Percival Provost

Infobox Aircraft
name=Percival Provost


caption=A Percival Provost T.1 preserved as part of The Shuttleworth Collection.
type=Military trainer aircraft
manufacturer=Percival
designer=Henry Millicer
first flight=24 February 1950
introduced=1953
retired=1969
status=
primary user=Royal Air Force
more users=Burma Iraq Irish Air Corps
produced=1950-1956
number built=461
unit cost=
variants with their own articles=Jet ProvostThe Percival P.56 Provost was a British-built "ab initio" trainer for the Royal Air Force in the 1950s, replacing the Percival Prentice. It was a low-wing, monoplane with a fixed, tailwheel, undercarriage. Seating was side-by-side. After a lengthy service career, the design was adapted for a turbojet.

Design and development

The Provost was designed to Air Ministry specification T.16/48 for a basic trainer to replace the Percival Prentice. The British Air Ministry further issued Operational Requirement 257 (O.R.257), defining the need for a new, higher performance, piston-engine trainer. [ [http://www.warbirdalley.com/provost.htm Hunting (Percival) P.56 Provost] ] The prototype first flew on 24 February 1950, powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah 18 engine, which was replaced by an Alvis Leonides engine on later prototypes and production aircraftThetford 1957 ]

After evaluation against the Handley Page H.P.R 2, the Provost was selected for production, with an initial order being placed in 1951. Production ended in 1956 when 461 aircraft had been completed. The Percival Provost eventually formed the basis for the Jet Provost trainer which replaced it in RAF service.

Operational history

The Provost entered service with the RAF in 1953. It had more than twice the power of its predecessor, the Prentice, with higher performance and manoeuvrability. The aircraft served with the RAF until the early 1960s, when it was replaced by the Jet Provost. A few Provosts continued in service until the last example was retired in 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.

Variants

* Provost T.Mk 1 : Two-seat basic trainer for the RAF.
* Provost Mk 51 : Unarmed export version for the Irish Air Corps.
* Provost Mk 52 : Armed export version for the Rhodesian Air Force.
* Provost Mk 53 : Armed export version for Burma, Iraq, Ireland and Sudan.

Operators

;BIR
*Burma Air Force;flag|Iraq|1963
*Iraqi Air Force;IRL
*Irish Air Corps;MYS
*Malaysian Air Force;OMN
*Royal Air Force of Oman;flag|Rhodesia
*Rhodesian Air Force;SUD
*Sudanese Air Force;UK
*Royal Air Force

pecifications (T.1)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=World Encyclopedia of Military AircraftAngelucci 1981]

crew=2
capacity=
length main=28 ft 6 in
length alt=8.73 m
span main=35 ft 0 in
span alt=10.7 m
height main=12 ft 0 in
height alt=3.70 m
area main= 214 ft²
area alt= 19.9 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 3,350 lb
empty weight alt= 1,523 kg
loaded weight main=4,399 lb
loaded weight alt=1,995 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=Alvis Leonides 126
type of prop=9-cylinder radial engine
number of props=1
power main=550 hp
power alt=410 kW

max speed main=200 mph
max speed alt=170 knots, 320 km/h
max speed more=at sea level
range main=560 nm
range alt=650 mi, 1,020 km
ceiling main=25,000 ft
ceiling alt=7620 m
climb rate main=2,200 ft/min
climb rate alt=11.2 m/s
loading main=20.6 lb/ft²
loading alt=100 kg/m²
power/mass main=0.276 hp/lb
power/mass alt=0.206 kW/kg
more performance= *Climb to 10,000 ft 3.27 minutes

*Endurance 4 hours

ee also

aircontent

related=
* Percival P.40 Prentice
* Hunting Percival P.84 Jet Provost

similar aircraft=

lists=
* List of aircraft of the RAF
* List of trainer aircraft

see also=

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Angelucci, Enzo. "World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft". London: Jane's Publishing, 1981. ISBN 0-7106-0148-4.
* Thetford, Owen. "Aircraft of the Royal Aircraft 1918-57, 1st edition". London: Putnam, 1957.

External links

* [http://www.warbirdalley.com/provost.htm Hunting (Percival) P.56 Provost]