total of 461 aircraft had reportedly been completed. The Percival Provost eventually formed the basis for a jet-powered derivative, the

Jet Provost The BAC Jet Provost is a British jet trainer aircraft that was in use with the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1955 to 1993. It was originally developed by Hunting Percival from the earlier piston engine-powered Percival Provost basic trainer, an ...

, which ultimately succeeded the piston-engined Provost as the principal training platform of the RAF.

Design

The Provost was an all-metal, single-engined, two-seat monoplane, featuring fixed

conventional landing gear Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...

with a fully- castering tailwheel. It was developed to provide training that was better-suited to the increasingly-complicated operational aircraft that were then being brought into service. The main two seats in the cockpit were positioned in a side-by-side configuration, enabling the instructor to sit directly alongside the student, easing training by allowing for mutual close observation and for flight procedures to be more readily demonstrated; a third seat had been originally specified for use by an observer, but this position was later omitted following little use. The cockpit was considered to be relatively bulky amongst its contemporary rivals, a feature that did not heavily impinge upon the aircraft's overall performance. The type was designed to be easy to maintain; various components were intentionally interchangeable where possible and there was a generous provision of access hatches in the fuselage. Production aircraft were powered by a single Alvis Leonides 25 engine, capable of providing up to ; the performance of this engine meant that Provost was roughly twice as powerful as the preceding Percival Prentice. The engine operated smoothly across various speeds and produced relatively low noise levels from within the cockpit. The Provost had a roll rate and handling similar to the best fighters upon entering service, it was also known for its rapid rate of climb and generous power provision from its engine. Its performance level has been contrasted to that of

aerobatic aircraft An aerobatic aircraft is an aerodyne (a heavier-than-air aircraft) used in aerobatics, both for flight exhibitions and aerobatic competitions. Most fall into one of two categories, aircraft used for training and by flight demonstration teams, whic ...

, which strongly appealed to some instructor-pilots, although it was deemed to be somewhat excessive for general flying purposes.''Flight International'' 1951, p. 353. According to aviation periodical

Flight International ''Flight International'' is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", it is the world's oldes ...

, the stall characteristics of the Provost were relatively gentle, it was also quite easy to recover from a

spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

.''Flight International'' 1951, p. 354. The self-centering stick is relatively sensitive during flight, flying pilots had to be aware of this during landing to ensure that the tail is not raised too high for the propeller arc; however, it could be readily

trimmed ''Trimmed'' is a 1922 American silent Western film directed by Harry A. Pollard and featuring Hoot Gibson. It is not known whether the film currently survives, and it may be a lost film. Cast * Hoot Gibson as Dale Garland * Patsy Ruth Miller ...

for hands-off flight. Recovery from a spin was achieved by a combination of pushing forwards on the stick and applying full

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally aircraft, air or watercraft, water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to ...

, while a spin could be deliberately induced by pulling hard back on the stick and applying opposite force using the

s. The ailerons are used to perform various manoeuvres; a full roll can be performed in four seconds via full aileron deflection.''Flight International'' 1951, pp. 354-355. Both the ailerons and elevators are relatively light compared with contemporary peers; the controls are reportedly well-harmonised in general. Landing the Provost is also relatively easy, being aided by a high level of external visibility for the pilot, a low tendency to float prior to round-out, and fairly low viable approach speeds; it also possesses good

side-slip A slip is an aerodynamic state where an aircraft is moving ''somewhat'' sideways as well as forward relative to the oncoming airflow or relative wind. In other words, for a conventional aircraft, the nose will be pointing in the opposite directio ...

capabilities.''Flight International'' 1951, p. 355. The three-piece canopy was designed for good

crashworthiness Crashworthiness is the ability of a structure to protect its occupants during an impact. This is commonly tested when investigating the safety of aircraft and vehicles. Depending on the nature of the impact and the vehicle involved, different crit ...

and to facilitate instrument flying training in daylight, via extendible amber screens and blue-tinted goggles to prevent the pupil seeing outside the cockpit, while the instructor (wearing no goggles) could see through the amber panels. The Provost was also equipped with then-modern

very high frequency Very high frequency (VHF) is the ITU designation for the range of radio frequency electromagnetic waves ( radio waves) from 30 to 300 megahertz (MHz), with corresponding wavelengths of ten meters to one meter. Frequencies immediately below VHF ...

(VHF)

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

aids, which enabled pilots to conduct landings through cloud cover using a

Ground Controlled Approach In aviation a ground-controlled approach (GCA), is a type of service provided by air-traffic controllers whereby they guide aircraft to a safe landing, including in adverse weather conditions, based on primary radar images. Most commonly a GCA uses ...

; this better enabled the training of pilots to fly in cloudy conditions and to navigate at night.Cross 1952, p. 59. The majority of controls are logically grouped together, the majority of which being set on the central console positioned between the two seats.''Flight International'' 1951, pp. 353-354. According to author David Ogilvy, the complexity of the cockpit was a deliberate design choice; contrary to earlier trainer aircraft, which were typically simplified so students would find them easy to fly, the Provost intentionally exposed beginners to an advanced environment more representative of the varied tasks of aircraft operations.

Operational history

Royal Air Force

During 1953, the Provost entered service with the RAF, the first batch of aircraft were delivered to the Central Flying School (CFS) at

RAF South Cerney Royal Air Force South Cerney or more simply RAF South Cerney is a former Royal Air Force station located in South Cerney near Cirencester in Gloucestershire, England. It was built during the 1930s to conduct flying training. The airfield was tu ...

. The CFS carried out intensive flight trials in May and June 1953 prior to instructor training commencing. The Provost was more capable than the Prentice it replaced, which allowed students to move straight on to the

De Havilland Vampire The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter which was developed and manufactured by the de Havilland, de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was the second jet fighter to be operated by the Royal Air Force, RAF, after the Gloster Meteor, and ...

after completing training on the Provost. On 1 July 1953, 6 Flying Training School at

RAF Ternhill Royal Air Force Tern Hill or RAF Tern Hill was a Royal Air Force station at Ternhill in Shropshire, England, near the towns of Newport and Market Drayton. The station closed in 1976, with the technical and administrative site transferring t ...

started to re-equip with the Provost. The first pupil training course to use the Provost started in October 1953. No. 22 Flying Training School at

RAF Syerston Royal Air Force Station Syerston, commonly known as merely RAF Syerston , is a Royal Air Force station in the parish of Flintham, near Newark, Nottinghamshire. Opened in 1940, it was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a bomber base during t ...

was the next to convert and it was followed by 2 FTS at

RAF Cluntoe Royal Air Force Cluntoe or more simply RAF Cluntoe is a former Royal Air Force satellite airfield located west of Ardboe, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland and east of Cookstown, County Tyrone. History Construction of Cluntoe was started durin ...

, Northern Ireland, 3 FTS at

RAF Feltwell Royal Air Force Feltwell or more simply RAF Feltwell is a Royal Air Force station in Norfolk, East Anglia that is used by the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. The station is located about 10 miles west of Thetford, and i ...

and then the Royal Air Force College at

RAF Cranwell Royal Air Force Cranwell or more simply RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England, close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. Among other functions, it is home to the Royal Air Force College (RAFC), which trai ...

. By September 1954, the Provost had replaced the older Prentice in RAF service entirely. Starting during 1956, the type began to be issued to several

University Air Squadron University Air Squadrons are training units under the command of No. 6 Flying Training School RAF of the Royal Air Force and their main role is to attract students into careers as RAF officers. Primarily its goal is achieved through offering b ...

s, the first of these being the Queen's University Air Squadron,

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

in January 1956. The last RAF production aircraft was delivered in April 1956. The aircraft served with the RAF until the early 1960s, when it was replaced by the newer Jet Provost. A few Provosts continued in service throughout the 1960s with the Central Navigation & Control School (later Central Air Traffic Control School) at

RAF Shawbury Royal Air Force Shawbury, otherwise known as RAF Shawbury, is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Shawbury in Shropshire in the West Midlands of England. History The First World War The station at Shawbury was first used for military ...

, the last example being retired during 1969. Several retired airframes were renumbered with maintenance serials and used for training of airframe and engine tradesmen. At least five Percival Provost have survived as civilian aircraft.

Export customers

The first export order was placed in May 1953 by

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a landlocked self-governing British Crown colony in southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally kn ...

, for four T.1 aircraft which were designated the T.51. Later, the Royal Rhodesian Air Force followed with an order for twelve armed trainers, designated the T.52, which were delivered in 1955. In January 1954, the

Irish Air Corps "Watchful and Loyal" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = ''see list of wars'' , decorations = , battle_honours = , battle_honours_label = , fl ...

ordered four T.51 aircraft and in 1960, a further order for six armed T.53 variants. In 1954, the Burmese Air Force also ordered 12 armed T.53 variants and eventually operated a total of 40 aircraft. In May 1957, the newly formed Sudan Air Force ordered four T.53 armed variant; two were lost in accidents shortly after delivery, a further three were bought in 1959, followed by five former RAF aircraft. Former RAF aircraft were delivered to

Royal Air Force of Oman The Royal Air Force of Oman ( ar, سلاح الجو السلطاني عمان, Silāḥ al-Jaww as-Sulṭāniy ‘Umān or RAFO) is the air arm of the Armed Forces of Oman. History Sultan of Oman's Air Force era The Sultan of Oman's Air Force ...

as armed T.52 variants. In 1955, the

Royal Iraqi Air Force The Iraqi Air Force (IQAF or IrAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية العراقية, Al Quwwat al Jawwiyah al Iraqiyyah}) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It is responsible for the defense of Iraqi airspace as well ...

ordered 15 armed Provost T.53s, with the first delivered in May 1955. The final export customer was the

Royal Malaysian Air Force The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF, ms, Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia; TUDM; Jawi: ) was formed on 2 June 1958 as the Royal Federation of Malaya Air Force (; ). However, its roots can be traced back to the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force format ...

, who obtained 24 T.51 trainers between 1961 and 1968. In 1968,

Rhodesia Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...

obtained further aircraft using a convoluted route to circumvent an

arms embargo An arms embargo is a restriction or a set of sanctions that applies either solely to weaponry or also to "dual-use technology." An arms embargo may serve one or more purposes: * to signal disapproval of the behavior of a certain actor * to maintain ...

Variants

;Percival P.56 Mark 1 :Two prototypes with

Armstrong-Siddeley Cheetah The Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah is a seven-cylinder British air-cooled aircraft radial engine of 834 cu in (13.65 L) capacity introduced in 1935 and produced until 1948. Early variants of the Cheetah were initially known as the Lynx Major.Lums ...

engines for evaluation; both later fitted with Leonides engines; (WE522 & WE530). ;Percival P.56 Mark 2 :One

Alvis Leonides The Alvis Leonides was a British air-cooled nine-cylinder radial aero engine first developed by Alvis Car and Engineering Company in 1936. Design and development Development of the nine-cylinder engine was led by Capt. George Thomas Smith-Cla ...

-engined prototype for evaluation (G-23-1 / WG503). ;Provost T.Mk 1 :Two-seat, Leonides-powered basic trainer for the

. ;Provost T.51 :Unarmed export version for the

. ;Provost Mk 52 :Armed export version for the

Rhodesian Air Force The Rhodesian Air Force (RhAF) was an air force based in Salisbury (now Harare) which represented several entities under various names between 1935 and 1980: originally serving the British self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia, it was the ...

and Sultanate of Oman. ;Provost Mk 53 :Armed export version for Burma, Iraq, Ireland and Sudan.

Operators

; *

Burma Air Force The Myanmar Air Force ( my, တပ်မတော် (လေ), ), known until 1989 as the Burmese Air Force, is the aerial branch of Myanmar's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. The primary mission of the Myanmar Air Force (MAF) since its inception ha ...

; *

Iraqi Air Force The Iraqi Air Force (IQAF or IrAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية العراقية, Al Quwwat al Jawwiyah al Iraqiyyah}) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It is responsible for the defense of Iraqi airspace as well ...

; *

- No. 6 Squadron ; * Sudanese Air Force ; *

Empire Test Pilot's School The Empire Test Pilots' School (ETPS) is a British training school for test pilots and flight test engineers of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft at MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, England. It was established in 1943, the first of its type. ...

** Cambridge University Air Squadron# ** Central ATC School (CATCS) **

Central Flying School The Central Flying School (CFS) is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 at the Upavon Aerodrome, it is the longest existing flying training school. The school was based at R ...

** Central Navigation and Control School ** No. 11 Air Experience Flight RAF **

No. 2 Flying Training School RAF No.2 Flying Training School is a Flying Training School (FTS) of the Royal Air Force (RAF). It is part of No. 22 (Training) Group that delivers glider flying training to the Royal Air Force Air Cadets. Its headquarters is located at RAF Syers ...

** No. 3 Flying Training School RAF ** No. 6 Flying Training School RAF ** No. 22 Flying Training School RAF ** London University Air Squadron ** Manchester University Air Squadron ** Queen's University Air Squadron ** Royal Air Force College ; * Zimbabwe Air Force - Historic Flight

Surviving aircraft

Burma

;On display * UB211 – Provost T.53 on display at the Defence Services Museum in Naypyitaw.

China

;On display * 3036 – Provost T.52 on static display at the

China Aviation Museum The Chinese Aviation Museum (), sometimes referred to as the China Aviation Museum and the Datangshan Aviation Museum (due to its location adjacent to the mountain of the same name), is an aviation museum in Changping District, Beijing, C ...

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

Ireland

;On display * 183 – Provost T.51 on display at the Irish Air Corps Museum and Heritage Centre in

Baldonnel, Dublin Baldonnel () is a townland in west County Dublin. It is an industrial/agricultural area near Clondalkin, Tallaght, Lucan, Saggart and Naas. It is around 15 km west of Dublin city centre. The name derives from former landowners in the area; ...

.Ellis 2012, p. 309. * 184 – Provost T.51 on display with the South East Aviation Enthusiasts Group at Dromod, Leitrim.Ellis 2012, p. 311.

Malaysia

* FM-1037 – Provost T.51 on display at the Royal Malaysian Air Force Museum in

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...

New Zealand

* UB232 – Provost on display at the Ashburton Aviation Museum at Ashburton, Canterbury. * WV666 – Provost T.1 airworthy at Subritzky and House Partnership in Dairy Flat, Auckland.

Oman

;On display * WV494 – Provost T.1 on static display at the

Sultan's Armed Forces Museum The Sultan's Armed Forces Museum is a military history museum, located in the 150-year-old Bait Al Falaj Fort, once the headquarters for Sultan Said bin Sultan's Armed Forces, located on Al Mujamma Street, in the Ruwi area near Muscat, Oman ...

Muscat Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is s ...

. It is painted as XF868.

United Kingdom

;Airworthy * XF597 – Provost T.1 airworthy with Provost Preservation in Saffron Walden, Essex.Ellis 2012. p. 15. * XF603 – Provost T.1 airworthy at the

Shuttleworth Collection The Shuttleworth Collection is a working aeronautical and automotive collection located at the Old Warden Aerodrome, Old Warden in Bedfordshire, England. It is the oldest in the world and one of the most prestigious, due to the variety of old a ...

in Old Warden, Bedfordshire. * XF690 – Provost T.1 airworthy with a private operator in

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

. ;On display * WV605 – Provost T.1 on static display at the

Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum The Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum is a museum collection of aircraft and aviation-related artefacts, located near the former RAF Bungay airfield in Flixton in the north of the English county of Suffolk. Details First established in 1972 ...

in Flixton, Suffolk. * WV606 – Provost T.1 on static display at the

Newark Air Museum Newark Air Museum is an air museum located on a former Royal Air Force station at Winthorpe, near Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, England. The museum contains a variety of aircraft. History The airfield was known as RAF Winthorpe during ...

Winthorpe, Nottinghamshire Winthorpe is a village located northeast of Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, England. The population at the 2011 census was 650. The name is probably from old English wynne þrop ( thorp), hamlet of joy. Winthorpe has a village hall, a loca ...

. * WV679 – Provost T.1 on static display at the Wellesbourne Wartime Museum in Wellesbourne, Warwickshire.Ellis 2012, p. 260. * WW450/WW421 – Provost T.1 on static display at the

Bournemouth Aviation Museum The Bournemouth Aviation Museum is an Aerospace museum, aviation museum located next to Bournemouth Airport, Bournemouth International Airport, near the village of Hurn in Christchurch, Dorset, Christchurch. It houses a number of aircraft, Aircr ...

Bournemouth, Dorset Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...

. * WW442 – Provost T.1 on static display at the

East Midlands Aeropark East Midlands Airport is an international airport in the East Midlands of England, close to Castle Donington in northwestern Leicestershire, between Loughborough (), Derby () and Nottingham (); Leicester is () to the south and Lincoln () north ...

in Castle Donington, Leicestershire. * WV493 – Provost T.1 on static display at the

National Museum of Flight The National Museum of Flight is Scotland's national aviation museum, at East Fortune Airfield, just south of the village of East Fortune, Scotland. It is one of the museums within National Museums Scotland. The museum is housed in the original ...

in East Fortune, East Lothian. * WV562 – Provost T.1 on static display at the

Royal Air Force Museum Cosford The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, located in Cosford in Shropshire, is a free (currently, 2022) museum dedicated to the history of aviation and the Royal Air Force in particular. The museum is part of the Royal Air Force Museum, a non-departme ...

Cosford, Shropshire Cosford is a village in Shropshire, England. It is located on the A41 road, which is itself just south of junction 3 on the M54 motorway. The village is very small and is mostly made up of dwellings that house Royal Air Force personnel who work ...

. * XF840 – Provost T.1 cockpit on static display at the

Tangmere Military Aviation Museum The Tangmere Military Aviation Museum is a museum located on the former site of RAF Tangmere, West Sussex. The museum was opened in June 1982. Many aerospace exhibits covering the First World War to the Cold War are on display including fixed-w ...

in Tangmere, West Sussex. ;Stored or under restoration * 177 – Provost T.51 under restoration at

Brighton City Airport Brighton City Airport , also commonly known as Shoreham Airport, is located in the parish of Lancing in West Sussex, England. It has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying i ...

Lancing, West Sussex Lancing is a large coastal village and civil parish in the Adur district of West Sussex, England, on the western edge of the Adur Valley. It occupies part of the narrow central section of the Sussex coastal plain between smaller Sompting to the ...

. It was damaged in an accident in 2010.Ellis 2012, p. 221. * WV499 – Provost T.1 under restoration to airworthy by Paul & Simon Childs of Middlezoy, Somerset. * WW388 – Provost T.1 in storage with Provost Preservation in Saffron Walden, Essex.Ellis 2012, p. 185. * WW444 – Provost T.1 in storage in Rugeley, Staffordshire.Ellis 2012, p. 200. * WW447 – Provost T.1 in storage at Brighton City Airport in Lancing, West Sussex. * WW453 – Provost T.1 under restoration by Chris Collins for display at Middlezoy Aerodrome in Middlezoy, Somerset.Ellis 2012, p. 194. * XF836 – Provost T.1 in storage with Provost Preservation in Saffron Walden, Essex. It was damaged in 1987.

United States

;Airworthy * XF914 – Provost T.1 airworthy with Michael H. Dale of

Remington, Virginia Remington is a small incorporated town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 598 at the 2010 census. It is near the highways, U.S. Route 15, U.S. Route 17, U.S. Route 29, and Virginia State Route 28. Remington is les ...

Zimbabwe

;On display * 3614 – Provost on static display at the Zimbabwe Military Museum in Gweru, Midlands.

Specifications (T.1)

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Angelucci, Enzo. ''World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft''. London: Jane's Publishing, 1981. . * Clarke, Bob. ''Jet Provost: The Little Plane With The Big History.'' Stroud, UK: Amberley Publishing, 2008. . * * Cross, Roy. The Percival Provost: New RAF Trainer. ''Flying Magazine'', September 1952, 51(3). pp. 34–34, 58–59. * Ellis, Ken, ''Wrecks & Relics.'' 23rd edition Manchester, England: Crecy Publishing, 2012, . * Meekcoms, K J and Morgan, E B. ''The British Aircraft Specification File.'' Tonbridge, Kent, UK:

Air-Britain Air-Britain, traditionally sub-titled "The International Association of Aviation Enthusiasts", is a non-profit aviation society founded in July 1948. As from 2015, it is constituted as a British charitable trust and book publisher. History Air-Brit ...

, 1994. . * Ogilvy, David
"A Turn in the Training Tide: Percival Provost."
''General Aviation'', August 2007. pp. 38–41.

''Flight International'', 14 September 1951, pp. 353–355. * Taylor & Swanborough, ''Military Aircraft of the World''. New York, Scribner's 1971 p. 197 . * Thetford, Owen. ''Aircraft of the Royal Aircraft 1918–57.'' First edition. London: Putnam, 1957.

External links

*Various P.56 aircraft under restoration at: http://middlezoyaerodrome.simplesite.com/ {{Authority control Provost 1950s British military trainer aircraft Low-wing aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1950