Parnall Prawn

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title: "Parnall Prawn" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1930s-british-experimental-aircraft", "parnall-aircraft", "single-engined-tractor-aircraft", "parasol-wing-aircraft", "flying-boats", "unflown-aircraft"] description: "Experimental flying boat" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parnall_Prawn" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Experimental flying boat ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]

Field	Value
name	Prawn
aircraft_type	Experimental flying boat
national_origin	United Kingdom
manufacturer	George Parnall and Company
designer	Harold Bolas
number_built	1
::

| name = Prawn | logo = | logo_size = | image = | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Experimental flying boat | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = United Kingdom | manufacturer = George Parnall and Company | design_group = | designer = Harold Bolas | builder = | issuer = | status = | owners = | primary_user = | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 1 | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded = The Parnall Prawn was an unsuccessful experimental flying boat built in the United Kingdom in 1930. Its single engine was fitted on a tilting mounting in the nose, so that the propeller could be kept clear of the water on takeoff and landing. Only one was built.

Design

The Prawn had a single step all-metal hull and a fabric covered parasol wing with a straight leading edge and pronounced outboard taper on the trailing edge, which was attached to the hull by a pair of lift struts either side and steel inverted V cabane struts. There was a generous cut-out in the trailing edge centre section to improve the view from the open cockpit. powered by a 65 hp (48 kW) water-cooled Ricardo-Burt engine which has originally been designed as an auxiliary power plant for the R101 airship, driving a small four-bladed propeller with a diameter of about 4 ft 6 in (1.35 m). The engine was hinged at the rear; at take-off, it could be raised through up to 22° to clear the water. Fuel was gravity-fed from a prominent tank on top of the wing centre section. A bulky radiator was mounted on top of the engine cowling. The aircraft had a conventional empennage; with an unbalanced rudder and a tailplane mounted just above the top of the fuselage, strut braced to the fuselage below and wire braced to the fin above. A stabilising float was mounted on N struts below each wing and braced inboard by a pair of struts.

Service career

Very little is known about the career of the Prawn. It left Parnall's works at Yate in 1930 and went to the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment at Felixstowe bearing RAF serial S1576 for trials, but the tilted engine installation was so inefficient that it would not take off.

Specifications

|ref= |prime units?=imp General characteristics

|genhide=

|crew= |capacity= |length m= |length ft=18 |length in= |length note=approximate |span m= |span ft=28 |span in= |span note=approximate |upper span m= |upper span ft= |upper span in= |upper span note= |mid span m= |mid span ft= |mid span in= |mid span note= |lower span m= |lower span ft= |lower span in= |lower span note= |swept m= |swept ft= |swept in= |swept note= |dia m= |dia ft= |dia in= |dia note= |width m= |width ft= |width in= |width note= |height m= |height ft= |height in= |height note= |wing area sqm= |wing area sqft= |wing area note= |swept area sqm= |swept area sqft= |swept area note= |volume m3= |volume ft3= |volume note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg= |empty weight lb= |empty weight note= |gross weight kg= |gross weight lb= |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |lift kg= |lift lb= |lift note= |more general= Powerplant

|eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=Ricardo-Burt |eng1 type=water-cooled inline |eng1 kw= |eng1 hp=65 |eng1 kn= |eng1 lbf= |eng1 note= |power original= |thrust original= |eng1 kn-ab= |eng1 lbf-ab=

|eng2 number= |eng2 name= |eng2 type= |eng2 kw= |eng2 hp= |eng2 kn= |eng2 lbf= |eng2 note= |eng2 kn-ab= |eng2 lbf-ab=

|eng3 number= |eng3 name= |eng3 type= |eng3 kw= |eng3 hp= |eng3 kn= |eng3 lbf= |eng3 note= |eng3 kn-ab= |eng3 lbf-ab= |more power=

|prop blade number= |prop name= |prop dia m= |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop note=

|rot number= |rot dia m= |rot dia ft= |rot dia in= |rot area sqm= |rot area sqft= |rot area note= Performance

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh= |max speed mph=100 |max speed kts= |max speed note=estimated |max speed mach= |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed kts= |cruise speed note= |stall speed kmh= |stall speed mph= |stall speed kts= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |never exceed speed note= |minimum control speed kmh= |minimum control speed mph= |minimum control speed kts= |minimum control speed note= |range km= |range miles= |range nmi= |range note= |combat range km= |combat range miles= |combat range nmi= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range miles= |ferry range nmi= |ferry range note= |endurance= |ceiling m= |ceiling ft= |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |glide ratio= |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin= |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |sink rate ms= |sink rate ftmin= |sink rate note= |lift to drag= |wing loading kg/m2= |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |disk loading kg/m2= |disk loading lb/sqft= |disk loading note=

|power/mass= |thrust/weight=

|more performance= Armament

|armament= |guns= |bombs= |rockets= |missiles= |hardpoints= |hardpoint capacity= |hardpoint rockets= |hardpoint missiles= |hardpoint bombs= |hardpoint other=

|avionics= |see also= |related= |similar aircraft= |lists=

Bibliography

Citations

Cited sources

References

1. Penrose
2. Penrose
3. {{harvnb. Wixey. 1990
4. [[Harald Penrose]]:''British Aviation: Widening Horizons''. London 1979, H M.S.O. ISBN 0 11 2902979, pp.26-27

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