Parnall Peto

infobox Aircraft
name = Peto
type = Submarine launched Naval reconnaissance
logo =
manufacturer = George Parnall and Company Limited



caption =
designer = Harold Bolas
first flight = 4 June 1925
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retired =
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produced =
number built = 2
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The Parnall Peto was a small seaplane designed to Air Ministry specification 16/24 in the early 1920s for use as a submarine-carried reconnaissance aircraft.

Two examples were designed and built by George Parnall and Company, one being lost with the submarine HMS "M2" when her hangar flooded. It was one of the most challenging projects which the company undertook, because of the very small hangar in which the aircraft had to fit, mounted immediately in front of the submarine's conning tower.

Of mixed wood, fabric, aluminium and steel construction, it had unequal span, Warren-braced folding rectangular wings. The first aircraft, "N181", was powered by a 128 hp Bristol Lucifer engine and had mahogany plywood "Consuta" type floats. Performance was generally satisfactory but improvements were made and the machine was rebuilt with new wings, metal floats and a 169 hp Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose engine. Tests both on the sea and in the air showed that designer, Harold Bolas, had met the requirements and it was officially judged to be exceptionally good.

The aircraft was launched using a compressed air catapult mounted on the forward casing of the submarine and recovered using a crane.

With the loss of "M2", the Royal Navy abandoned submarine-launched aircraft, although most other navies also experimented with the concept in the interwar years.

The two aircraft built were:

N181 - Which was wrecked at Gibraltar on 11 February 1930 and rebuilt as N255 with improved floats and lost with HMS "M2".

N182 - Which crashed 29 June 1930 at Stokes Bay.

pecifications

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
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crew=two (pilot and observer)
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 22 ft 6 in
length alt=
span main=28 ft 5 in
span alt=
height main=8 ft 11 in
height alt=
area main= 174 ft²
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,300 lb
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main= 1,950 lb
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)=Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose IIIC
type of prop=five-cylinder air-cooled radial engine with two bladed wooden propeller
number of props=1
power main= 135 hp
power alt=
power original=
max speed main= 113 mph at sea level
max speed alt=
cruise speed main=
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never exceed speed main=
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range main=
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ceiling main= 35,000 ft
ceiling alt= 11,300 m
climb rate main= 600 ft/min
climb rate alt=
loading main=
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more performance=
*Endurance 2 hours
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ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=
*Yokosuka E14Y
*Arado Ar 231
*Besson MB-411

sequence=Parnall Pixie - Parnall Perch - Parnall Peto - Parnall Pike - Parnall Pipit

lists=

see also=

External links

* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=650 British Aircraft Directory]