Percival Proctor 6 Floatplane

I have seen two Queen 30 ‘s that came out of Prentices, probably early examples. The first Prentice flew on March 31st, ’46. The one-off Proctor IVa with ply-covered wings was the test-bed for the Q50 & Q70. The one-off Proctor VI was built ’46/’47, and was probably also fitted with an original DH.Q30. The Herons were designed around the Q30, but most had the DH (Actually Bristol Siddeley)Q30-2 fitted. The Q32 was a fractionally different engine. I think the RN Herons stayed in service until the 1980’s, so the 30-2 ‘s lasted pretty well in the end.

Flight, 28th February 1946
“Percival Proctor VI – D.H. Gipsy Queen 31”
Maybe so early in 1946 this is only a proposal…

Thought I’d posted these already but evidently not! Here are two shots of CF-EHF, first when with Jack Arnold at Seneca Airfield, then at Mt.Hope with International Vintage Aircraft (run by Al Rubin)…these date to the 1980s.

S.

Pedantic, but….

I have seen two Queen 30 ‘s that came out of Prentices, probably early examples. The first Prentice flew on March 31st, ’46. The one-off Proctor IVa with ply-covered wings was the test-bed for the Q50 & Q70. The one-off Proctor VI was built ’46/’47, and was probably also fitted with an original DH.Q30. The Herons were designed around the Q30, but most had the DH (Actually Bristol Siddeley)Q30-2 fitted. The Q32 was a fractionally different engine. I think the RN Herons stayed in service until the 1980’s, so the 30-2 ‘s lasted pretty well in the end.

I have Proctor V ZK-ARP which is currently awaiting refabric (hopefully this summer) but is otherwise airworthy. The Proctor VI was fitted with the 260 HP Queen 32 (same engine as the Heron). This may have been done in an effort to give the poor old V a bit more get up and go as those who have flown a V with a full load………. Good thing the earth’s surface is curved.The other theory is that it was used as a flight test bed for the Queen 32 installation in the Prentice. Anyone have other ideas?

Fleet16B

Thanks for the information. I will attempt to contact Mr. Rubin to see if I can arrange a visit to Markham….Jim

Hi Jim,
two years gone.
Have you contacted Mr. Rubin?
Would be nice to know about the fate of CF-EHF (former X-1)…

Martin

Fleet16B

Thanks for the information. I will attempt to contact Mr. Rubin to see if I can arrange a visit to Markham….Jim

These pictures were taken at the old RCAF base at Picton Ontario, which was where Dad kept it.

Dad bought it in 1955 with 152 hours TTSN. He bought it from a gentleman, last name, Frostad who bought it from the Hudson Bay Co. The floats had been removed prior to 1955 and the plane was red as shown in the photos. I spent the afternoon with my Dad and wrote down everything that he could remember. It will take me a day or two to sort it out and then I will post what I know. By that time he may have remembered more. I also got his box of 35mm slides and will look for additional pictures. Dad sold it to a friend of his named Wilson (Ray) Irwin who was an aero engine and airframe mechanic and also a flight engineer on Lancs in the War. Mr Irwin kept it for about 3 years until he lost his medical. Mr Irwin passed away about 25 years ago and his wife about 15. I am going to contact some of his friends to see if I can locate any of his photos. Dad had it painted blue prior to selling it to Mr. Irwin so any of those photos will be in the blue paint scheme. I know that Ray Irwin had a good collection of photos, because I can remember seeing them. He had no children and their only relatives were in England, so there may be a hunt for any living relatives and his photos. I’m hoping that one his local flying buddies might have them here in Ontario. Mr Irwin sold EHF to a fellow from Ottawa area, who used it to smuggle items in from the USA. The last time I saw it , it was in a field near the Ontario Quebec border. That was in the summer of 1967. It had been painted matt black and was in derelict condition. There were large holes in the fabric and the glass and instruments were mostly broken or missing. I’m glad to learn that it still exists and is in Markham, which is only 100 miles from here. (Trenton, Ont.). I’ll post more when I get it organized.

Hi Wieesso

I have Mk 3 G-AKEX, recovered from Sweden November last after 55 years stored in a barn. She is 97% complete, and if all my plans come together, starts restoration around May to flight status. The intention is to return her to full military spec, just as she was in RAF service from 43 to 47. As a child i flew many hours in a Mk V. Apart from the floatplane variant, do you have a special interest in Proctors? Always good to know of other Percival fans out there, great aircraft, and still to my mind much under rated.

Firemanjim

My oics of CF-EHF were taken at Gravenhurst( Muskoka) during the 1950’s or 60’s.
At the time she was in the colour she remains in at present.
Overall black with red and white stripes.
At one time she was stored up in Thornbury Ontario before Jack Arnold aquires her.
She is now in very poor shape. She is a complete project but 90% of the wood is at best useable as patterns.

I have pictures of CF-EHF and a copy of a picture of a Proctor on floats.
If i recall the floats pic , it i spainted silver and has an X painted on the tail of fuse.
I will look for it in my inventory

I can also confirm that CF-EHF still exists at Markham airport but is not owned by Mr Rubin. It along with the Miles Hawk (1934 cf-auv) are owned by the Thompson Corp. of Hudsons Bay Fame.
Mr Rubin , I believe is a Managing these items and the Markham Airport on their behalf.
I worked on both of these a/c and others in the collection on and off from 1988-1992 and I was always paid for services by the Thompson Corp.

Fleet16b

Good morning;
I am just new to this forum and was kindly directed here by Mr. David Jackson of AJJ Collection.
I have a few photos and slides which I will post here in the nest few days after I dig them out and get them scanned. My Dad’s memory is still pretty good and I will visit him today to get whatever information He can provide.

Welcome!
That sounds great 🙂
Martin

I am just new to this forum and was kindly directed here by Mr. David Jackson of AJJ Collection.
It’s probably not good etiquette to start a post by resurrecting a 9 month old thread, but it seems like the best place to start.

Welcome to the forum!
Given the circs, it’s great to hear from you and see pics of the a/c again!

Look forward to hearing more.

Cheers,

proctor mark 6 CF EHF

Good morning;
I am just new to this forum and was kindly directed here by Mr. David Jackson of AJJ Collection.
It’s probably not good etiquette to start a post by resurrecting a 9 month old thread, but it seems like the best place to start.
My Dad , who is 86 years old and still in good health, owned CF EHF during the mid fifties. I spent many memorable hours strapped in the back seat as a kid. I have a few photos and slides which I will post here in the nest few days after I dig them out and get them scanned. My Dad’s memory is still pretty good and I will visit him today to get whatever information He can provide.

‘Another interesting Percival that may still exist locally, in part at least, is the one-off Proctor 6, CF-EHF, a folding-wing floatplane variant built for the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1946. It ended up (on wheels) in the Jack Arnold collection, but by the time Jack got it it had been stored outdoors for a number of years and was sadly very far gone. Circa 1986 it was acquired by Allan Rubin, another collector, then based at Mt.Hope (Hamilton) and today mainly based at Markham north of Toronto. Last time I spoke with Mr Rubin he still had the remains of the unique Proctor in storage…but that was ten years ago. (BTW Mr Rubin also had a beautiful Miles Hawk at that time and I believe he also still has that, safely stored somewhere here in southern Ontario…)
Cheers
S.
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=53369 #12

This is not Farnborough, but Radlett in 1947, the year before the SBAC shows moved to Farnborough. This Proctor floatplane was only shown statically and was subsequently de-converted and sold to Canada as CF-EHF.

So, this aircraft was ordered by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a float plane and then they accepted it as a regular land plane? Incidentally, it is still probably in existence at Ottawa.

I do see one of the General Aircraft GAL 56 tail-less gliders which would put it about ’47, along with the probable Walrus behind AIDN.
SBAC Radlett?

IIRC this Proctor -or at least the mortal remains therof – were still extant in Canada within the relatively recent past?

I seem to recall somebody was rebuilding a new wooden fuselage to go with all the useable metal fittings. :confused:

Thanks for all your help! 🙂

Here ’tis.

As ever, an interesting backdrop, from which I’m sure some here will be able to state the show. Black Farnborough sheds(?) and l-r Fariey Gyrodyne, AW flying wing(?) some over-rated fighter type, make me an offer, 😀 some British airliner thing with a tailwheel – Vickers Viking?

Floats look very like the Norseman’s set.

[/I].

James,

This is not Farnborough, but Radlett in 1947, the year before the SBAC shows moved to Farnborough. This Proctor floatplane was only shown statically and was subsequently de-converted and sold to Canada as CF-EHF.

Here ’tis.

As ever, an interesting backdrop, from which I’m sure some here will be able to state the show. Black Farnborough sheds(?) and l-r Fariey Gyrodyne, AW flying wing(?) some over-rated fighter type, make me an offer, 😀 some British airliner thing with a tailwheel – Vickers Viking?

Floats look very like the Norseman’s set.

Credit – I think it may be from Brian Stainer, Aviation Photo News, but I’m not sure and it’s got nothing on the back, where Brian’s usually had something. Credit happily given if someone contacts me.