Parnall Elf
George Parnall & Co. · United Kingdom · first flew 1929 · light aircraft
The Parnall Elf is a British two-seat light touring aircraft of the 1920s, and the last aircraft designed by Harold Bolas before he left the company for the United States.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Staggered biplane of wood and fabric with wings set well forward on the fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Staggered biplane of wood and fabric with wings set well forward on the fuselage
- Unusual vee interplane struts with no flying wires
- Folding wings
A staggered two-seat biplane whose unusual vee interplane struts replace flying wires, and whose wings can be folded for hangarage.
Specifications
- The Parnall Elf has a length of 6.97 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.54 m (31 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 187 km/h (116 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Bolas designed it as chief designer of the reformed George Parnall & Co., and the type made its public debut at Olympia in July 1929. Its wings were set well forward on the fuselage to assist crew escape in an emergency.
Variants
Three were built, and the aircraft was powered by a Cirrus Hermes II engine.
Where you'll see it
An Elf placed fifth in the 1930 King's Cup Air Race out of 88 entrants. The Shuttleworth Collection in Bedfordshire maintains and flies the surviving Elf, G-AAIN.
Related aircraft
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