| Kenneth J Mayo, e-mail, 23.06.2023 15:39 Hi I have many pencil drawings of Percival aircraft parts as my father was a designer for the company, he designed the Gull logo for them and then the Hunting Horn logo. I am looking for a good home for these drawings. Let me know what you think.
Email me and I can send you some samples.
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| Dr. Ricardo Caballero, e-mail, 27.10.2021 05:43 The Prentice has been a wonderful "work horse" in the Military Aviation School of Argentina. My uncle, Commodore Enrique Plá, was an Air Force instructor at the "Escuela de Aviación Militar" during ten consecutive years and he was very fond of the Percival. He was also a night flying and basic instrument training instructor flying "under the hood" with ADF and QDM and QDR bearings! The aircraft had its ups and downs but was helpful in training some of the best fighter pilots in the World. The last Percival of an original order of 100 was still airworthy in 1960 when it was replaced by the FMA's under licence manufactured North American T-34A Mentor. Greetings to all!
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| Gabe, e-mail, 18.02.2017 00:46 I own one and am presently looking to sell it to a museum. Asking price is $1.5 Million so if you know anyone wanting one contact me at p47jugs@aol.com
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| Colin prentice, e-mail, 14.05.2015 15:00 When I was a young spotter at Southend I would play in the prentice said over the dump. Actually flew.in the Coventry one with my two sons for my 60th. Three prentice sin a prentice!
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| Andrew MacKenzie, e-mail, 05.12.2014 19:54 When I was an Apprentice at Halton in the mid-50s, we had a Prentice airframe which had twin tail fins. Anybody know anything about this?
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| Dave Morganti, e-mail, 01.09.2014 14:03 I remember the aircraft as a perfect air training platform for the U/T air signaller without recourse to interference by big brother, there being not enough room in the rear area for another body!
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| George Moore, e-mail, 23.04.2014 03:40 While in the 1360 Squadron ATC about 1953, I received a Flying Scholarship for 10 hours dual and 10 hours solo in a Miles Magister out of Burnaston. Beautiful flyer.
I then joined the RAFVR flying the Prentice out of the same airfield, big difference.
Got my licence but was an apprentice motor mechanic at the time and couldn't afford to fly enough to keep it when they phased out the VR. Good Days!
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| John Cross, e-mail, 19.11.2013 14:06 I remember flying in one of these at Ternhill as an ATC cadet about 1949/50. We were a contingent on a day visit from 491 Sqn ATC, based in Handsworth, Birmingham. We had a super day, managed 2 trips in the Prentiss, one in the front, which allowed me to have a go at the controls. Will never forget ambling my way across the tarmac to the aircraft with my oversize seat parachute banging against the back of my knees. We also experienced the "Link trainer" for a spot of blind flying with the hood down. Wonderful times.
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| Robbie (see above), e-mail, 08.02.2013 20:00 I finally managed to trace the tail gunner on my fathers Lanc squadron at RAF Fiskerton, he and father were the only 2 Brits in the crew, the rest were Aussies. Johnnie also went to Australia after the war but did not contact the 5 Ossies, living far away. I do not know why. Johnnie died early in 2010. The 576 Sqdn in Sydney voted me acting flight engineer in honour of my late father, who had died aged 79.
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| Gabe, e-mail, 19.08.2012 02:48 I now own the only Percival Prentice in the U.S. I've flown it a few times with my Dad who was an Army Air Core WWII fighter pilot. Can you guess what he flew from my email address? I'm going to sell it to a personally owned museum so if you know anyone that may be interested in it have them get a hold of me. Mind you it will demand a price reflecting a one of a kind in the U.S.
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| Ian Worby, e-mail, 23.05.2012 18:45 The Prentice was brought in to the RAF College in 1948 to replace the Tiger Moth as the basic trainer. After a couple of months it was withdrawn because, I believe, the tail posts were cracking, and we went back to our beloved Tiger Moth until we converted to the Harvard.
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| Neil, e-mail, 27.01.2012 23:21 I am restoring VS356 G AOLU EI ASP to fly again.
Does anyone have any pictures of it or have flown or worked on it ?
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| Mike Whittard, e-mail, 09.01.2012 19:36 I too learned to "commit aviation" on the Prentice at 6 FTS Tern Hill in 1952 (88 Course). It was described by one of my instructors as an "Old Gentleman's Airial Carriage". I have to agree with most of the comments about the aircraft's performance, but none the less she got me up in the air safely down again. Despite her many faults I'll always have soft spot for the much maligned Percival Prentice.
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| nigel sawford, e-mail, 11.11.2011 18:18 Spent happy times in them on hot summer days flying roundthe skys of Norfolk. when i was in the A.T.C.
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| Keith Baynes, e-mail, 04.09.2011 00:47 I learned to fly on the Prentice at Terhill. Some years later I bought one from Lambtex - they had used it for advertising - for the princely sum of £75.00. It had been in a hanger at Leeds/Bradford for about five years. The mechanic who handed it over was very helpful! His remarks were confined to "Rather you than me mate." I flew it down to Stapleford Tawney but couldn't afford to keep it and sold it to a director of Britiah Air Ferries.
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| Shane (Butch) Whitehouse, e-mail, 08.05.2011 02:38 Like John Rodway I was at R A F Swanton Morley,1952-1956,Cpl A/F Fitter,once tried a spin on a Prentice air test,took so long to get enough altitude and so long to recover from the spin we never tried that again ! After 25 yrs;A and C Lic;Eng; how a civil reg;Prentice gets a C of A I cannot imagine
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| Dave Blackford, e-mail, 15.03.2011 18:40 7FTS RAF Cottesmore. I was flying a Prentice aircraft with my instructor Fg. Off. Craig when we had an engine failure/fire over Melton Mowbray. Between us we made a successful crash landing at Great Dalby disused airfield, just outside Melton Mowbray. We got a mention in the local paper.
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| Dave Watkins, e-mail, 02.01.2011 14:22 When I Passed Out of Halton as an AC1 Instrument Maker I was posted to 3FTS Feltwell which had Prentices and Harvards. I did a lot of compass swings on both types. I left 3FTS in February 1952 as a Corporal for Navigator training and remained in the RAF until December 1975 (I joined, as a Boy Entrant in May 1947, becoming an Aircraft Apprentice in December 1947). My third Canberra tour (of four) was with 45 Sqn at Tengah.
Coincidence - 3 FTS and 45(R) Sqn are now the same unit at Cranwell !
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| Tony Bird, e-mail, 10.12.2010 21:05 Having done a flying scholarship with the ATC and armed with a PPL I was taken on by the RAFVR as a cadet pilot at Ellers Road Doncaster.
Great fun after a Magister to have R/T, C/S airscrew and a boost gauge! I remember spinning very well!!
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| H M Archer, e-mail, 16.11.2010 21:23 Agree wholeheartedly with Mike Hobbs. Poor controls, poor sability, and underpowered. A bit like flying a Lancaster on one. Nobody should ever buy a side by side trainer.
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| John E Rodway(ex RAF), e-mail, 18.10.2010 14:34 I worked on the engines of the Prentice at No.1 Air signals school Swantom Morley. Went on several test flights after servcing the gipsy queen. With the R1155 & tx 1154 in back was very under powered when trying tom do a loop it would fall back on its tail making me airsick. Quite fun though!!
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| James Perry, e-mail, 21.04.2010 07:50 I learnt to fly on a Prentice, back in 1951, at 6 FTS Ternhill. My instructor was a wonderful man Flt.Lt DAve Thorton, RAFVR. Is there any body out there who can has any photos of the Prentices at Ternhill in the period 1951/2, especially of Nan Oboe.
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| Dave Benton (ex RAF), e-mail, 13.04.2010 21:09 Will never forget my first flight in the Prentice at Burnaston Airfield back in 1953 when, as a schoolboy ATC cadet felt like a real airman. I even remember a Catalina parked in the corner of the Hanger.
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| John Price, e-mail, 01.03.2010 18:30 The changes in tail design from the camouflaged prototype to production models show how difficult it was to sort out the Prentice's stability and control problems, caused by that vast glasshouse that educationists in the CFS/Air Ministry felt would be good for students to sit in and learn from the goings-on up front. So much for "learning by listening" theory ... Mike Hobbs has it right !
Still, I did learn to fly on it, and it was useful for bringing holly back to base for Christmas decorations ... Afterwards, the Harvard was a delight ...
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| Robbie, e-mail, 07.01.2010 02:47 I recall whilst at Cranwell about 1953, seeing three Percival Prentices doing group formation aerobatics over the North Airfield, with each wing of the inner lead aircraft attached by a white tape to the. The tape was unbroken after they finally landed, their display even included a loop ! True, they were not very popular trainers, but obviously there were a few gen pilots able to get the best out of them !
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| Ted Lewis, e-mail, 12.12.2009 17:17 Flew in them at Swanton Morley during signals training in 1953.
Had to sit on the tail to taxi in during snow conditions as the spats used to clog with snow and tip the aircraft forward.
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| Bill Evans, e-mail, 01.09.2009 00:11 I instructed on the Prentice at 6 FTS Tern Hill.We were authorised to give spin exercises in a one hour sortie.
By the time we climbed to 11,000 feet and performed one spin it was time to return to base.
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| J A Chesters, e-mail, 27.01.2009 17:23 Thats a weird version , all the trips I had, I was facing backwards, pax of course , and loops were very interesting 7 FTS 1951
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| Mike Hobbs (ex RAF), e-mail, 15.06.2008 19:43 The Prentice was somewhat of a lumbering brute and not a good trainer A/C for the RAF. It was heavy and underpowered and, in my opinion, should never have beenputrchased for the Royal Air Force.
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| Mike Hobbs (ex RAF), e-mail, 15.06.2008 19:43 The Prentice was somewhat of a lumbering brute and not a good trainer A/C for the RAF. It was heavy and underpowered and, in my opinion, should never have beenputrchased for the Royal Air Force.
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