Percival Mew Gull E.3H
Percival · United Kingdom · first flew 1936 · light aircraft
The Percival Mew Gull is a British single-seat racing and record-breaking monoplane of the 1930s, with individual aircraft — particularly E.3H — famous for long-distance races and record flights by Alex Henshaw.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | exceptionally narrow fuselage with smooth flush-riveted skin |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- tiny single-seat racing monoplane with enclosed cockpit
- exceptionally narrow fuselage with smooth flush-riveted skin
- retractable undercarriage and large spinner on de Havilland Gipsy Six engine
An extremely small, narrow monoplane with a large engine relative to the fuselage, retractable gear, and a cockpit canopy that barely rises above the fuselage spine; the near-equal length and span give it a compact, almost square planform.
Specifications
- The Percival Mew Gull E.3H has a length of 7.26 m (24 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 7.16 m (23 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 394 km/h (245 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Edgar Percival designed the Mew Gull as a thoroughbred racer; five examples were built between 1934 and 1937. E.3H, the most celebrated, was flown by Alex Henshaw to victory in the 1938 King's Cup and in January 1939 he set a solo record from London to Cape Town and back that stood for decades.
Variants
Six individual aircraft were built to slightly varying specifications; E.3H is the most famous, differing from earlier examples in having a revised cowling and retractable undercarriage optimised for long-distance performance.
Where you'll see it
Entirely privately operated for racing and record-breaking; several Mew Gulls were impressed by the RAF on the outbreak of war and used for communications, with some surviving into the postwar period.
Related aircraft
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