Parnall Elf

infobox Aircraft
name = Elf
type = Two-seat light aircraft
manufacturer = Parnall & Co



caption = Parnall Elf, G-AAIN.
designer = Harold Bolas
first flight = avyear|1929
introduced =
retired =
primary user =
more users =
produced =
number built = 3
variants with their own articles = The Parnall Elf was a British two seat light touring aircraft of the 1920s. Built by George Parnall & Co. the Elf was the last aircraft designed by Harold Bolas before he left the company to go to the United States.

Design and development

The Parnall Elf was designed by Harold Bolas, chief designer of the reformed George Parnall & Co. The type made its public debut at Olympia in July 1929. [Ogilvy, 1989.] The Elf was a biplane of wood and fabric construction with staggered wings set well forward on the fuselage as a feature to assist crew escape in an emergency. The wings were unusually braced with 'vee' interplane struts which dispensed with any flying wires [Ogilvy, 1989] and could be folded for ease of hangarage. The main fuel tank was fitted in the fuselage, a pump raised the fuel to a small tank in the wing centre section where it was then fed to the engine by gravity. An Elf placed fifth in the 1930 King's Cup Air Race out of a field of 88 entrants. The purchase price of the aircraft at this time was between £875 and £890. [Guttery, 1969. p. 43.]

urvivors

* Parnall Elf, "G-AAIN", is maintained and operated by the Shuttleworth Collection in Bedfordshire, England and is flown regularly throughout the summer months. [ [http://www.shuttleworth.org/shuttleworth_aircraft_details.asp?ID=24 Shuttleworth Collection, Parnall Elf] ]

pecifications (Elf)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=The Shuttleworth Collection, 1969.

crew=Two
capacity=
length main= 22 ft 10.5 in
length alt=
span main= 31 ft 2.5 in (upper wing) 26 ft 9 in (lower wing) 7 ft 2 in (folded)
span alt=
height main= 8 ft 6 in
height alt=
area main= 195 ft²
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,140 lb
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engine (prop)= Cirrus Hermes II
type of prop= in-line
number of props=1
power main= 115 hp
power alt=
power original=
max speed main= 116 mph
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ee also

aircontent

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* de Havilland DH.60 Moth

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References

Notes

Bibliography

* Guttery, T.E. "The Shuttleworth Collection". London: Wm. Carling & Co, 1969. SBN 901319-01-5
* Ogilvy, David. "Shuttleworth - The Historic Aeroplanes". Shrewsbury, England: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1989 ISBN 1-85310-106-0

External links

* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=591 British Aircraft Directory, Parnall Elf]