Percival Merganser

Infobox Aircraft
name=P.48 Merganser


caption=This image of the Merganser taken from a Percival Aircraft brochure, c. 1947.
type=Light utility aeroplane
manufacturer=Percival Aircraft Limited
designer=Edgar Percival
first flight=9 May 1947
introduced=
retired=1948
status=
primary user=
more users=
produced=
number built=2 (1 flying)
unit cost=
variants with their own articles=The Percival Merganser was a light, civil transport of the late 1940s. It was a twin-engine, high-wing monoplane of all-metal, stressed skin construction with retractable tricycle undercarriage.

Design and development

The Merganser was designed as a five-passenger, light airliner with an emphasis on "passenger appeal". To this end, a high-wing configuration and tricycle landing gear were chosen to provide the best view and a low, level floor for easy access.Jackson 1974]

The fuselage, having been completed in November 1946, was shipped by train ferry to Paris to be displayed at the Aero Show. By this time, the Merganser was already doomed, since it was designed to be powered by de Havilland Gipsy Queen engines and neither these nor any suitable substitute were available.

Operational history

Only one Merganser was flown; when it made its first flight on 9 May 1947 from Luton Airport, the engines were on loan from the Ministry of Supply. The company was able to carry out extensive flight trials and obtain much valuable data. Although it appeared at the SBAC Show at Radlett in September 1947, it was scrapped at Luton in August 1948.

A second Merganser was used as a static and structural test airframe [ [http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/PER50%20PRINCE%20PEMBROKE.doc PER50 Prince Pembroke] ] .

Although the Merganser never entered production, further development, based on the data gathered from its test programme, would lead to the larger Prince, President and Pembroke series for which a suitable powerplant was available. [ [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=512 British Aircraft Directory] ]

pecifications (Merganser)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= prop

ref=The Probert Encyclopaedia of Aircraft [ [http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/I_MERGANSER.HTM Percival Merganser] , "The Probert Encyclopaedia of Aircraft".]
crew=2
capacity=5 passengers
length main= 47 ft 9 in
length alt=
span main= 40 ft 8 in
span alt=
height main= 13 ft 9 in
height alt=
area main= 319 ft²
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main= 5,300 lb
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main= 7,300 lb
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=de Havilland Gipsy Queen 51 or 71
type of prop=six-cylinder inline
number of props=2
power main= 296 hp
power alt= 221 kW
power original=

max speed main= 168 knots
max speed alt= 193 mph, 310 km/h
cruise speed main= 160 mph
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 719 nm
range alt= 827 mi, 1,330 km
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main= 1,010 ft/min
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=

avionics=

ee also

aircontent

related=
* Percival Prince
* Percival President
* Percival Pembroke
* Percival Sea Prince
similar aircraft=

lists=

see also=

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Jackson, A.J. "British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 3". London: Putnam, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10014-X.

External links

* [http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac5/ROW%20Europe/G-AHMH.html G-AHMH Percival P.48 Merganser (c/n AU.1)]