Parnall F.5 33 Project

[Hood]

Looking through Putnam's 'Parnall Aircraft since 1914' by Kenneth E. Wixley, I've found some sketchy info on a Parnall turret fighter, which I think has been referred to elsewhere on these boards as possibly being the Parnall 381.

It was a two-seat fighter with a nose turret.The book reproduces a report Parnall made, its clear they never got very far with the design and no drawings were found, although from the report it sounds like sketch plans were included.

The armament included the nose turret and two Lewis guns in the wings. A light series bomb carrier could be fitted ventrally with the bombs semi-esxposed. It was powered by two Bristol Aquila radials. They were mounted in the wings, but given the need to balance the c.g. shift foward, and Parnall's dislike for the less-efficent pusher configuration, the engines seem to have been mounted further back in the wing in nacelles with the propellers being driven by extension shafts. The aircraft was a normal tailwheel undercarriage type. Fuselage made from tubular steel sections, the aft fuselage being fabric covered, all-metal wings.

All-up Weight: 6,350lb
Wing Area: 321 sq ft
Net Wing Loading: 19.8lb/ sq ft
Max Speed at 1,500ft: 225mph
Rate of Climb at Ground Level: 1,450ft/min (rated boost), 1,770ft/min (max boost)
Service Ceiling: 30,000ft
Landing Speed: 70mph

 

[hesham]

Dear hood,


do you mean this ?;
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,4492.msg35562.html#msg35562

 

[Hood]

No, the F.5/35 project is described as a twin-engined fighter with a nose turret. Nothing like the Heck-based design you've posted.
Oddly the thin report submitted was due to the design team being overburdened. Since George Parnall left the year after and there seems to have been little work at Parnall's (other than the G.4/31) it seems strange the, admittedly small, team was too busy. Given the late appearance of the G.4/31 and sketchy designs on the F.5/33 it seems unlikely to have been in contention for any orders. But it would have been an interesting design.

 

[hesham]

Dear Hood,


do you have a drawing to it ?.