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Odds2 - 03 - Commercial Photo - Percival Prince - Factory - Under construction
Photo 14 inch by 10 inch
At the end of World War II Percival Aircraft Ltd produced a five-seat commercial aircraft known as the P-48 Merganser, which was of all-metal, stressed skin construction with fabric covered control surfaces. This led to the P-50 Prince, a medium range transport fitted with Alvis Leonides radial engines. The prototype of the Prince (G-23-1 – later G-ALCM) was flown for the first time on 13 May 1948.
The first production machine (G-ALFZ – c/n P.50/2 – later PP-XEG, PP-NBA) flew on 18 January 1949 and subsequently embarked on a 40,225 km (24,000 miles) proving flight and sales tour of Africa, during which tropical trials were conducted at Khartoum, Nairobi and Accra. These two aircraft were Mk 1s.
The first order from abroad came from Brazil where Empresa de Transportes Aeroes Norte do Brasil Ltda (Aeronorte) ordered three aircraft in 1950 for use on domestic flights. Aeronorte was founded in 1940 and flew a fleet of Lockheed 10 Electras and C-46 Commandos. Aeronorte received the first aircraft built, the G-ALFZ (P50/2) which was delivered as the PP-XEG and received the registration PP-NBA in Brazil. The second aircraft delivered was the G-AKYE (P50/11) which entered service as the PP-NBF and the third aircraft was delivered as the PP-NBG (P50/15). The first aircraft delivered was a P.50 Prince 2, the two other aircraft were equipped with 540 hp Alvis Leonides 502/4 engines and were designated the P.50 Prince 3 .
The Percival Prince is a British light transport of the early postwar period. It was a twin-engine, high-wing, cantilever monoplane of all-metal stressed-skin construction; the undercarriage was of retractable, tricycle type.
The design of the Prince continued from the solitary Merganser. Further development of the type led to the Survey Prince survey aircraft and the Sea Prince. An improved version of the Prince 3 with an increased wingspan and engine and undercarriage modifications was developed for the Royal Air Force as the Percival Pembroke.
The Prince was produced in six versions for the civil market. Several examples were operated as executive aircraft including Standard Motors and Shell Oil. Three aircraft were used by the UK Ministry of Civil Aviation as airport facilities checking aircraft.
The Sea Prince operated in two roles: in T.Mk.1 form it served as a navigation and anti-submarine trainer; the C.Mks. 1 and 2 were flown in the transport role. However, these were land planes and not COD (carrier on board delivery) aircraft. Sea Princes operated in both roles from 1954 to 1972 and as a navigation trainer until 1978, when it was replaced by the Handley Page Jetstream
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