Parnall 382

Parnall · United Kingdom · first flew 1939 · light aircraft

The Parnall 382 was a British single-engined monoplane trainer of 1939 with two open cockpits, designed by Parnall Aircraft as a private venture. It was also known as the Parnall Heck III.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	8.78 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

British two-seat trainer with open tandem cockpits, the rear one later enclosed
Cantilever fixed main undercarriage legs with spats
Inverted inline de Havilland Gipsy Queen engine in the nose

A low-wing monoplane with student and instructor in open tandem cockpits, the rear one later enclosed, and spatted fixed main legs. It is a trainer, not a cabin tourer.

Specifications

The Parnall 382 has a length of 8.78 m (29 ft).
It has a wingspan of 10.26 m (34 ft).
Its maximum speed is 249 km/h (155 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

It was designed to meet Air Ministry Specification T.1/37 for an ab initio trainer, against the Heston T.1/37 and Miles M.15. Construction was mainly plywood-skinned spruce, and the undercarriage, tail unit and outer wing panels were adapted from the Parnall Heck 2C. G.A.C. Warren flew it first at Yate in February 1939.

Variants

Only one was built, registered G-AFKF in September 1939 and later given the serial R9138 as the Heck III.

Where you'll see it

Trials at Martlesham Heath found it pleasant to fly and generally good as a trainer, but no order followed. It was struck off charge in March 1943 and ended as an Air Training Corps instructional airframe.

Related aircraft

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