Parnall Peto
The Parnall Peto was a two-seat anti-submarine aircraft aboard the British manufacturer Parnall from the year 1925. The Peto is the smallest seaplane, which was built to date.
History
The first known transport an aircraft aboard a submarine in 1916 rather than two Sopwith Schneider seaplanes were decomposed carried on board the British HMS E.22. The two copies of the Peto were built by the Royal Air Force after the requirements specification 16/24 and received the military IDs N181 and N182. For the tests under operating conditions the boat HMS M.2 has been selected, the second of three boats that were designed for specifically for the use of a 12-inch ( 30.5 - cm ) gun and intended to be used for coastal bombardment were.
After M.1 sank after a collision in the English Channel, M.2 was rebuilt and the cannon replaced by a hangar. Then a crane was set to manhandle the aircraft again after use on board can. The gate at the front of the hangar had on the inside rails, so that after opening the folding -facing gate the plane could be pushed forward. A catapult was built until 1929, until then the machines were allowed to start with the crane to water.
Peto was designed by Harold Bolas, who as chief engineer came to Parnall 1917. The first flight of Peto found 1925 on the Aerodrome Yate near Bristol instead. The country chassis a Parnall Pike was used that seemed oversized abundant in the small machine. The first water tests with the N181 were conducted in November 1925 in Felixstowe and the N182 in 1926. The experiments lasted until 1929. The second machine was rebuilt after a accidental then the identifier N255 and returned the end of 1930 back to Felixstowe. In the final report of 6 February 1931 the flight and handling characteristics of the type were evaluated very positively.
Construction
The Peto was mainly made of pine wood and covered with fabric. Reinforcement of construction and the tail fittings composed of stainless steel. The time still difficult to weld material presented at that time a novelty in aircraft dar. The significantly different spans of the upper and lower wings, the aircraft had a sesquiplane or sesquiplane Design on. After the wings folded in the span was only 2.40 m (8 ft). Only the top surface had a V -position.
Although later metal floats were used, were the first versions of " Saunders Consuta " type. These consisted of mahogany plywood, the individual panels were sewn together with a copper wire.
The prototype N181 was initially fitted with a three-cylinder radial engine Bristol Lucifer Mk III, which delivered a power output of 114.5 hp and a wooden propeller drive. The N182 was a Lucifer Mk IV with an output of 127.8 hp. It was also the first time the intended radio equipment installed. 1929 were both machines with a 5-cylinder radial engine Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose Mk I ( 138 hp continuous duty, 153 hp maximum) and a two-blade metal propeller Fairey - Reed equipped. For the final tests was N181 with a Mongoose Mk II ( 145.5 hp continuous duty, 157 hp maximum) equipped.
Although only two copies were built, as six different wing sets were tested after all. These differed in the used profiles (RAF 15 and RAF 31), Buoyancy aids and the tail end.
Whereabouts
N255 was lost when M.2 on January 26, 1932 sank off Portland because the hangar door was not completely closed.
Specifications
( apply to the N181 with a RAF -31- profile, slotted wing with straight wing tips )