The Percival Prince is a British light transport of the early postwar period. It was a twin-engine, high-wing, cantilever monoplane of all-metal stressed-skin construction; the
undercarriage was of
retractable,
tricycle
A tricycle, sometimes abbreviated to trike, is a Human-powered transport, human-powered (or gasoline or electric motor powered or assisted, or gravity powered) Three-wheeler, three-wheeled vehicle.
Some tricycles, such as cycle rickshaws (for pa ...
type.
Development
The design of the Prince continued from the solitary
Merganser. Further development of the type led to the Survey Prince survey aircraft and the Sea Prince. An improved version of the Prince 3 with an increased wingspan and engine and undercarriage modifications was developed for the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
as the
Percival Pembroke.
Operational history

The Prince was produced in six versions for the civil market. Several examples were operated as executive aircraft including
Standard Motors and
Shell Oil
Shell plc is a British multinational oil and gas company, headquartered in London, England. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New Y ...
. Three aircraft were used by the UK
Ministry of Civil Aviation as airport facilities checking aircraft.
The Sea Prince operated in two roles: in T.Mk.1 form it served as a navigation and anti-submarine trainer; the C.Mks. 1 and 2 were flown in the transport role. However, these were land planes and not
COD
Cod (: cod) is the common name for the demersal fish genus ''Gadus'', belonging to the family (biology), family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gad ...
(carrier on board delivery) aircraft.
Sea Princes operated in both roles from 1954 to 1972 and as a navigation trainer until 1978, when it was replaced by the
Handley Page Jetstream
Variants
* P.50 Prince 1 – prototype based on
Merganser with modified fin and undercarriage and two 520 hp
Alvis Leonides 501/4 engine, one built.
* P.50 Prince 2 – As Prince 1 with sloping windscreen, stronger main spar, five built.
* P.50 Prince 3 – As Prince 2 with
Alvis Leonides 502/4 engine and lengthened nose on some aircraft, 12 built.
* P.50 Prince 4 – Conversions to
Alvis Leonides 503 engines, ten converted.
* P.50 Prince 5 – original designation of the
Percival President.
* P.50 Prince 6 – Conversions to
Alvis Leonides 504 engines.
* P.54 Survey Prince – Prince 2 with lengthened transparent nose and camera hatches, six built.

* P.50 Sea Prince C1 – Prince 2 for
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
use, three built.
* P.57 Sea Prince T1 – Prince 3 with long nose housing radar, twin wheeled main undercarriage and lengthened engine nacelles for navigation and anti-submarine training, 41 built.
* P.57 Sea Prince C2 – Transport version of Sea Prince T1, four built.
* B.T.1 – () Thai designation for the P.54.
Operators
Civil operators
;
;
*
Brunei Shell Petroleum Company
;
*
Aeronorte
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
Military operators
;
*
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
– Three Princes were in service with the RAAF from 1952 to 1957. The aircraft were used for communications and support duties at the Weapons Research Establishment,
Woomera, South Australia.
** Air Trials Unit
;:
*
Thai Air Force – One Survey Prince aircraft.
*
Thai Army
The Royal Thai Army or RTA (; ) is the army of Thailand and the oldest and largest branch of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
History
Origin
The Royal Thai Army is responsible for protecting the kingdom's sovereignty. The army was formed in 187 ...
– One Survey Prince aircraft.
;:
*
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...
**
700 Naval Air Squadron
**
702 Naval Air Squadron
702 Naval Air Squadron (702 NAS), also referred to as 702 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated the Westland Lynx, as the Lynx Headquarters and Training Squadr ...
**
727 Naval Air Squadron
**
744 Naval Air Squadron
**
750 Naval Air Squadron
**
781 Naval Air Squadron
**
831 Naval Air Squadron
831 Naval Air Squadron (831 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm.
The squadron was reformed twice: firstly from 21 November 1955 - 10 December 1957 and then from 1 May 1958 - 26 August 1966.
The cartoon character ' ...
*
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original ...
** 1830 Squadron RNVR
** 1840 Squadron RNVR
** 1841 Squadron RNVR
** 1844 Squadron RNVR
Surviving aircraft
;Thailand
* T1-1/98 – Prince 3A on display at the
Royal Thai Air Force Museum
The National Aviation Museum of the Royal Thai Air Force is located in Don Mueang District, Bangkok, Thailand. It is located on the Phahonyothin Road just to the south of Wing 6 of the domestic terminal of the Don Mueang International Airport, Don ...
in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
.
;United Kingdom
* P50/46 – Prince 6E on display with the Speke Aerodrome Heritage Group in
Liverpool, Merseyside
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
.
* WP313 – Sea Prince T.1 in storage at the
Fleet Air Arm Museum
The Fleet Air Arm Museum is devoted to the history of British naval aviation. It has an extensive collection of military and civilian aircraft, aero engines, models of aircraft and Royal Navy ships (especially aircraft carriers), and paintings ...
in
Yeovilton, Somerset.
* WF128 – Sea Prince T.1 on display at the
Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum in
Flixton, Suffolk.
* WP309 – Sea Prince T.1 on display at the
Solway Aviation Museum in
Irthington, Cumbria.
* WP308 – Sea Prince T.1 on display at the
Gatwick Aviation Museum in
Charlwood, Surrey.
* WF122 – Sea Prince T.1 under restoration with the Ulster Aviation Society in
Lisburn, Antrim. It was formerly on display at
Aeroventure and operated by
750 Naval Air Squadron.
* WP321 – Sea Prince T.1 on display at the South Wales Aviation Museum in
St Athan, Glamorgan.
;United States of America
* N206UP - Prince 2 c/n P50/10, on display in private garden in Antelope Acres, California
[ , url= https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=54966 ]
Specifications (Sea Prince T.1)
See also
Notes
Bibliography
* Grant, Robert S. "Canadian Prince". ''Air Enthusiast'', No. 55, Autumn 1994, p. 13.
*Jackson, A.J. ''British Civil Aircraft 1919–1972: Volume III''. London:Putnam, 1988. .
* Silvester, John. "Call to Arms: The Percival Sea Prince and Pembroke". ''Air Enthusiast'', No. 55, Autumn 1994, pp. 56–61.
* Silvester, John. ''Percival and Hunting Aircraft''. Leicester: Midland Counties Publications 1987. .
*Thetford, Owen, ''British Naval Aircraft since 1912''. London:Putnam, 1978. .
External links
''Flight'' – Proving flights for tropical use
{{Thai observation aircraft designations
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
1940s British airliners
1940s British military trainer aircraft
High-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1948
Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft
Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear