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493:. By this time, other owners had further altered this historic aircraft, resulting in reduced performance. Eventually derelict, the wings were sawn off at Booker so that it could be transported to a poorly run museum, where it became damp, and many parts were lost to souvenir hunters. In this state, Tom Storey and Martin Barraclough acquired the remains of the aircraft and totally rebuilt it during the late 1970s. Wishing to make the aircraft more practical to operate, a configuration closer to its original design was chosen, making G-AEXF look somewhat like an E2H/E3H hybrid, painted in the white and
466:
380:, G-AEKL was 1st with Charles Gardner at the controls in his house-colours of dark blue with pale blue lettering and trim. He averaged 234 mph (377 km/h) over the 1,442 mi (2,321 km) course. The 1938 King's Cup was a 1,012 mi (1,629 km) event and Giles Guthrie in his red mostly unmodified E2H G-AEKL placed 2nd. G-AEKL was rebuilt twice, was fitted with three engines, at least five different airscrews and had six paint schemes. Subsequently, the aircraft passed through several hands before being destroyed by German bombs at Lympne early in the war.
449:) and finished 6th. Percival could have won, but as well as being made scratch-man by the handicappers, he also left the fine adjustment of his airscrew's pitch until just before the race; his ground-crew were still tinkering with it as Henshaw took off. At this time the bracket-type airscrew did not have the pitch-range to cope with the exceptionally wide speed range of the E3H (59–265 mph). An optimisation for either cruise or for take-off and climb would inevitably compromise the other.
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489:, the aircraft was stored in a hangar in France and its several owners hid it from German authorities. In 1950, Hugh Scrope found and bought it, and with Doug Bianchi's help, refurbished the aircraft to fly it back home to England. After restoration, G-AEXF continued its racing career but it was damaged in a landing accident in August 1951 at Shoreham. J.N. Somers, the next owner repaired it and raced it again. A new owner, Ernest Crabtree, flew it last in the 1965
24:
363:, G-AEKL, was fitted with a De Havilland Gipsy Six Series I, and became Percival's personal mount. In July 1936 he finished 4th in the King's Cup Race. Later in August, he finished 7th in the 174 mi (280 km) race for the Folkestone Trophy. G-AEKL was sold and re-engined and modified to enter in the 1936
534:, where the aircraft flipped onto its back and was written off. At the time of the accident, Halse was well ahead of the rest of the field, so much so, that by the time Scott and Guthrie's winning Vega Gull arrived, most of the disappointed spectators had gone home. The remains were stored until at least 1950.
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The prototype Mew Gull (construction number E.20), designated Type E.1, was fitted with a 165 hp (123 kW) Napier
Javelin IA six-cylinder inverted inline engine and was first flown on 22 March 1934 by Edgar Percival. The aircraft was re-engined with a more powerful 200 hp (150 kW)
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Desmond
Penrose was the next owner, who based the machine at Old Warden. The aircraft was written off two further times: once at the time of purchase and again a few years later. After the first of these rebuilds, the machine was re-configured to resemble its configuration for the 1939 Cape flight.
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variants, all built between 1934 and 1938. (The incorrect designation "P6" was retrospectively applied after
Percival left the company and long after the Mew Gulls were built). The Mew Gulls were built at Gravesend, with the exception of the sole E3H, G-AFAA, which was built after the company moved
272:
The type then underwent substantial redesign,, with much of the work carried out by Arthur Bage. A new wing, incorporating wing-flaps was fitted. After testing, a new, much longer fuselage was fitted to the new wing, after which it was re-designated as the E2. This basic layout remained common to
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Structurally, there was very little commonality of parts between the Gulls IV/ VI/ Vega Gull and the Mew Gull, other than a few minor components. All of the Gulls, however, did use a similar generic structure. Proprietary equipment such as engines, airscrews, spinners, instruments, undercarriage
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was killed and the aircraft was withdrawn from the race. Rebuilt in 1937, its new owner
Charles Gardner re-painted G-AEKL in his own 'house colours' of two-tone blue. Progressively modified it, an engine-swap for another Gypsy Six Series II from the destroyed G-AEMO - moving the CG forward, and
546:) closely resembled the earlier machines from the outside, though its wing and tail were slightly smaller. It was internally a completely new design. Only one was built, powered from the outset by a Gipsy Six Series II. It replaced G-AEKL as Edgar Percival's personal mount and in the 1937
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piston engine. During the second half of the 1930s Mew Gulls dominated air-racing in the UK, consistently recorded the fastest times until the outbreak of war stopped all civilian flying in late 1939. In addition examples set many long-distance records. Its top speed was 265 mph
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for propeller trials at
Hatfield during the war, G-AFAA was written off in a landing accident by a de Havilland pilot. The remains of this aircraft were burned along with those of the first G-ACND at a Percival Aircraft garden fete at Luton Airport immediately after the war.
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at the Cape the next day, covering the 6,377 miles course in 39 hours and 25 minutes, averaging 209.44 mph while in the air. The return trip was just 11 minutes longer. During all of
Henshaw's adventures in this aircraft, it was never damaged.
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Initially registered as G-AEMO but completed as ZS-AHO was another E2H powered by a Gipsy Six Series II engine, built to the order of S.S. "Stan" Halse for the
Schlesinger Race. Due to bad visibility, Halse made a forced landing in a ploughed field in
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The Mew Gull was re-designated as the E.2 after both the wing and fuselage were replaced with modified units. G-ACND retained its original registration. The E.2 was powered by a Gipsy Six Series I. It was temporarily fitted with a smaller 180 hp
521:, Bedfordshire, England. Powered by a Gipsy Queen II, the aircraft is today in the air once again and gives flying displays at airshows during the summer months. The Gipsy Six R from the 1938 King's Cup is also on static display there.
508:
In 2002, G-AEXF was sold to Rob
Fleming and was operated by The Real Aeroplane Company at the Breighton Aerodrome, Yorkshire, England. It was temporarily shipped over to the United States to fly in a demonstration race at the 2003
452:
In
February 1939, with G-AEXF re-engined yet again with a Gipsy Six II and with revised equipment, Henshaw set a new record for the out-and-home Cape class-record, which stood until 2009. He took off on 5 February 1939 from
339:, the Percival representative in France, and averaged 188 mph (303 km/h) to win the race. In October 1935, with the original British de Havilland Gipsy Six reinstalled, Guy de Chateaubrun took part in the
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was again damaged at
Redhill in late 1983, when an Auster taxied into it. The aircraft continued to be operated in the configuration as rebuilt by Storey and Barraclough until it was offered for sale.
585:. Henshaw commissioned it from AJD Engineering (Ipswich, UK), who had restored the original G-AEXF after a crash at Shuttleworth, to represent the aircraft in its record-breaking Cape configuration.
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and a fully castoring tailskid. Small manually-operated, split trailing-edge wing flaps were incorporated into the mainplanes, but were "...singularly ineffective even when fully extended". -
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bracing-up main undercarriage with steel cables to reduce drag - a common practice at the time, and tuning the engine. G-AEKL won the Newcastle Race and the King's Cup that year. In the 1937
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of a Mew Gull, abandoning G-ACND because of fog on his way to Orly. Parts of the original airframe of G-ACND are thought to have been burned in a bonfire at Luton after the end of the
513:
at Reno, Nevada, the first Mew Gull to touch American soil. In 2012, G-AEXF was operating from Breighton, 76 years after her original incarnation. In October 2013, it was sold to the
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legs, wheels and tyres were generally common to all series. The Mew Gulls (apart from the E1 in its initial configuration) used a fixed, conventional oleomatic main
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441:). In this form Henshaw won the 1938 King's Cup, setting a class speed record which still stands. The 1938 King's Cup was a 1,012-mile event and this time
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from England to South Africa 6,154 mi (9,904 km). Ten days before the start, G-AEKL was involved in a fatal taxiing accident at Liverpool
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came in 1st at 236 mph. Henshaw's win set a class record which, as of 2020, still stands. Edgar Percival flew a third Mew Gull, the E3H (
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Five or six Mew Gulls were built; the E1/E2 development prototype (sometimes counted as two separate aircraft), three E2H's and one E3H.
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de Havilland Gipsy Six and modified undercarriage, and on 13–14 July 1934 Percival flew the aircraft in that year's
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G-AEXF was extensively rebuilt yet again and continued to operate from Old Warden for some time until sold-on.
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of July 1935, a race of 1,046 miles from Deauville, France to Cannes and back. The Mew Gull was flown by
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is a British racing aircraft of the 1930s. It is a small single-engined single-seat low-wing
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he flew it to a third-place finish. It continued to be raced by Percival through 1937–1939.
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engine, before its first race. All subsequent aircraft used variants of the Gipsy Six.
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and powered by a Gipsy Six Series II. Miller retired at the Belgrade checkpoint.
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1,500 mi (2,400 km, 1,300 nmi) at at 228 mph (367 km/h)
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6-cylinder air-cooled inverted in-line piston engine, 200 hp (150 kW)
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Henshaw sold G-AEXF to Frenchman Victor Vermoral in late 1939. During the
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230 mph (370 km/h, 200 kn) at 7,000 ft (2,100 m)
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The prototype, G-ACND, first flew in March 1934 powered by a 165 hp
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842:"And Then There Was One: Ten airplanes that are the last still flying"
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Percival re-engined the aircraft with a Gipsy Six I and sold it on to
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developed a smaller dedicated racer, and designated the type the
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of wooden construction, normally powered by a six-cylinder
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G-HEKL in 2015, a replica of the Percival Mew Gull G-AEKL.
967:
Silvester, John. "Percival Aircraft 1933–1954 (Part 2)."
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Ogilvy, David F. (April 1952). "The Percival Mew Gull".
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Aero Engineering Data Sheets No. 37. London, Newnes 1937
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Percival Mew Gull G-AEXF at Breighton Aerodrome in 2007
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when competing in the 1953 UK National Air Races at
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single-engined light low-wing cantilever monoplane,
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Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
331:engine, again of the same form, to qualify for the
48:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
918:. No. 4. Air Britain. 1990. pp. 97–100.
497:she wore when owned by Alex Henshaw in the 1930s.
581:A static replica of G-AEXF is on display at the
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953:, Vol. 8, No. 9, September 1980. (Extracts from
433:and fitted with a Gipsy Six R engine taken from
960:Riding, Richard. "A Truly Remarkable Aviator."
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883:. London: John Murray Publishers Ltd., 1980.
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942:Green, Peter and Ken Ellis. "Alex Henshaw."
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897:British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft
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437:K5085 (formerly G-ACSS, the winner of the
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679:240 mph (390 km/h, 210 kn)
429:The aircraft was extensively modified by
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108:Learn how and when to remove this message
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756:. London: H.M.S.O., 1980 ISBN 0112902987
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664:2-bladed variable-pitch metal propeller
574:A UK Registered replica of a Mew Gull,
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1037:Percival, Hunting Percival and Hunting
914:"The Whole Truth: Percival Mew Gull".
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1131:Hunting Percival aircraft (1954-1957)
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46:adding citations to reliable sources
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949:Henshaw, Alex. "The Fastest Ever."
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971:, Vol. 11, No. 118, February 1983.
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630:6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
624:24 ft 0 in (7.32 m)
618:20 ft 3 in (6.17 m)
479:Wolverhampton (Pendeford) airfield
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1216:Single-engined tractor aircraft
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511:National Championship Air Races
439:1934 England-Australia air race
33:needs additional citations for
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1045:Percival Aircraft (1933-1954)
848:. 14 May 2007. Archived from
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542:The Type E.3H (the so-called
343:and became the only pilot to
246:Following the success of the
1226:Aircraft first flown in 1934
1206:1930s British sport aircraft
1147:Hunting aircraft (1957-1959)
801:Lewis 1970, pp. 259, 262–263
411:. Henshaw soon won the 1937
7:
964:, Vol. 35, No. 5, May 2007.
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648:2,125 lb (964 kg)
642:1,150 lb (522 kg)
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10:
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955:The Flight of the Mew Gull
881:The Flight of the Mew Gull
864:The Comet Racers Uncovered
754:British Aviation 1935-1939
589:Specifications (Type E.3H)
314:G-ACND as originally built
1201:Hunting Percival aircraft
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435:de Havilland DH.88 Comet
987:Hawker Restorations Ltd
603:General characteristics
515:Shuttleworth Collection
656:de Havilland Gipsy Six
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473:wearing racing number
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267:de Havilland Gipsy Six
242:Design and development
235:de Havilland Gipsy Six
895:Lewis, Peter (1970).
810:Henshaw (1980). p.94.
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946:, No. 310, May 2007.
819:Henshaw (1980), p.91
724:Miles Hawk Speed Six
495:British racing green
418:G-AEXF was raced by
42:improve this article
983:"Percival Mew Gull"
866:, Lulu, 2021, p.11.
701:Related development
548:King's Cup air race
459:Wingfield Aerodrome
424:King's Cup air race
378:King's Cup air race
333:Coupe Armand Esders
321:King's Cup air race
298:Operational history
140:General information
57:"Percival Mew Gull"
1102:P.54 Survey Prince
899:. London: Putnam.
712:Percival Vega Gull
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373:Tom Campbell Black
337:Guy de Chateaubrun
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969:Aeroplane Monthly
962:Aeroplane Monthly
951:Aeroplane Monthly
792:1990 No. 4, p. 97
583:RAF Museum Hendon
532:Southern Rhodesia
455:Gravesend Airport
413:Folkestone Trophy
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1082:P.28 Proctor
1072:Percival Q.6
1066:
995:. Retrieved
991:the original
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874:Bibliography
863:
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850:the original
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258:'Mew Gull'.
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206:First flight
198:Manufactured
185:Number built
177:Primary user
154:Manufacturer
104:
95:
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40:Please help
35:verification
32:
15:
1097:P.50 Prince
930:Online copy
670:Performance
662:Propellers:
652:Powerplant:
553:On loan to
544:"Super"-Mew
481:in May 1953
401:Bill Humble
371:, in which
1195:Categories
768:Motorsport
732:References
634:Wing area:
519:Old Warden
431:Essex Aero
359:The first
286:to Luton.
209:March 1934
68:newspapers
1168:Designers
1062:Vega Gull
924:0262-4923
622:Wingspan:
594:Data from
469:Mew Gull
231:monoplane
201:1934–1938
1159:BAC 1-11
1067:Mew Gull
1039:aircraft
696:See also
562:Replicas
407:for his
345:bail out
281:and the
165:Designer
123:Mew Gull
98:May 2022
1057:Gull VI
1052:Gull IV
997:28 June
944:Flypast
916:Archive
790:Archive
628:Height:
616:Length:
388:ZS-AHM
329:Régnier
193:History
82:scholar
1077:Petrel
922:
903:
887:
772:XXVIII
689:Range:
576:G-HEKL
538:G-AFAA
471:G-AEXF
447:G-AFAA
443:G-AEXF
355:G-AEKL
306:G-ACND
84:
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1154:H.126
737:Notes
610:Crew:
89:JSTOR
75:books
1122:P.74
999:2020
920:ISSN
901:ISBN
885:ISBN
774:(4).
654:1 ×
273:the
225:The
145:Type
61:news
517:at
361:E2H
283:E3H
279:E2H
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