Parnall Panther

infobox Aircraft
name = Panther
type = Carrier based reconnaissance
manufacturer = Parnall and Sons

---

caption =
designer = Harold Bolas
first flight = 1917
introduced = 1919
retired = 1926
status =
primary user = Fleet Air Arm
more users = IJN Air Service United States Navy
produced =
number built = 155
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = The Parnall Panther was a British carrier based spotter and reconnaissance aircraft designed and developed by Parnall and Sons in the latter years of the First World War. 150 Panthers were built by Bristol Aeroplane Company after the end of the First World War, Parnall having withdrawn from aircraft manufacture, continuing in service until 1926.

Development

The Parnall Panther was designed by Harold Bolas, who had joined Parnall and Sons after leaving the Admiralty's Air Department, where he had served as deputy chief designer under Harris Booth Cite book |author=Mason, Francis K |title=The British Bomber since 1914 |publisher=Putnam Aeronautical Books |location= London |year=1994 |isbn= 0 85177 861 5. It was planned to meet the requirements of Admiralty Specification N.2A for a two seat reconnaissance aircraft capable of operating from aircraft carriers. The first prototype, (serial "N91") flew in 1917, with a further five prototypes being produced Cite book |author=Thetford, Owen|title=British Naval Aircraft since 1912 |Edition =Fourth Edition |publisher=Putnam |location= London|year=1994 |id= ISBN 0 85177 861 5.

Design

The Panther was a wooden, single bay biplane, which unusually for the time, was fitted with a birch plywood monocoque fuselage, which could be folded for shipboard storage, the fuselage being hinged aft of the observers cockpit. The pilot and observer were seated in individual cockpits in the deep fuselage, this giving a good view for landing, but restricting access to the pilots cockpit. Inflatable floatation air bags were fitted beneath the wings to keep the aircraft afloat in the event of ditching into the sea, with a hydrovane fitted in front of the undercarriage in order to stop the aircraft nosing over.

Operational history

After evaluation, an order for 300 Panthers was placed with Parnall in 1918. However, this was reduced to 150 following the end of the year. Parnall, who had been purchased by W. & T. Avery Ltd. rejected this reduction in the order, so the order was transferred to the Bristol Aeroplane Company cite book|author=Donald, David (Editor)
title = The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft|year = 1997|pages= p.723|publisher = Aerospace Publishing|isbn= 1-85605-375-X] , the order being completed between 1919 and 1920.

The Panther served with Spotter Reconnaissance Flights aboard the aircraft carriers "HMS Argus" and "HMS Hermes". While the Panthers handled well in the air, the elderly Bentely engines proved unreliable, while the system of longitudinal arrestor wires in use aboard British aircraft carriers at the time, was unsatisfactory, resulting in many accidents. Panthers continued in service with the Fleet Air Arm until 1926, being replaced by the Fairey IIID.

Twelve Panthers were sold to the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1921-22, with two being sold to the US Navy in 1920 [cite web |url= http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/firstseries1.html|title= US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNs, First Series - A51 to A5999|accessdate=2007-07-16 |format= |work= ] .

Operators

;JPN
*Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service;UK
*Fleet Air Arm
*Royal Air Force
**No. 205 Squadron RAF;flag|United States|1912
*United States Navy

pecifications

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

ref= British Naval Aircraft since 1912
crew=Two
capacity=
length main= 24 ft 11 in
length alt= 7.60 m
span main= 29 ft 6 in
span alt= 8.99 m
height main= 10 ft 6 in
height alt= 3.20 m
area main= 336 ft²
area alt= 31.2 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,328 lb
empty weight alt= 602 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 2,595 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 1,177 kg
more general= Folded length: 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)

engine (prop)=Bentley BR2
type of prop=rotary engine
number of props=1
power main= 230 hp
power alt= 172 kW
power original=
max speed main= 94 knots
max speed alt= 108.5 mph, 175 km/h
max speed more=at 6,500 ft (2,000 m)
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 417 nm
range alt= 480 mi, 773 km [cite web |url= http://www.geocities.com/ww1fighters/planes/britain/stats/panther.htm |title= WWIFighters.net - Parnell Panther|accessdate=2007-07-16 |format= |work= ]
ceiling main= 14,500 ft
ceiling alt= 4,420 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= lb/ft²
loading alt= kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= hp/lb
power/mass alt= W/kg
more performance=*Endurance: 4½ hours
*Climb to 2,000 ft (610 m): 2 min 20 sec

armament=*One .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun in observers cockpit

avionics=

References

External links

* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=521 British Aircraft Directory]
* [http://avia.russian.ee/air/england/parnall_panther.php Virtual Aircraft Museum]

ee also

aircontent

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