"was later awarded the Oswald Watt Gold Medal in recognition of this flight. New Zealander Jean Batten made at least two memorable flights in her Gull Six (G-ADPR). On 11 November 1935, she departed Lympne and flew two legs to Thiès, Senegal. After a 12 hr, 30 min crossing of the Atlantic on 13 November, she arrived at Port Natal, Brazil, and was later awarded the Britannia Trophy. On 5 October 1936, Batten flew from Lympne to Darwin in the record time 5 days, 21 hr, 3 min, then flying on across the Tasman Sea to Auckland to set another"
"Percival Gull The Percival Gull was a British single-engined monoplane, first flown in 1932. It was successful as a fast company transport, racing aircraft and long-range record breaker. It was developed into the Vega Gull and the Proctor. The Percival Gull was the first aircraft of the Percival Aircraft Company, formed in 1932 by Edgar Percival and Lt. Cdr E.B.W. Leake. It was designed by Percival himself, and was strongly influenced by the Hendy 302, designed by Basil ""Hendy"" Henderson, that he had previously owned and raced. The new company did not have the facilities to build the Gull, so"
"for series production to be contracted out to George Parnall & Sons, of Yate, Gloucestershire, an arrangement that lasted two years. Percival Aircraft was officially formed in 1933. In 1934, after 24 Gulls had been produced at Parnalls, Percival set up his own factory at London Gravesend Airport, Kent. Edgar Percival's aircraft were renowned for their graceful lines and outstanding performance. As a noted test pilot, Percival continued to fly his own creations; in 1935, he flew a Gull from England to Morocco and back to England, winning the Oswald Watt Gold Medal. He was the first pilot to fly"
"which he sold in 1932, Percival began searching for an established manufacturer to produce a ""light"" aeroplane that he had designed which he called the ""Percival Gull."" Finding no company willing and able to take on production, Percival consequently started his own aircraft company as the Percival Aircraft Company. In collaboration with Lt. Cdr E.B.W. Leake (who was to become co-founder of Percival Aircraft), he arranged for the prototype Gull (registered as ""G-ABUR"") to be produced by the Lowe-Wylde British Aircraft Company of Maidstone, Kent. Running the business from his private address in London (20, Grosvenor Square), Percival then arranged"
"the prototype was produced by the British Aircraft Company of Maidstone, Kent, and the first 24 production machines were manufactured by Parnall Aircraft of Yate, Gloucestershire. In 1934, the Percival Aircraft Company moved to Gravesend Airport, Kent, where it built its own Gulls. The Gull was a low-wing cantilever monoplane, constructed of wood with fabric covering. The wings reduced outwards in both thickness and chord, with dihedral outboard of the centre section. They were constructed according to Basil Henderson's patent, and folded rearwards at the rear spar for storage. There were split flaps inboard. The fin and rudder were initially"
"Gulls were dominant in air-racing in the UK and consistently recorded the fastest times until the outbreak of war stopped all civilian flying in late 1939. With the Percival Gull already making a name for itself as a racer, over several months in 1933–1934, Capt. Edgar W. Percival designed and built a single-seat racer derivative initially named the E1 'Mew Gull'. This was developed into the E2, E2H and the E3H variants between 1934 and 1938. The sometimes-used designation ""P6"" is incorrect; this retrospective tag was created after Percival left the company and long after the Mew Gulls were built,"
"km/h), although a D-series Gull never won the trophy. The speed of Gulls also made them attractive for the long distance flights popular in the 1930s and the Gull, fitted with extra tanks offered a range of 2,000 miles (3,220 km). On 4 October 1933, Charles Kingsford Smith started a flight in a Gull Four (G-ACJV), from Lympne Aerodrome to Darwin, Australia, arriving on 10 December 1933, in a record 7 days, 4 hrs, 44 min. On 17 June 1935, E.W. Percival piloted a Gull Six (G-ADEP) from Gravesend to Oran (Algeria), returning to Croydon Airport the same day, and"
"48 seconds earlier. With the publicity of the win, Percival set up a production line at larger premises at Luton. The new type was an immediate success with production running to 90, the last production aircraft having its maiden flight on 27 July 1939. The Vega Gull was widely used by British and Commonwealth aviators during the later years of the ""Golden Age"" of record-setting aviation during the 1930s. Alex Henshaw, Jim Mollison, Amy Johnson, Beryl Markham, C.W.A. Scott and others, won races and broke records to South Africa, South America, Australia and New Zealand, to name but a few."
"(G-ADPR), as ""AX866"". Blackburn Aircraft continued to use its Gull Four Mk III (G-ADOE), later re-engined with a Gipsy Major engine in private ownership. Similarly, Vickers Armstrongs retained its Gull Six (G-ADFA) throughout the war. The P. designations were applied retrospectively in 1947, after the company had become Hunting Percival. Percival Gull The Percival Gull was a British single-engined monoplane, first flown in 1932. It was successful as a fast company transport, racing aircraft and long-range record breaker. It was developed into the Vega Gull and the Proctor. The Percival Gull was the first aircraft of the Percival Aircraft Company,"
"with more modern designs. To save hangar space, the wings could be folded to reduce the space needed for storage. Civil Vega Gulls have been registered in the following countries; Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, India, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States. Percival Vega Gull The Percival Vega Gull was a 1930s British, four-seater touring aircraft built by Percival Aircraft Limited. It was a single-engine, low-wing (Folding), wood-and-fabric monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. Built by Percival Aircraft of Gravesend and Luton (after 1936 when Percival Aircraft became a Limited Company), the"
"Edgar Percival Edgar Wikner Percival (23 February 1897 – 21 January 1984) was a noted Australian aircraft designer and pilot whose aircraft were distinguished by speed and grace. Percival went on to set up the Percival Aircraft Company, a British aircraft company in his own name. Percival was born in 1898 at Albury, New South Wales, the son of Blanche Hilda Leontina Percival, née Wikner and William Percival, a butter manufacturer. Edgar Percival's maternal great uncle was the Swedish philosopher Pontus Wikner. As a child Percival assisted at his family's farm, on the flats of the Hawkesbury River at Richmond,"
"A pure racing derivative of the Gull series, the Percival Mew Gull flown by other illustrious pilots such as Alex Henshaw and Tom Campbell Black would go on to set many speed and distance records in the 1930s. In late 1936, Percival transferred production to larger facilities at the newly built Luton Corporation Airport in Bedfordshire. A two-bay hangar was constructed to accommodate the workshops while the design offices were set up in the original Georgian farmhouse situated nearby. Production at Luton was then primarily focused on the Vega Gull. A small twin-engined machine, the Q6 was also produced in"
"Bonney Gull The Bonney Gull was an experimental aircraft that used variable incidence wings with bird-like shapes. Leonard Warden Bonney was an early aviator, who flew with the Wright Exhibition Team as early as 1910. An experienced aviator with service in the First World War, Bonney set out to develop a plane with more efficient wings and controls than contemporary aircraft. Noting the gull's two to one lift to weight ratio, he set about molding gull wings for their shape. Construction took place over the course of five years. The ideas were tested in MIT and the Daniel Guggenheim School"
"by Percival in 1937–1939. On loan for propeller trials at Hatfield during the war, ""G-AFAA"" was written off in a landing accident by a de Havilland pilot. The remains of this aircraft were burned with those of ""G-ACND"" at a Percival Aircraft garden fete at Luton Airport immediately after the war. Percival Mew Gull The Percival Mew Gull was a British racing aircraft of the 1930s. It was a small, single-engine, single-seat, low-wing monoplane of wooden construction, normally powered by a six-cylinder de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine. During its racing career it set many records and was considered a"
"Gull, abandoning ""G-ACND"" because of fog. In September 1935 Percival placed 1st in a race, and in July 1936 he finished 4th in the King's Cup Race flying ""G-AEKL"", the third Mew Gull and first ""production"" E2H. Later in August, Percival finished 7th in the 174-mile race for the Folkestone Trophy. In September 1936 ""G-AEKL"", having previously been Edgar Percival's private mount, was re-engined and modified to enter in the Schlesinger Race. The Schlesinger African Air Race was a race from England to South Africa (6,154 miles), but G-AEKL was withdrawn ten days before the Schlesinger following a fatal taxiing"
"Percival Mew Gull The Percival Mew Gull was a British racing aircraft of the 1930s. It was a small, single-engine, single-seat, low-wing monoplane of wooden construction, normally powered by a six-cylinder de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine. During its racing career it set many records and was considered a significant, efficient design, one that eventually reached a top speed of 265 mph (425 km/h) on a modest 205 hp (153 kW) in its final 1939 form. A modern-day observer has characterised the Mew Gull as ""the Holy Grail of British air racing"". During the second half of the 1930s, Mew"
"between Portsmouth and Johannesburg) in 1936, flying Guthrie's Vega Gull. The Guthrie Wing of King's College Hospital was named in his honour to commemorate their victory. Guthrie replaced his Vega Gull with the Percival Mew Gull, a dedicated racing aircraft, in 1937, and in the same year, he was awarded his commercial pilot license. Gardner and Guthrie retained the King's Cup Race in 1937, having flown the Mew Gull. He piloted the Mew Gull himself in 1938, coming second to future Supermarine Spitfire test pilot Alex Henshaw, who was also flying a Percival Mew Gull. They both completed the course"
"Percival Vega Gull The Percival Vega Gull was a 1930s British, four-seater touring aircraft built by Percival Aircraft Limited. It was a single-engine, low-wing (Folding), wood-and-fabric monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. Built by Percival Aircraft of Gravesend and Luton (after 1936 when Percival Aircraft became a Limited Company), the 'K-Series' Vega Gull was a development of their earlier 'D-Series' Gull. The main changes from the earlier design were the provision of an additional fourth seat, dual controls and flaps. The fuselage was widened and the wingspan increased. Increases in drag were compensated for by reducing parasitic drag from exterior"
"were used, for example, to cover distant but important events such as the Italo-Abyssinian war of 1935. Some were used for company communications, such as Avro Aircraft and Shell. The sole Gull Four Mk III (G-ADOE) was used by Blackburn Aircraft as a test bed for both the Cirrus Major Mks 1 and 2 engines. Gulls were sold abroad, to France, Australia, Japan, Brazil and elsewhere. Two Gulls worked the Karachi-Lahore mail run for Indian National Airways. On 9 July 1932, E.W. Percival flew the prototype Gull (G-ABUR) in the round Britain King's Cup Race, averaging almost 143 mph (230"
"flight in the Southern Cross, Jean Batten's England–New Zealand flight and later record breaking efforts (her Percival Gull is exhibited at Auckland Airport). The larger civil aviation exhibits continue over at MOTAT 2 with displays relating to the Pan American Airways and Imperial Airways flying boats of the late 1930s and TEAL flying boats of the 40s and 50s. The engine from Jean Batten's Percival Gull is displayed at MOTAT 2. The Road transport collection rotationally displays in excess of 100 cars, trucks, motorbikes and emergency vehicles. Some of the iconic vehicles in the collection include one of the first"
"Percival H. Spencer Percival Hopkins Spencer (April 30, 1897 – January 16, 1995) was an American inventor, aviation pioneer, test pilot, and businessman. He was born on April 30, 1897 to Christopher Miner Spencer (1833-1922), the inventor of, among other things, the Spencer repeating rifle. The then 14-year-old Spencer built his first pontooned hang glider in April 1911 from plans he found in a ""Popular Mechanics"" magazine. On May 15, 1914, Spencer made his first powered flight in a Curtiss flying boat. In 1929, he broke the light airplane altitude record——piloting a Curtiss Robin monoplane. Spencer was the president of"
"led to the Gull 4, which had a more conventional, less complicated straight wing. In 1939 a Gull, widely known as the ""Blue Gull"" became the first glider to fly from England to France, cross channel. The pilot was G. Stephenson. The only Gull III to be built survived the war, and along with the Petrel was regarded as one of the prettiest sailplanes to come out of Slingsby’s doors. It went on to have a long and distinguished career, and was owned at one point by Prince Bira of Siam, who was at the time the World Motor Racing"
"in Long Island as the Bonney Gull, another more experimental gull wing design. The Air Yacht is an all-metal seaplane with a mid-gull wing planform. Power is from a single pusher engine. The cockpit is open and the passenger compartment is enclosed. Kirkham Air Yacht The Kirkham Air Yacht, also called the Kirkham Gull, was an early monoplane executive transport seaplane. The Kirkham Air Yacht was a custom built executive transport built in 1925 for Harold Stirling Vanderbilt. Design and construction was started in 1920 by Charles Kirkham. H T Booth, previously of Curtiss, was also involved in the design."
"sits on the completely open seat, with no windshield. Controls are conventional three-axis. The landing gear consists of the bottom of the fuselage shaped into a long wooden skid . Sometimes two small wheels were attached. The Gull was reportedly type certified, but no record of the type certificate is on file with the Federal Aviation Administration. One Gull was started before the Second World War by Peter Eyrud of Walla Walla, Washington, but not completed. This aircraft was purchased by Peter M. Bowers who completed and flew it. Bowers documented the aircraft project in an article in the March/April"
"low winged monoplane designed by Australian Edgar Percival, but built in England. Once again Bob Buck with 50 camels set out early to Docker Creek (now Docker River) in the Petermann Ranges, which was to be the new base early in the series. A backup aircraft was a Gipsy Moth piloted by T.Robertson with wireless operator Kingsley Love as crew. In early July, there was great concern at the Docker Creek base when Mackay and Neale in the Percival Gull failed to return from a flight to Lake Anec. The backup Gipsy Moth with Robertson and Bennett aboard began a"
"high-speed aircraft such as the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark to expand their flight envelope. Bonney used differential sweep for roll control. Bonney was unable to find a willing test pilot and chose to fly the aircraft himself. He performed a test hop, damaging the landing gear once. On 4 May 1928 Bonney took up another aircraft on a flight, then announced he would test fly the Gull that day. Bonney was killed during the maiden flight when the aircraft nosedived into the ground from about 50 feet of altitude, seconds after taking off from Curtiss Field on Long Island. Pathé"
"Percival was noted for his flying skills and after he was promoted to Captain, transferred to No. 11 Squadron as one of its founding members. With 11 Sqn he saw service in the Middle East and Greece. In 1918, while serving in Egypt, Percival designed his first powered aircraft, ""a special-purpose aircraft based on the Bristol F.2B, with the Rolls-Royce Eagle engine"". Following the First World War, Percival returned to Australia with three surplus aircraft, two Avro 504s and a de Havilland DH.6 aircraft to do film work, stunt flying and barnstorming plus charter flights, operating his own charter company."
"Percival Proctor The Percival Proctor was a British radio trainer and communications aircraft of the Second World War. The Proctor was a single-engined, low-wing monoplane with seating for three or four, depending on the model. The Proctor was developed from the Percival Vega Gull in response to Air Ministry Specification 20/38 for a radio trainer and communications aircraft. To meet the requirement, the aircraft based on the Vega Gull had larger rear cabin windows and the fuselage was six inches longer. Modifications were made to the seats to enable the crew to wear parachutes, and other changes to enable a"
"News was onsite to film the first flight. The newsreel shows the aircraft experiencing a roll to the left which was corrected, and a single oscillation in pitch before nosing straight down into the ground tossing out Bonney. Bonney was taken to Mineola Hospital where he died. Bonney Gull The Bonney Gull was an experimental aircraft that used variable incidence wings with bird-like shapes. Leonard Warden Bonney was an early aviator, who flew with the Wright Exhibition Team as early as 1910. An experienced aviator with service in the First World War, Bonney set out to develop a plane with"
"Gnosspelius Gull The Gnosspelius Gull was a 1920s British experimental ultra-light monoplane designed by Major O.T. Gnosspelius and built by Short Brothers at Rochester for the 1923 Lympne light aircraft trials. Gnosspelius was head of the research department of Short Brothers, for whom he had devised an ingenious mechanism for testing aerofoil sections, the Gnosspelius Aerodynamic Pendulum. Tests using this had indicated that incorporating a small step into the upper surface of the wing at the point of its greatest thickness would reduce drag, and Gnosspelius had started work on the design of a small glider using this discovery when,"
"Gull wing The gull wing is an aircraft wing configuration with a prominent bend in the wing inner section towards the wing root. Its name is derived from the seabirds which it resembles. It has been incorporated in aircraft for many reasons. The gull wing was first seen on a glider when the Weltensegler flew in 1921. Its wings were externally braced and featured swept-back wingtips. After the aircraft broke up, killing its pilot, the design feature stayed out of popular use. The gull wing made a resurgence in 1930 with Alexander Lippisch's record-breaking ""Fafnir"". Lippisch used the configuration for"
"to Percival Aircraft, building the famous Mew Gull racing aircraft among others, before the company moved to Luton. After 1936 Essex Aero was based on the site, and maintained the airfield's link with racing aeroplanes by preparing the de Havilland DH.88 Comets and Alex Henshaw's Percival Mew Gull that set the record for a flight from England to South Africa. The airfield received Customs facilities in December 1933 and many European airlines made use of Gravesend as a diversionary airport when Croydon was fogged-in. These airlines included Imperial Airways, KLM, Sabena and Deutsche Luft Hansa. The Royal Air Force moved"
"to England. After her first Australia flight Batten bought a Percival Gull Six monoplane, ""G-ADPR"", which was named ""Jean"". In 1935 she set a world record flying from England to Brazil in the Percival Gull, for which she was presented the Order of the Southern Cross, the first person other than Royalty to be so honoured. In 1936 she set another world record with a solo flight from England to New Zealand. At her birthplace of Rotorua she was honored by local Māori, as she had been after the 1934 journey. She was given a chief’s feather cloak and given"