Percival Pembroke

Percival P.66 Pembroke
Privately owned Hunting Percival P-66 Pembroke C.1 takes off in 2008
Role	Light transport
Manufacturer	Percival Aircraft Company
First flight	21 November 1952
Introduction	1953
Retired	1988
Primary user	Royal Air Force
Produced	1953-1958
Number built	128

The Percival Pembroke was a British high-wing twin-engined light transport aircraft built by the Percival Aircraft Company, later Hunting Percival.

Development

The Pembroke was a development of the Percival Prince civil transport. It had a longer wing to permit a higher fully laden weight. The prototype flew on 21 November 1952. Production was complete in early 1958.

Operational history

Percival Pembroke C.1 of Bomber Command Communications Squadron at Blackbushe Airport Hampshire in September 1956.

It entered service with the Royal Air Force as the Percival Pembroke C.1 in 1953 to replace the Avro Anson for light transport duties. As with other RAF transports passenger seats are rearward facing for improved safety.

Six were produced as the Pembroke C(PR).1 photographic reconnaissance aircraft. these saw use by No. 81 Squadron RAF during the Malayan Emergency. The RAF's Pembrokes were modified to extend their lifespan in 1970. The last unit to use them was No. 60 Squadron RAF based at RAF Wildenrath in Germany, these were withdrawn from use in 1988 and were replaced by the Hawker Siddeley Andover.

The Finnish Air Force operated two aircraft for aerial photography between 1956 to 1968, on behalf of the National Land Survey of Finland. One of the aircraft was destroyed when it hit a snow wall during landing in 1965. The other aircraft is currently stored at the Aviation Museum of Central Finland.

Survivors

Preserved Pembroke C.1 WV740 giving a flying display

Pembroke C.1 WV740 (G-BNPH) is privately maintained in RAF markings in the UK (as of 2009) and gives flying displays. Pembroke C.1 " WV746 is currently housed in Hangar 1 at RAF museum Cosford. Ex CinC's Air Support Command VIP personal aircraft of 1960's and 1970's. Modified to carry wheelchair ramp. Later with 60 Sqdn, Germany. Pembroke Mk. 51 s/n K66-B4001 is located at the Essex County Airport in Fairfield, New Jersey. The aircraft was built in 1953 and last served with the Belgium Air Force. The left engine is inoperable and the aircraft is damaged and in a deteriorated condition. It was offered as a warbird contest prize in spring 2009.

Pembroke Mk 51 s/n K66-4002 is on display at Taylor's Stateline Liquor Store in Neelyville, MO.

Belgian Air Force keeps its RM7 at their Melsbroek premises just across the military air terminal; its sister RM4 is in the Brussels Aviation Museum.

Air Atlantique Classic Flight at Coventry Airport, England operate Pembroke C.1 G-BXES painted as XL954 in RAF Transport Command Livery.

Pembroke SE-BKH (ex RAF XK884) is at Västerås Flygmuseum, Sweden, in airworthy condition with Swedish markings.

Pembroke C52/Tp 83, Swedish Flygvapnet 83007 is displayed at Svedinos Bil- och Flygmuseum, Ugglarp, Halland, Sweden.

Pembrokes C54 54+21 and 54+24 are at Flugausstellung Hermeskeil, Rheinland Pfalz, Germany.

Pembroke C54 54+08 is on display at Aeronauticum, adjacent to Nordholz Naval Airbase, Germany.

Pembroke C54 54+02 is displayed at Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum, Germany, marked as "D-CAKE".

Pembroke C54 AS+558 / 54+07 is displayed at Militärhistorisches Museum Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow, Germany.

Variants

P.66 Pembroke C.1

Communications and transport variant for the RAF, 44 built.

P.66 Pembroke C(PR).1

Photographic reconnaissance variant for the RAF, 6 built and 2 conversions from C.1.

P.66 Pembroke C51

export variant for Belgium.

P.66 Pembroke C52

export variant for Sweden. Swedish military designation Tp 83.

P.66 Pembroke C53

export variant for Finland.

P.66 Pembroke C54

export variant for West Germany.

P.66 Pembroke C55

export variant for Sudan

P.66 President

Civil transport version, 5 built.

Operators

Luftwaffe Pembroke C.54 preserved at the Junior Museum, Hermeskeil, Germany, in June 2007

Belgium

• Belgian Air Force (12 x C51 operated from 1954 to 1976)

Denmark

• Royal Danish Air Force

Finland

• Finnish Air Force

Germany

• Luftwaffe
• German Army
• German Navy

Malawi

• Military of Malawi

Rhodesia

• South Rhodesian Air Force two C.1 aircraft diverted from Royal Air Force contract.

Sweden

• Swedish Air Force

Sudan

• Sudanese Air Force

• Royal Air Force - 56 delivered from 1953
  • No. 21 Squadron RAF
  • No. 32 Squadron RAF
  • No. 60 Squadron RAF
  • No. 70 Squadron RAF
  • No. 78 Squadron RAF
  • No. 81 Squadron RAF
  • No. 84 Squadron RAF
  • No. 152 Squadron RAF
  • No. 207 Squadron RAF
  • No. 209 Squadron RAF
  • No. 267 Squadron RAF
• Empire Test Pilots' School

Zambia

• Zambian Air Force

Specifications (Pembroke C.1)

Data from Gatwick museum Pembroke page

General characteristics

• Crew: Two pilots
• Capacity: 8 passengers
• Length: 46 ft (14.02 m)
• Wingspan: 64 ft 6 in (19.66 m)
• Height: 16 ft (4.9 m)
• Empty weight: 9,961 lb (4,400 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 13,489 lb (6,124 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × Alvis Leonides 127 9-cylinder supercharged radial piston engines, 540 hp (410 kw) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 186 mph (300 km/h)
• Range: 1,012 nm (1,850 km)
• Service ceiling: 7,680 m (22,000 ft)

See also

• Twin Pioneer
• List of aircraft of the RAF

References

Bibliography

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985) London: Orbis Publishing, 1985.
• Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft since 1919 (Volume 3). London: Putnam, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10014-X.
• Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE, BA, RAF (Retd). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
• Sturtivant, Ray, ISO and John Hamlin. RAF Flying Training And Support Units since 1912. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2007. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.

External links

• RAF museum
• Contemporary advert for Pembroke
• "Flight" 1954 cutaway drawing military mission roles