Parnall Aircraft Since 1914

121 Pages·1990·92.4 MB·English

by  Kenneth E. Wixey

ParnaIl
Aircraft
since 1914
,_~enneth E Wlxey
The only surviving ParnaH aeroplane. ParnaH Elf G-AAIN at Old Warden in 1981 after restoration by the Shuttleworth Trust. It has
a 120hp Cirrus HermesIIengine. (John A LongLRPS)
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Contents
Introduction 7
Acknowledgements 11
Parnal! Works Lineage Chart 12
Family Business 13
The Fishponds Connection 25
George Parnal! and Company 36
Parnal! Aircraft Limited 53
Parnal! and Sons Limited - Aircraft Built under
Contract 1914-1918 69
Avro 504 69
Short 827 74
Short Bomber 77
Hamble Baby 80
Parnal! ScoutlZepp-Chaser 85
Parnal! Panther 88
George Parnal! and Company 1920-1935 100
Parnall Puffin 100
Parnall Plover 105
Parnall Possum 112
© Kenneth EWixey 1990. Parnall Pixie Series 118
Parnall Perch 133
FirstpublishedinGreatBritainby
Autogiros 137
PutnamAeronauticalBooks,animprintof
ConwayMaritimePressLtd, De Havilland D.H.9A Contracts 142
24BrideLane, FleetStreet Parnall Peto 146
LondonEC4Y8DR Parnall Pike 160
Parnall Imp 164
Published and distributed intheUnitedStates
ofAmericaand CanadabytheNavalInstitutePress Parnall Pipit 167
Annapolis, Maryland21402 Parnall Parasol 175
LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNo. 89-64220 Parnall Elf 181
ISBN 1-55750-930-1 Parnall Prawn 190
Parnall GAI31 193
Thiseditionisauthorizedforsaleonlyin
theUnitedStatesanditsterritoriesand possessions, Hendy 302/302A 197
and Canada Miles M.l Satyr 200
Percival Gull Four 203
Allrights reserved. Unauthorisedduplicationcontravenes
Parnall F.5133 Project 207
applicablelaws.
Parnall Aircraft Limited 1935-1939 214
ManufacturedinGreatBritain Parnall Heck 214
ParnallType 382(Heck Mk.III) 220
5
Appendix A: Individual Aircraft Notes
Appendix B: Dispositions ofCertain
Parnall-Built Aircraft on Naval Duty 1918
Bibliography
Index
Introduction
When Great Britain went to war with Germany in August 1914, the
aeroplane was still at a very rudimentary stage in its development. Indeed
even as the hostile nations clashed, there persisted a school of thought
among some military officers that those flimsy contraptions oflinen and
spruce, which would admittedly carry a man aloft, would nevertheless be
of little strategic value in the ensuing conflict. It was conceded that
aeroplanes madeexcellentreconnaissancevehiclesfromwhichobservation
reports onenemytroop movementscould beobtained,butotherthanthat
quite a number of the more short-sighted generals and admirals could
foresee no advantagein theemploymentofaeroplanes as akeyweaponin
contemporary warfare.
Before the First World War the apathy of the majority of British
politic~anstowards supportingthe development ofmilitary aviation in the
United Kingdom was hard to understand inviewofthe rapidlyworsening
political situation in Europe. While Germany proceeded with the
construction of her giant Zeppelin airships, together with the less
impressive but numerically superior Military Aviation Service, the British
Government was extremely reluctant to give financial backing to the
country'saviationindustrysuchasitwas. Haditnot beenfortheinitiative
ofprivate enterprise, Britain would undoubtedly have been in even worse
straits regarding her military aviation requirements when the war started.
As it was, thanks to the more far-sighted military pundits such as Maj
Brooke-Popham, Capt Hugh Trenchard (later a Viscount and Marshal of
the Royal Air Force), Capt (later Rear Admiral Sir) Murray Sueter, Capt
(laterAirChiefMarshal Sir)PhilipJoubertdelaFerte, andCmdrCharles
RumneySamsonRN, to name butafew, Britainwas ableto preparemore
readily in the field ofair power.
Politically one member of Parliament in particular had the tenacity of
purpose and firm beliefin the aeroplane as a military weapon, enough to
continuously warn the British Government ofthe day that they neglected
thedevelopmentofBritishmilitaryairpowerattheirperil. That politician
was Winston Churchill, First Lord ofthe Admiralty, a keen airman, and
first member ofthe British Government to pilot his own aeroplane.
Eventually Prime Minister Herbert Asquith requested that the Imperial
Defence Committee putforward proposalsfor the creation ofan efficient
British air force. As a result the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) came into
being on 13 April, 1912. The new Service was at first divided into a
6 7
MilitaryWingand aNavalWing, butundertheauspiciouseye ofWinston tioned BritishNieuport& General Aircraft, whenthatconcernwasforced
Churchill,who wasalreadysettingup asystemofseaplanestationsaround to close down in 1920, an arrangement which also included the services of
Britain's coasts, the Naval Wing developed its own specialist techniques, H P Folland, British Nieuport & General's design engineer who would
and on 1July, 1914, became the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). become chiefdesigner to the Gloster Aircraft company.
Meanwhile the seething cauldron of political unrest in Europe finally Meanwhile an equally well-known company in the West Country,
spilled over on 28 June, 1914, when the Austrian Archduke Franz recognised for its woodworking skills, was Parnall & Sons Ltd ofBristol.
Ferdinand and hiswifeSophiewereassassinatedinthetownofSarajevoin This firm, which specialised in shopfitting and allied equipment, was
Serbia.Thiseventhad withintwo monthsspreadits politicalconsequences requested by the Admiralty to undertake the manufacture and
across the nations, and inflicted upon the world its first experience of reconditioning ofnaval aeroplanes. The contracts covered types designed
global conflict. byAvro, Sopwith, FaireyAviationand ShortBrothers, and beforetheend
On the outbreak of this first world war, Britain possessed few British of the war, two designs created by Parnall's themselves after
built military aeroplanes, the majority in service being of French origin. encouragement from the Admiralty. This progressive development in the
This state of affairs was soon rectified when British aeroplane company's history was to result in a lengthy association which Parnall's
manufacturers began producing an increasing number of their own enjoyedwiththe Admiralty, Air Ministryand the Britishaircraftindustry.
products. Indeed, Great Britain became a major producer of military This relationshipinducedthe production ofaseriesofnavalaeroplanes,
aeroplanes, and during four years of war her aircraft industry grew in albeit mostly prototypes and experimental machines for the Air Ministry,
proportion until, by the time ofthe Armistice in November 1918, it was as well as a number of civil types, including Parnall's own designs and
employing350,000 men and women. those built under contract for other aeroplane manufacturers. The earlier
During the four years of war from 1914 to 1918, this growing body of types of aircraft originated in Bristol both with Parnall & Sons Ltd, and
aircraftworkers betweenthemproduced 55,000aeroplanesofall typesfor with George Parnall's own company after its formation at the Coliseum
militaryservice. Thisrapid expansionoftheaviationindustrywasdue not works in Park Row, Bristol. However, the majority of aeroplanes
only to the more prominent manufacturers such as the Royal Aircraft produced by George Parnall & Co were designed and built at Yate in
Factory(RAF) at Farnborough, A VRoe& Co Ltd(Avro), the British& Gloucestershire, after the company moved there in the mid-1920s.
Colonial Aeroplane Co Ltd (later Bristol Aeroplane Co Ltd), Aircraft Parnall& SonsLtdofFishponds, Bristol(untilrecentlyamemberofthe
Manufacturing Co Ltd (Airco and later de Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd), Avery Group, but now part of GEC), still flourish as manufacturers of
SopwithAviationCoLtd, ShortBrothers, and Vickers(Aviation)Ltd, but high-class shopfittings and other components.
also to the numerous smaller firms throughout Britain which undertook This firm owes its origins to Parnall's nineteenth-century family
sub-contract work on behalfofaeroplane manufacturers and government business, a concern from which were to evolve two entirely separate
. departments to produce aeroplanes and their manycomponents. companies bearing the names of Parnall. Both establishments would
,I
The majority of these early military aircraft were constructed mainly accomplish much to further the cause of British aviation over three
from wood, so it was not surprising when companies renowned for their decades from 1915 until 1945. Indeed Parnall & Sons of Fishponds
expertise and skill in cabinet-making, woodworking and joinery, were continued producing aircraft components well into the 1960sfor both the
called upon to consider the construction ofwooden aeroplanes and parts. civil and military market.
A number of these sub-contractors became so successful at aeroplane It should, perhaps, be explained that George Parnall sold his Yate
manufacture that it was not long before they had continuous production aircraftworksin 1935, butthe concernwhichtookit overstillretained the
lines ofcomplete new aeroplanes awaiting delivery to the squadrons. The name ofParnall in its title when it became Parnall Aircraft Ltd, and this
significance of the effect some of the contractors were having by their company's part in the history of Parnall's is fully described in the main
inroads into the aircraft industry was soon made apparent. Forexample, text.
SamuelWaring(laterLord Waring) ofthe Waringand Gillowpartnership The primary aim ofthis book is to firmly establish the name ofParnall
was responsible for founding the British Nieuport& General Aircraft Co in its richly deserved niche in the annals of British aeronautical
Ltd at Cricklewood, an event which followed an agreement with the achievements. Itisintended also as atributeto acomparativelysmall, but
FrenchNieuportconcernto constructthatcompany'saeroplanesinGreat nevertheless, proud pair offamily businesses which, through their largely
Britain. AtCheltenham,the high-class woodworkingfirm ofH H Martyn unsung efforts, managed to uphold that hallmark of quality one expects
& Co Ltd, became part of a new venture when it helped form the from British companies steeped in traditions ofcraftsmanship.
Gloucestershire Aircraft Co Ltd (later Gloster Aircraft). The first section ofthe book relates to the historical background and
This company eventually acquired the design rights of the aforemen- environment surrounding Parnall & Sons at Bristol, from thefirm's early
8 9
beginnin~s. This in~lu?es the historical association of the Fishponds
~actorywith ea~ly aVI~tlOn, i~s acquisition by Parnall's and the company's
mvolvement with vanous aircraft work at the site from 1939 until the
mid-1960s.
This first part also covers the story of George Parnall's break with
Acknowledgements
Avery's, theforming ofhis owncompanyinParkRow, themoveto Yate, a
summar?oftheyearsatYateuntil 1935,his retirementand untimelydeath.
!tcontamstoo thestoryofYate'scontinuinginvolvementwiththeaircraft
The author wishes to express his sincere gratitude to the following official
mdustry from 1935 until the end of the Second World War, and what
establishments, private companies and individuals without whose ready
followed.
help this book would never have materialised.
1."he second p~rt of the book is devoted mainly to those aeroplanes
Aircraftand ArmamentExperimentalEstablishment, BoscombeDown;
designed and bUIlt by Parnall, and to types designed by other aircraft
Beaumont Aviation Literature; British Aerospace (Aircraft Group),
manufacturers which were produced by Parnall under contract for both
Kingston-upon Thames and Filton; J M Bruce; L Callaway (ex-works
military and civil use. .
manager, George Parnall& Co, Yate);IanCarnochan(onetime PRO,T I
E:achaircrafttype, includingthose builtundercontract,isdescribed and
Jackson Ltd, Yate); Ted Chapman; the late Capt Frank T Courtney (one
avallab~e data given. Numerous pho'tographs (a number previously
time free-lance test pilot); Doubleday & Co Inc; E Draycott (ex-ground
unpubl1shed) and av~ilabledrawingsservetoportraythevarious subjects.
engineer, works inspector at George Parnall & Co, Yate); Fleet Air Arm
~uch ofthe techmcal data and details appertaining to certain Parnall
Museum, Yeovilton; Mrs Margaret Fry (ex-women's supervisor, George
designed aeroplaneswerelostinthe Germanairattacks onthe Yateworks
Parnall & Co, Yate); Norman Hall-Warren (ex-design staff, George
in 1941,and as a.co~s.equence, despitetheexhaustiveresearchbyanumber
Parnall & Co, Yate); Eric Harlin; Imperial War Museum; the late A J
of ve~y h~lpful m?1Vlduals and the author, information regarding a few
Jackson; T I Jackson Ltd, Yate; Philip Jarrett; George Jenks (Avro
~achm~s IS un~v01dably sparse. Alsoinoneortwocases,veryfewsuitable
Historical Research Group); John A Long (Parnall & Sons Ltd)
Illus~ratlOns eXist of a ~articular aeroplane, thus accounting for the poor
Fishponds, Bristol; Macdonald& Janes; David Male; MinistryofDefence
9uaht~photographswhich mayoccasionallydepictacertainmachine. The
(Air Historical Branch); Mark Parnall of Launceston, Cornwall; Brian
mcluslOn ofdetails extract~d from t?epersonal flight log ofthe late Capt
Pickering, MilitaryAircraftPhotographs;thelateStephenPiercey(Flight
Frank T Courtney are by kmd permiSSIOn ofCapt Courtney hims.elf.
International); Putnam & Co; Elfan Ap Rees (British Rotorcraft
Museum); Richard Riding(Aeroplane Monthly); BruceRobertson; Rolls
Royce (Aero-engine division), Bristol; Royal Aeronautical Society; Royal
Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough (Main Library); Royal Air Force
Museum, Hendon; Shell UK (Aviation division); G Stuart-Leslie;
Westland Helicopters Ltd, Yeovil; J W Williamson (Parnall & Sons Ltd),
Fishponds, Bristol.
Finally I would like to record an appreciation ofmy wife's forbearance
during those periods ofresearch when silence was golden!
Kenneth E Wixey
Brockworth
Gloucestershire.
11
10
Parnall Works Lineage Chart
1820
WilliamPamallstarted
businessNarrowWine
Street,Bristol,asweights
and measuresmanufacturer.
./.
1889
Limitedcompanyknownas
1906-1907 Pamall&SonsLtdbythen
Fishpondsfactorybuiltand established. Produced
usedbyBrazilStraker. weighingmachinesand
Motorvehiclesand shopequipment.
omnibusengirsproduced. ./.
1914----------~
1918 GeorgePamallManaging
Fishpondssiteacquiredby DirectorofPamall&Sons
CosmosEngineeringCo. Ltd.Shopfitte1rsandcabinet
Producedaero-<:ngines. makers.
~
This Avro 504K (F8748) is believed to be one ofthe final batch ofthis type built by
1923 1915-1918
Parnall&Sons at Bristolduringthe First World War. (MAP)
Fishpondsworksacquired Premisesacquiredat
byWTAveryafterPamaH Coliseum,Park Row,
&SonsLtdmovedthere Bristol;Brislington,Mivart
j
from NarrowWineStreet. Street,BristolandQuakers Family Business
Shopfittersandassociated Friars. Allonaircraft
'""i,m,"' production.-----------...,. 1920
GeorgePamall& Co
Inthe year 1337adukedomwascreatedfor Edward the BlackPrince.The
formed in Bristol.Aircraft
productionand area chosen was a beautiful expanse ofcountryside forming the extreme
1932 shopfittings.Company southwestern peninsula of England, tapering from the River Tamar - a
officesin Londonand
WTAveryboughtGeorge natural boundary with Devonshire - to Land's End and the Lizard Point,
Pamall'sshopfitting Bristol.
respectively the westernmost and southernmost points of the mainland.
business.Thismovedfrom 1925 +_-----------1
Coliseumworksto GeorgePamall& Co This, one ofEngland's most beautiful counties, still retains its title ofthe
Fishponds.Shopfittingand movedaviationworksto Royal Duchy ofCornwall.
alliedequipment. Began Yateaerodrome.
aircraftcomponent 1 1932 On the west side ofthe Cornish peninsula, amidst a magnificent stretch
productionin 1939. Shopfittingsideofbusiness of coastline overlooking the Atlantic near Bude, lies the parish of St
---------- soldtoWTAveryat Gennys. Asectionofthis coastatStGennys, aboutoneand ahalfmilesin
1 1935 Fishponds. Movedthere
GeorgePamallsoldworks fromtheColiseumworks. length, and includingwhat is possibly the highest coastal cliffin England,
1941--------, toNashandThompson. isthepropertyoftheNationalTrust. TheTrustwaspresentedwiththeland
PamallAircraft Ltd BecamePamallAircraft
acquired premisesat Ltd.Aircraft,components by the Parnall family whose ancestral home is situated in the parish, and
Neasden,Dursley,and andgunturretsuntil 1945. was given to the Nation as a memorial to Dennis Parnall, an RAF fighter
othersitesforaircraft ~
pilot and one ofthe immortal 'few'who fought in the Battle ofBritain in
componentproduction. 1945-1958 ---~
NamealteredtoPamall 1940. Like so many of Britain's young men, Dennis Parnall paid the
1942-1944 (Yate)Ltd. Builtdomestic supreme sacrifice when his fighter was shotdown over the Channel.
fNoerwPfaamctaolrlyAbirucirltafattLYtdat.e apPlicances·l Dennis was one of three sons born to George Parnall, the other two
1958-1961 being Basil, who unfortunately died as a boy, and Alan, also a pilot with
Joined RadiationGroup. the RAFwho attainedtherank ofWingCommander. Alan Parnalldied in
Jackson'smovedfrom
LutontoYatel. Domestic 1967.
appliances. George Parnall himself, although of true Cornish ancestry, was a
Bristolianbybirth, andfirmly establishedthe nameofParnall, notonlyin
1967
BecameTIJacksonLtd. Bristol's commercialworld, but laterin the field ofaviation.
Domesticequipment.
13
Toestablishtheeventswhichfinally resulted intheestablishmentoftwo
90
entirely separate concerns under the name of Parnall, both of which
evolved from the original family business, itisfirst necessary to render an
account of the history of Parnall & Sons Ltd, from which the firm of
George Parnall& Co eventually branched out.
Intheyear 1820acertainWilliamParnallmadearrangementsto opena
businessinNarrowWine Street, Bristol,fromwhere hebegantrading asa
350 COUNTER COFFEE BOX. 351 COUNTER COFFEE BOX. 'weights and measures manufacturer'. Overthe ensuingyears the business
ThreecomJpaapratmnneendtsan.d..ornISa-mine.n1t5ed/.w2it1h-igno.l1d7l/e6tt-e2r4s·1a0n.d2b0o/.rde2r7s'.1,,·D._22-,--/6---Wt~'~t'h---=t.h:c2~e-=.i~=--:02",~?,a--.r~t,nm-=;=--t4_1=h·~-=3Wd:!-O/~_'_Il'=--=:2~n:-=i~=--~~~5/=--.W_jth_la-=~~=~i:c.~~-c:1~O~~_·" expanded, eventually progressing to cabinet making, the fabrication of
shopfronts, shopfittings and their associated equipment. Bythe year 1889
the firm was established as a limited company known as Parnall & Sons
Ltd. Duringthefollowing decadethecompanygainedareputationsecond
to none for its quality of workmanship in the field of shopfitting and
ancillaryapparatus,includingaveryfine range ofweighingand measuring
machines. In 1898 the attention ofW& T Avery, the well-known weights
NEW COUNTER COFFEE BOX. 353a PERFECTION COFFEE BOX. and measures manufacturers, was drawn to the weighing machine side of
Handsomeornamental~ised.foot,largedoublegoldbeadingallround,
elabor~telyfinishedlUlWldandcolours,threedivisions. Handsomeandhighlyfinished.withpl)[;sbedmahoganya.G.moulded
24-m.47/6 27-in.57/6 30-in.67/0 covers,newshapedbody,witha.G.moulddfoot,richlyorllamented'vitJ: Parnall'sbusiness. Averymadeasuccessfultake-overbidwhichresultedin
Ifdoneinbur2n4i-sihne.d52g/o6ld,very2ef7f-eicnt.i6v2e/-6- 3D-in.72/G hC~igffheleypshlaandte.d~cI.IrIocUoalonudrsl.eafVbeorrydeerf,f~atn,,l!vwe.rineninburnishedgold,let~ it becoming involved with the manufacture of Parnall-designed weighing
T1l1l1BoIIllveryeQIlvenlen\touervefrom,andIIIspooiallyrecommended. 2!.in.55/_27·in.G2!G30-in.70/-If.{compartmentstolargesizes,7j6extn
TheeoTenlBtand~tlalelnetdnnglees"Bhoelhneorwpi."<lne.dAeoniryeoii.ololU'toorder,bntblacl: and measuring contrivances. The name of Parnall & Sons Ltd was,
however, retained for trading purposes.
The head of Parnall's at the time of the Avery take-over was John
Parnall, who through his Cornish ancestry and business connections in
Bristol, would, in 1903, be elected as president of the Bristol Cornish
Association. On the first day of February 1873 John Parnall's wife had
358a TEA OR COFFEE BOX. given birth to a son - George Geach Parnall - and he in turn was
Withthre~compartments,dcsk.i1hapedslopinglidl:l;theITootfittedwith 358b IMPROVED COFFEE BOX.
beaUmgallround,handsomelywritten,anddecoratedingold. Desk-shaped,withpolishedmahoganya.G.mouldetlcovers,strongll
~ff~urcompartmentstol::ugel'sizCti,5/_c;l;tra. madeandwcllfinished.withgoldletteringaudi.muct"S. Speciallyadapta:
20-10.30/- 2i.in.35/- 28-m.40/. forroughwear. 24-iu.35/- 27·in.42j6 3il-in.50j.
If4compartmentst<ll~..sizes,7/6ntn.. Covel'li~twldaglWlstIIledgewhenopeg.
358c
I
I,
I~
TEA, COFFEE, OR COCOA BOX.
COFFEEBOXANDSHOWCASE COMBINED. Useful.fordisplayinggoodsonthecounter,andto~er"corweigh;;
,J!!ffcctiveinapP?,'lrane~andveryUBCful. TheSampleShowCaseisfitted from. JapanuedandOrllamelltedingold,aw!fittedwithpoli~hedbnI
aWn~Itb,lrrpnealeaitcleolmgelnaptsaosro,tI.mIwIelgtnhotlspdol.Uh..l.l"hVeedr2y-b1l,Jr1a:0ss.ts6sb.0te!/l.aed,ianngd,a2on7f.dsinui.pse7dr0uio/s.rt-qtiugahlit3t.0y-aiJnna.dp8afSinn!ni.sehd. WWbeiaittdhhingbgrilaatsrsbobeueanadd.idnitgnh,ge,t22op22,xxo1l0r0,,p1l2a55ijn/..erU2st4yxxllelI1,w,31i0t8h//o-.ut22b7r7a:.x'<>I8122h,,2e3a15d/1i--ng.3300xxI3l,a4,G:l:
DON'T FORGET oUI' full Name and AddI'ess'- -
oldT~~mlPARNALL &SONS, LTD., NARROW WINE STREET, BRISTOL.IEstf~~r
COPyftlQHTCATAl.OGUENo.26. And at10 ROOD LANE, LONDON, E.C.:{f
itt~
These eight illustrations depict a variety ofcounter-type containers, advertised in an
earlyParnall&Sonscatalogue. (KE Wixey Parnallcollection)
HambleBabyConvertN2059 nearingcompletioninthe Coliseumworks ofParnallat
ParkRow, Bristol.TheParnallcjnP.lj74appearsbeneathserialnumber. AnAvro504
isunderconstructioninthe background. (KE Wixey Parnallcollection)
14 15
eventually to become managing director of the Avery-owned Parnall scenes during the First World War when aeroplanes were 'wheeled' out
company, a position he still held when Britain went to war with Germany onto the street awaitingdespatch!
on4 August, 1914. The Brislington factory was concerned chiefly withexperimental work,
George Parnallhadcontinuedto uphold and developfurtherthefamily and it was there that thefirst Pantherprototype was developed. Propeller
business in Narrow Wine Street, and after the start ofthe war it was not
long before the firm's expertise in woodcraft was sought after in
connection with the manufacturer ofwooden aeroplane structures.
A number of contracts were awarded to the Parnall company for the
construction ofaeroplanes for the Admiralty, and a variety oftypes were
produced. These included Avro 504s, Sopwith (Fairey) Ramble Baby
seaplanesand landplanes, Shortseaplanes and Shortbombers. In addition
....
, Parnall& Sonsdesigned andbuilttwo aircraftoftheirowncreationbefore
the cessation ofhostilities, the single-seat Scout (Zepp-Chaser) and two
seat Panther, the Panther reaching eventual production status albeit with
another aeroplane manufacturer. -
Obviously the undertaking of such an influx of aviation work
necessitated the acquisition of additional premises by Parnall, and sites ~..,
r
were taken over at the Coliseum works, Park Row, in Bristol; at Eastville
(Mivart Street), in Brislington; and at Quakers Friars.
The Coliseum works (the building itself was originally a roller-skating
rink and later site for several trade exhibitions) and the Mivart Street
factory became responsible mainlyfor constructional work; Mivart Street
concentrated on propeller production. Older Bristolians have recalled
Thisrareprintpurportstobean in-flightviewoftheParnallPantherprototypeN.91.It Harold Bolas,chiefdesignerwith Parnall&Sonsand laterGeorgeParnall&Co,from
is infact afaked picture; neverthelessitdepicts well the Panther's pronounced humped 19I7until 1929,isseeninfrontofParnallElfG-AAFH.TheElfwasBolas'slastdesign
profile. (KE Wixey Parnallcollection) for Parnall beforeleavingfor theUnited States. (Norman Hall-Warren)
16 17
production was transferred from Mivart Street to Brislington in 1916,
while staffat Quakers Friars involved themselves mainly in covering and
doping the various aeroplanes components.
By the time ofthe Armistice in November 1918, the Parnall works had
between them completed at least 600 military aeroplanes, a substantial
contribution to the expansion of the Royal Naval Air Service, Royal
Flying Corps and consequently the Royal Air Force (RAF), which was
formed bythe amalgamation ofthe RNAS and RFC on 1April, 1918.
During the First World War Parnall & Sons acquired the services of
Harold Bolas, a young man who was quickly promoted to chief aircraft
designer, and who was eventually tojoin George Parnall's own company
and remain with them until 1929. Harold Bolas was a graduate of
ManchesterUniversity, afirst classlacrosse player, and whoin 1910began
an aviation career with the AID at the Army Aircraft Factory at
Farnborough. Theworkwas mainlyconcernedwithmakingmodifications
to some of the Army airships then under construction at Farnborough,
and Bolas found himself assigned to tasks alongside such men as F M Onceinstalled atthe Admiralty, Harold Bolasbecameinvolved withdesign ofthefirst
Green, S W Hiscocks and Geoffreyde Havilland. A.D. flying-boat, a production version ofwhich is shown here; NI522 ofthe RNAS.
()M Bruce/GSLesliecollection)
With the start of the war Bolas was commissioned in the RNAS and
appointed to a position with the Admiralty's Air Department. He there
became involved with detailed design work on the A.D. Flying-Boat, a project with Reginald J Mitchell (later of Schneider Trophy and Spitfire
project in which he was closely associated with Harold Yendall and fame); the result ofthe two men's ideas was the A.D. Navyplane, with a
Clifford W Tinson. Lieut Linton Hope was responsible for designing the tailplanesupported byfour booms and, liketheflying-boat, incorporating
flying-boat's hull, and the complete aircraft was built by Pemberton awooden monocoque structure.
Billing Ltd. This embodied a crew nacelle weighing only about 80lb complete with
, Harold Bolasundertook nextthedesign ofatwo-seat,two-bay, biplane seat and floor fittings. It was this form ofmonocoque constructionwhich
mounted on floats and powered by a pusher engine. He worked on this was to influence Harold Bolaslater,whenhedesignedthe ParnallPanther.
The A.D. Navyplane was not a success chiefly because ofthe inferior
types of powerplant installed. The Admiralty did place an order for six
11
machines, butonlyone(9095)wascompleted,therestofthecontractbeing
I
cancelled after tests held in 1917 proved unsatisfactory.
Harold Bolaswas released bythe Admiraltyonaloanbasisto Parnall&
Sons,joining the firm in 1917, and quicklyfinding himselfin the position
ofchiefdesigner. Bolaswas mostlyconcernedwiththe Brislingtonfactory
and, although priority was being given to Government contract work on
aircraftdesigned byothermanufacturers,itwas notlongbeforeplanswere
developed for the building of his first design for Parnall. This was the
N.2A, later named Panther, a two-seater spotter reconnaissance biplane
for the Royal Navy. Six prototypes were completed, but two production
orders awarded to the company by the Air Ministry were cancelled after
Parnall's controllinggroup, W T Avery, disagreed with the Ministry over
the cancellation ofthe second contract.
Afterthewarthecompanyreadjusteditselfto therequirementsofpeace,
and under Avery's jurisdiction Parnall returned to the business of
TheArmyairshipGammaIIrepresentsthetypeofvesselsonwhichHaroldBolasbegan manufacturing shopfittings and associated equipment. George Parnall,
work at Farnboroughin 1919.(Hampshire County Library) however, was not at all happy with the way things were beingrun, and he
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