Edgar Percival
Encyclopedia
Edgar Wikner Percival was a noted Australia
n aircraft designer and pilot whose aircraft were distinguished by speed and grace. Percival went on to set up the Percival Aircraft Company
, a British
aircraft company in his own name.
. (Albury and its sister town Wodonga
sit either side of the Victoria/New South Wales border.) Percival's maternal great uncle was Pontus Wikner, the Swedish philosopher.His grandfather was Edgar Magnus Wikner. Early childhood saw Percival assisting in the running of the large family farm situated on the river flats of the Hawkesbury. As a child, he was fascinated by the advances made in aviation especially after seeing his first aeroplane in 1911 when the local dental surgeon, William Ewart Hart flew to the council field in Richmond, near the Percival property. Becoming friends with the pilot and helping in small ways in maintaining the aircraft, led to Percival receiving, as a reward, his first flight. By 1912, he had designed, produced and flown his own gliders, beginning a life-long passion for this designer-pilot. After attending Fort Street High School, Sydney, he enrolled at Sydney Technical College
, later applying and receiving an apprenticeship at an engineering firm before being accepted at Sydney University.
, but by 1916 he transferred to the British Army's Royal Flying Corps
(RFC). After going solo in 20 minutes in 1917, he was assigned to a combat squadron in France flying fighters in Billy Bishop
's No. 60 Squadron
. Percival flew many sorties accompanying the Canadian ace. Noted for his flying skills, he was promoted to Captain, and later transferred to No. 11 Squadron as one of its founding members, seeing service in the Middle East and Greece. In 1918, while still in the services and posted to Egypt, Percival designed his first powered aircraft, "a special-purpose aircraft based on the Bristol F.2B
, with the Rolls-Royce Eagle engine."
s and a de Havilland DH.6 aircraft to do film work, stunt flying and barnstorming plus charter flights, operating his own charter company. A number of notable flights occurred: in 1921, he surveyed the Melbourne-Brisbane route in an Avro 504
, in 1923, he won the Melbourne to Geelong Race.
In Australia, Percival began to take a further interest in aircraft design; he built the winning entry in the 1924 Australian Aero Club competition to design a light aircraft. In 1926, flying an aircraft that he helped design, he competed in a Federal Government challenge for both design and piloting skills, winning £940 in prize money.
Later in the same year, Percival was involved in a landmark series of proving flights that helped establish the use of carrier-borne fighters, culminating in his being catapulted in a "navalised" Sopwith Pup
off the USS Idaho
battleship, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Percival returned to England in 1929 where he was appointed as an Air Ministry test pilot, specializing in amphibians, seaplanes and Schneider Trophy
racers and went on to set up his own firm, the Percival Aircraft Company
, to produce his aircraft designs. Edgar Percival was also very active as a pilot during the interwar period; not only did he compete with regular success, but his designs were widely used by other racing and record-setting pilots who held his products in very high regard. Noted racing pilots of the time who also flew Percival's machines included C.W.A. Scott
, Jim
and Amy Mollison
, Charles Gardner and Giles Guthrie. Many came to Percival to have their machines specially built and modified for the task in hand – usually to extend their already long range.
Percival was a noted character on the air racing scene at the time, and was often referred to in the aeronautical press of the day as "The Hat," an epithet resulting from his omnipresent hat, which, characteristically (and resplendent in a lounge-suit), he also wore while flying. He was respected as a highly competitive and able pilot, taking great pride in being awarded the prize for "fastest time" in handicap air racing, as well as being a rather fiery, impatient and irascible businessman and employer. During this period, Edgar Percival served in the Reserve of Air Force Officers, 1929–1939 and was a founding member of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators
.
(1930), one of a series of collaborative projects with Saunders Roe Ltd.
. Having had interests in the company which he sold in 1932, Percival began searching for an established manufacturer to produce a "light" aeroplane that he had designed which he called the "Percival Gull
." Finding no company willing and able to take on production, Percival consequently started his own aircraft company as the Percival Aircraft Company
. In collaboration with Lt. Cdr E.B.W. Leake (who was to become co-founder of Percival Aircraft), he arranged for the prototype Gull (registered
as G-ABUR) to be produced by the Lowe-Wylde British Aircraft Company
of Maidstone
, Kent.
Running the business from his private address in London (20, Grosvenor Square), Percival then arranged for series production to be contracted out to George Parnall & Sons
, of Yate
, Gloucestershire, an arrangement that lasted two years. Percival Aircraft was officially formed in 1933. In 1934, after 24 Gulls had been produced at Parnalls, Percival set up his own factory at London Gravesend Airport
, Kent.
Edgar Percival's aircraft were renowned for their graceful lines and outstanding performance. As a noted test pilot, Percival continued to fly his own creations; in 1935, he flew a Gull from England to Morocco
and back to England, winning the Oswald Watt Gold Medal
. He was the first pilot to fly from Britain to Africa and back in one day. He left Gravesend at 1.30am and returned to Croydon at 6.20pm. "Day trips in the future will be as commonplace as trips to Margate" he said in a broadcast at nine o'clock. Other famous aviators were associated with Percival aircraft; in 1933, Charles Kingsford Smith
flew a Percival Gull
Four named Miss Southern Cross from England to Australia in the record breaking time of 7 days, 4 hours and 44 minutes. The New Zealand aviatrix, Jean Batten
, also used the Percival Gull to fly from England to Australia in October 1936. A pure racing derivative of the Gull series, the Percival Mew Gull
flown by other illustrious pilots such as Alex Henshaw
and Tom Campbell Black
would go on to set many speed and distance records in the 1930s.
In late 1936, Percival transferred production to larger facilities at the newly built Luton Corporation Airport
in Bedfordshire. A two-bay hangar was constructed to accommodate the workshops while the design offices were set up in the original Georgian farmhouse situated nearby. Production at Luton was then primarily focused on the Vega Gull. A small twin-engined machine, the Q6
was also produced in limited quantities, using a pair of de Havilland Gipsy Six
Series II powerplants equipped with variable-pitch airscrews. Again, the same basic method of construction was employed and the finished result was an aesthetically pleasing and aerodynamically clean feederliner of its day that represented the final new design produced by the company prior to Edgar Percival selling his interests in the company.
known as the Proctor
. This rugged three-seater was powered by a 205 hp Gipsy Queen II
engine. During the Second World War, a great deal of Proctor production was sub-contracted out and the designs of other firms, including the Airspeed Oxford
and de Havilland Mosquito
were, in turn, produced by Percival Aircraft at Luton. In March 1940, Capt. Percival resigned from the company, his dual roles being taken up by Capt. P.D. Acland (formerly Aviation Manager of Vickers Ltd.) who was appointed Managing Director and Arthur Bage becoming the Chief Designer. During the war years, Percival served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
.
in September 1944, Percival Aircraft was bought out by Hunting & Son Ltd
and Edgar Percival sold his interest in his company and moved to the United States to continue work on engine technology. From 1954, his original company began trading under the name Hunting Percival Aircraft Ltd. although the Percival name was finally dropped from the company title in 1957.
(at Stapleford Aerodrome
, England), a new company after his original company became part of the Hunting Group. His first new design, the Edgar Percival E.P.9
was a utility aircraft well suited to agricultural use. A total of 21 were constructed before Percival sold his company in 1960 to Samlesbury Engineering; the new company formed Lancashire Aircraft Company to continue aircraft construction of the E.P.9.
Edgar Percival was working on new aviation projects in the UK and New Zealand at the time of his death in 1984.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n aircraft designer and pilot whose aircraft were distinguished by speed and grace. Percival went on to set up the Percival Aircraft Company
Hunting Aircraft
Hunting Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer, that produced light training aircraft and initially designed the BAC 1-11 jet airliner. The company, based in Luton, merged with other companies to form the British Aircraft Corporation in 1959.-History:...
, a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
aircraft company in his own name.
Early years
Edgar W. Percival was born in 1898 at Albury, New South WalesAlbury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
. (Albury and its sister town Wodonga
Wodonga, Victoria
Wodonga is a small city on the Victorian side of the border with New South Wales, north-east of Melbourne, Australia. Adjacent to Wodonga across the border is the New South Wales city of Albury. Wodonga is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA...
sit either side of the Victoria/New South Wales border.) Percival's maternal great uncle was Pontus Wikner, the Swedish philosopher.His grandfather was Edgar Magnus Wikner. Early childhood saw Percival assisting in the running of the large family farm situated on the river flats of the Hawkesbury. As a child, he was fascinated by the advances made in aviation especially after seeing his first aeroplane in 1911 when the local dental surgeon, William Ewart Hart flew to the council field in Richmond, near the Percival property. Becoming friends with the pilot and helping in small ways in maintaining the aircraft, led to Percival receiving, as a reward, his first flight. By 1912, he had designed, produced and flown his own gliders, beginning a life-long passion for this designer-pilot. After attending Fort Street High School, Sydney, he enrolled at Sydney Technical College
Sydney Technical College
The Sydney Technical College was a name used by Australia's oldest technical education institution.It began as the Sydney Mechanics' Institute in 1843...
, later applying and receiving an apprenticeship at an engineering firm before being accepted at Sydney University.
First World War
After the declaration of war, Edgar Percival joined the 7th Australian Light Horse in 1915, being stationed in the Middle EastMiddle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, but by 1916 he transferred to the British Army's Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
(RFC). After going solo in 20 minutes in 1917, he was assigned to a combat squadron in France flying fighters in Billy Bishop
Billy Bishop
Air Marshal William Avery "Billy" Bishop VC, CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DFC, ED was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian ace, and according to some sources, the top ace of the British Empire.-Early life:Bishop was born in Owen Sound,...
's No. 60 Squadron
No. 60 Squadron RAF
No. 60 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed in 1916 at Gosport. It is currently part of the Defence Helicopter Flying School based at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire....
. Percival flew many sorties accompanying the Canadian ace. Noted for his flying skills, he was promoted to Captain, and later transferred to No. 11 Squadron as one of its founding members, seeing service in the Middle East and Greece. In 1918, while still in the services and posted to Egypt, Percival designed his first powered aircraft, "a special-purpose aircraft based on the Bristol F.2B
Bristol F.2 Fighter
The Bristol F.2 Fighter was a British two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War flown by the Royal Flying Corps. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter or popularly the "Brisfit" or "Biff". Despite being a two-seater, the F.2B proved to be an agile aircraft...
, with the Rolls-Royce Eagle engine."
Interwar Period
Following the First World War, Percival returned to Australia with three surplus aircraft, two Avro 504Avro 504
The Avro 504 was a World War I biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the War totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I, in any military capacity, during...
s and a de Havilland DH.6 aircraft to do film work, stunt flying and barnstorming plus charter flights, operating his own charter company. A number of notable flights occurred: in 1921, he surveyed the Melbourne-Brisbane route in an Avro 504
Avro 504
The Avro 504 was a World War I biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the War totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I, in any military capacity, during...
, in 1923, he won the Melbourne to Geelong Race.
In Australia, Percival began to take a further interest in aircraft design; he built the winning entry in the 1924 Australian Aero Club competition to design a light aircraft. In 1926, flying an aircraft that he helped design, he competed in a Federal Government challenge for both design and piloting skills, winning £940 in prize money.
Later in the same year, Percival was involved in a landmark series of proving flights that helped establish the use of carrier-borne fighters, culminating in his being catapulted in a "navalised" Sopwith Pup
Sopwith Pup
The Sopwith Pup was a British single seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristics and good maneuverability, the aircraft proved very...
off the USS Idaho
USS Idaho (BB-24)
USS Idaho , the second ship of her class of battleships, was the second ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the U.S. state of Idaho. After her career in the USN, she was sold to Greece and renamed Limnos in 1914. Limnos was sunk by German bombers in April 1941...
battleship, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Percival returned to England in 1929 where he was appointed as an Air Ministry test pilot, specializing in amphibians, seaplanes and Schneider Trophy
Schneider Trophy
The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider was a prize competition for seaplanes. Announced by Jacques Schneider, a financier, balloonist and aircraft enthusiast, in 1911, it offered a prize of roughly £1,000. The race was held eleven times between 1913 and 1931...
racers and went on to set up his own firm, the Percival Aircraft Company
Hunting Aircraft
Hunting Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer, that produced light training aircraft and initially designed the BAC 1-11 jet airliner. The company, based in Luton, merged with other companies to form the British Aircraft Corporation in 1959.-History:...
, to produce his aircraft designs. Edgar Percival was also very active as a pilot during the interwar period; not only did he compete with regular success, but his designs were widely used by other racing and record-setting pilots who held his products in very high regard. Noted racing pilots of the time who also flew Percival's machines included C.W.A. Scott
C.W.A. Scott
Flight Lieutenant Charles William Anderson Scott, AFC was a famous English aviator, best known for winning the MacRobertson Air Race in 1934....
, Jim
Jim Mollison
James Allan Mollison was a famous Scottish pioneer aviator who set many records during the rapid development of aviation in the 1930s.-Early years:...
and Amy Mollison
Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson CBE, was a pioneering English aviator. Flying solo or with her husband, Jim Mollison, Johnson set numerous long-distance records during the 1930s...
, Charles Gardner and Giles Guthrie. Many came to Percival to have their machines specially built and modified for the task in hand – usually to extend their already long range.
Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators
The Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Guild was established in 1929 and was granted the status of a Livery Company in 1956...
.
Percival Aircraft Company
Percival's interest in aircraft technology led him to design the Saro Percival Mail CarrierSpartan Cruiser
|-See also:-External links:******...
(1930), one of a series of collaborative projects with Saunders Roe Ltd.
Saunders-Roe
Saunders-Roe Limited was a British aero- and marine-engineering company based at Columbine Works East Cowes, Isle of Wight.-History:The name was adopted in 1929 after Alliot Verdon Roe and John Lord took a controlling interest in the boat-builders S.E. Saunders...
. Having had interests in the company which he sold in 1932, Percival began searching for an established manufacturer to produce a "light" aeroplane that he had designed which he called the "Percival Gull
Percival Gull
The Percival Gull was a British single-engined monoplane, first flown in 1932. It was successful as a fast company transport, racing aircraft and long-range record breaker. It was developed into the Vega Gull and the Proctor.-Design and development:...
." Finding no company willing and able to take on production, Percival consequently started his own aircraft company as the Percival Aircraft Company
Hunting Aircraft
Hunting Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer, that produced light training aircraft and initially designed the BAC 1-11 jet airliner. The company, based in Luton, merged with other companies to form the British Aircraft Corporation in 1959.-History:...
. In collaboration with Lt. Cdr E.B.W. Leake (who was to become co-founder of Percival Aircraft), he arranged for the prototype Gull (registered
Aircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
as G-ABUR) to be produced by the Lowe-Wylde British Aircraft Company
British Aircraft Company
The British Aircraft Company was a British aircraft manufacturer based in Maidstone. It was founded by C H Lowe-Wylde and produced gliders and light aircraft during the 1930s.-Glider production:...
of Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, Kent.
Running the business from his private address in London (20, Grosvenor Square), Percival then arranged for series production to be contracted out to George Parnall & Sons
Parnall
Parnall was a British aircraft manufacturer, that evolved from a wood-working company before the First World War to a significant designer of military and civil aircraft into the 1940s. It was based in the west of England.-History:...
, of Yate
Yate
Yate is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, at the southwest extremity of the Cotswold Hills, 12 miles northeast of the city of Bristol. At the 2001 census the population was 21,789. The town of Chipping Sodbury is continuous with Yate to the east...
, Gloucestershire, an arrangement that lasted two years. Percival Aircraft was officially formed in 1933. In 1934, after 24 Gulls had been produced at Parnalls, Percival set up his own factory at London Gravesend Airport
Gravesend Airport
Gravesend Airport, located to the east of the town of Gravesend, Kent, England operated from 1932 until 1956. It was initially a civil airfield, and became a Royal Air Force station shortly after opening.-Civil operation:...
, Kent.
Edgar Percival's aircraft were renowned for their graceful lines and outstanding performance. As a noted test pilot, Percival continued to fly his own creations; in 1935, he flew a Gull from England to Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and back to England, winning the Oswald Watt Gold Medal
Oswald Watt Gold Medal
The Oswald Watt Gold Medal is an Australian aviation award named for Oswald Watt a decorated pilot in World War I.It originated in 1921 after the death of Oswald Watt and is awarded for "A most brilliant performance in the air or the most notable contribution to aviation by an Australian or in...
. He was the first pilot to fly from Britain to Africa and back in one day. He left Gravesend at 1.30am and returned to Croydon at 6.20pm. "Day trips in the future will be as commonplace as trips to Margate" he said in a broadcast at nine o'clock. Other famous aviators were associated with Percival aircraft; in 1933, Charles Kingsford Smith
Charles Kingsford Smith
Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith MC, AFC , often called by his nickname Smithy, was an early Australian aviator. In 1928, he earned global fame when he made the first trans-Pacific flight from the United States to Australia...
flew a Percival Gull
Percival Gull
The Percival Gull was a British single-engined monoplane, first flown in 1932. It was successful as a fast company transport, racing aircraft and long-range record breaker. It was developed into the Vega Gull and the Proctor.-Design and development:...
Four named Miss Southern Cross from England to Australia in the record breaking time of 7 days, 4 hours and 44 minutes. The New Zealand aviatrix, Jean Batten
Jean Batten
Jean Gardner Batten CBE OSC was a New Zealand aviatrix. Born in Rotorua, she became the best-known New Zealander of the 1930s, internationally, by taking a number of record-breaking solo flights across the world....
, also used the Percival Gull to fly from England to Australia in October 1936. A pure racing derivative of the Gull series, the Percival Mew Gull
Percival Mew Gull
The Percival Mew Gull was a British racing aircraft of the 1930s. It was a small, single-engine, single-seat, low-wing monoplane of wooden construction, normally powered by a six-cylinder de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine...
flown by other illustrious pilots such as Alex Henshaw
Alex Henshaw
Alexander Adolphus Dumfries Henshaw MBE was a British air racer in the 1930s and a test pilot for Vickers Armstrong in the Second World War.-Early life:...
and Tom Campbell Black
Tom Campbell Black
Tom Campbell Black, was a famous English aviator.He was the son of Alice Jean McCullough and Hugh Milner Black. He became a world famous aviator when he and C. W. A...
would go on to set many speed and distance records in the 1930s.
In late 1936, Percival transferred production to larger facilities at the newly built Luton Corporation Airport
London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport is an international airport located east of the town centre in the Borough of Luton in Bedfordshire, England and is north of Central London. The airport is from Junction 10a of the M1 motorway...
in Bedfordshire. A two-bay hangar was constructed to accommodate the workshops while the design offices were set up in the original Georgian farmhouse situated nearby. Production at Luton was then primarily focused on the Vega Gull. A small twin-engined machine, the Q6
Percival Petrel
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Ellis, Ken. Wrecks & Relics. Hinkley, UK: Midland Publishing, 2006. ISBN 1-85780-235-7.* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft . London: Orbis Publishing, 1985....
was also produced in limited quantities, using a pair of de Havilland Gipsy Six
De Havilland Gipsy Six
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stephens, 1986, p. 50. ISBN 0-75094-479-X.* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7...
Series II powerplants equipped with variable-pitch airscrews. Again, the same basic method of construction was employed and the finished result was an aesthetically pleasing and aerodynamically clean feederliner of its day that represented the final new design produced by the company prior to Edgar Percival selling his interests in the company.
Second World War
In 1938 with war imminent, Percival developed a military communications and R/T operator training version of the Vega GullPercival Vega Gull
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Ellison, Norman H. Percivals Aircraft . Chalford, Stroud, UK: Chalford Publishing Company, 1997. ISBN 0-7524-0774-0....
known as the Proctor
Percival Proctor
The Percival Proctor was a British radio trainer and communications aircraft of the Second World War. The Proctor was a single-engine, low-wing monoplane with seating for three or four, depending on the model.-Design and development:...
. This rugged three-seater was powered by a 205 hp Gipsy Queen II
De Havilland Gipsy Queen
|-Survivors:Of the 11 Gipsy Queen-powered de Havilland Doves on the British register, only two remain airworthy .-Engines on display:Preserved de Havilland Gipsy Queen engines are on public display at the following museums:*de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre...
engine. During the Second World War, a great deal of Proctor production was sub-contracted out and the designs of other firms, including the Airspeed Oxford
Airspeed Oxford
The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford was a twin-engine aircraft used for training British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery during the Second World War.-Design and development:...
and de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
were, in turn, produced by Percival Aircraft at Luton. In March 1940, Capt. Percival resigned from the company, his dual roles being taken up by Capt. P.D. Acland (formerly Aviation Manager of Vickers Ltd.) who was appointed Managing Director and Arthur Bage becoming the Chief Designer. During the war years, Percival served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve consists of a number of groupings of individual military reservists for the management and operation of the Royal Air Force's Air Training Corps and CCF Air Cadet formations, Volunteer Gliding Squadrons , Air Experience Flights, and also to form the...
.
in September 1944, Percival Aircraft was bought out by Hunting & Son Ltd
Hunting Aircraft
Hunting Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer, that produced light training aircraft and initially designed the BAC 1-11 jet airliner. The company, based in Luton, merged with other companies to form the British Aircraft Corporation in 1959.-History:...
and Edgar Percival sold his interest in his company and moved to the United States to continue work on engine technology. From 1954, his original company began trading under the name Hunting Percival Aircraft Ltd. although the Percival name was finally dropped from the company title in 1957.
Later years
In 1948, Edgar Percival became a naturalized US citizen and in 1951 he went to New Zealand where he was involved with pioneering aerial application efforts. In 1954, Percival formed Edgar Percival Aircraft LimitedEdgar Percival Aircraft
Edgar Percival Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from 1954 to 1958. The company was based at Stapleford Aerodrome, England.-History:...
(at Stapleford Aerodrome
Stapleford Aerodrome
Stapleford Aerodrome is an airfield in the Epping Forest district of Essex, England near to the village of Abridge. It is about south of North Weald Airfield and north of Romford...
, England), a new company after his original company became part of the Hunting Group. His first new design, the Edgar Percival E.P.9
Edgar Percival E.P.9
-References:NotesBibliography* "Edgar Percival EP.9." Classic Wings Downunder article, Issue 52, Vol. 12, No.4.* Flight, 1955.* Ellison, Norman H.Percivals Aircraft . Chalford, Stroud, UK: Chalford Publishing Company, 1997. ISBN 0-7524-0774-0.* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft...
was a utility aircraft well suited to agricultural use. A total of 21 were constructed before Percival sold his company in 1960 to Samlesbury Engineering; the new company formed Lancashire Aircraft Company to continue aircraft construction of the E.P.9.
Edgar Percival was working on new aviation projects in the UK and New Zealand at the time of his death in 1984.