Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Light utility aircraft

Power Plant:

[EP-9): one 201 kw (270 hp) Lycoming GO-480-b six-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
[EP-9C]: one 280 kw (375 hp) Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah 10 seven-cylinder radial air-cooled engine

Specifications

[EP-9]

History:

On 21 December 1955 the prototype Percival EP-9 was flown for the first time by the aircraft’s designer, and founder of the company, Mr Edgar W Percival, an Australian-born designer and builder of several very successful aircraft. Designed as a utility aircraft, the EP-9 could carry a tonne of fertiliser, or, if built for the passenger role, a pilot and five passengers. Edgar Percival Aircraft Limited at Stapleford Aerodrome, Essex, placed the type in production. One (G-APAD), the fourth production aircraft, was shipped to Melbourne, VIC and, as a result of a six-week tour, eight examples were imported for agricultural operations and placed on the Australian Civil Aircraft Register.

Twenty production aircraft were proposed in 1957, a number of sales tours being undertaken to Germany, Libya, Canada, South Africa, France, Australia and New Zealand. In 1958 Edgar Percival sold his shareholding in the Company to Samlesbury Engineering Ltd and aircraft on the production line were transferred to new works at Squires Gate, UK this Company becoming the Lancashire Aircraft Co. New aircraft then became known as the Lancashire EP-9 Prospector and had a 220 kw (295 hp) Lycoming engine driving a three-blade propeller. Production eventually ceased in 1961 after 27 aircraft had been completed.

Two EP-9s were supplied to the British Army for evaluation, and these were used for three years from 1958 to 1961. They were then transferred to the civil register, one being operated as a freighter and the other fitted with six seats. For the freighter role, clam-shell doors were fitted at the rear of the cockpit to allow easy access for such items as stretchers, wool and straw bales, or a 204 litre (45 Imp gal) oil drum.

After the type had been in service in Australia a couple of years it was found that the Lycoming engine tended to overheat during low-level flying in hot weather.  Kingsford Smith Aviation Pty Ltd at Bankstown, NSW, converted three aircraft VH-PRS (c/n 31 – ex G-43-1); VH-SSX (c/n 27 – ex VH-SSW¹, G-APAD, G-43-6); and VH-FBZ (c/n 34 – ex G-APIB, G-43-1) to take the Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah radial engine, and these became known as the EP-9C.

VH-PRS was initially registered on 29 October 1957 to Proctors Rural Services of Alexandra, VIC but crashed at Bulla, VIC on 19 September 1958. During its rebuild it was converted to EP-9C configuration by Austerserve Pty Ltd at Bankstown and entered service on 27 March 1961 as VH-BOG with Airfarm Associates of Tamworth, NSW. It crashed on 23 October 1961 at Quirindi, NSW.  It crashed again on 11 April 1962 at Glen Innes, NSW when a propeller blade broke away in flight, the engine being torn away from its mount, crashing into a creek bank and being written off.

VH-SSW² was first flown in the United Kingdom and shipped to Australia (above). In September 1958 it became VH-SSW with Super Spread of Moorabbin, VIC, the Department of Civil Aviation changing the registration to VH-SSX on 8 December 1958. In May 1960 it was converted to EP-9C standard and served with Tadgell Aviation of Toowoomba,QLD from November 1960, Airfarm Associates of Tamworth from October 1961, and Tonair Pty Ltd of Tintinara, SA from April 1966. It was burnt in a grass fire at Keith, SA on 11 April 1967.

VH-SSV (c/n 28 – ex G-APBR, G-43-7) was displayed at the June 1957 Paris Airshow before being used as a demonstrator in Spain and North Africa. It was ferried to Australia and allotted registration VH-SSC on 4 September 1957 but this was not taken up and it became VH-SSV to Super Spread Aviation of Moorabbin, VIC the following month. It crashed on 6 April 1960 at Penhurst, VIC, was rebuilt, entering service with Doggett Aviation of Perth, WA on 31 October 1962 as VH-DAI. It subsequently saw service with Tonair Pty Ltd, SA and Austral Exploration Services of Adelaide, SA, having had a couple of forced landings until retired in March 1974. It was registered in August 1974 to Lionel Van Praag (a former Speedway motor-cycle champion) of Sydney and placed on display at Airworld, Wangaratta. After the closure of that museum it was sold and has been restored at Derrinallum, VIC, becoming VH-EPN.

Other EP-9s registered in this region were: VH-FBY (c/n 33 – ex G-APIA, G-43-3) which was first flown at Stapleford, UK on 15 October 1957. It was ferried to Australia and registered to L D Campbell of Sydney, who traded as Skyspread, on 21 February 1958, but crashed at Booroowa, NSW on 6 September 1958. VH-TCA (c/n 40) was shipped to Australia and was registered to the Tasmanian Aero Club at Launceston on 10 October 1958. It later went to Air Mist Pty Ltd of Launceston, and became VH-DAX with Doggett Aviation of Perth, WA on 1 April 1965. In January 1968 it went to Sasin Aircraft of Geraldton, WA but crashed on 7 April 1968 at Wittenoom, WA, the wreck being buried on site.

VH-SSW¹ (c/n 32 – ex G-APFY, G43-2) was test flown in the UK in September 1957, being ferried to Australia that year. Registration VH-SSB² was allotted but this was cancelled and the aircraft became VH-SSW on 22 October 1957 with Super Spread Aviation of Moorabbin. It was damaged in an accident on Flinders Island on 23 February 1958. It was written off after it crashed on a test flight at Moorabbin on 15 April 1958.

VH-FBZ (c/n 34 – ex G-APIB, G-43-1) was registered to L D Campbell trading as Skyspread on 7 February 1958. Ownership was transferred to Lombard Australia in November 1961 and Airfarm Associates of Tamworth in April 1962. It crashed at Walcha, NSW on 30 July 1962. It was rebuilt and registered to Airfarm Associates on 10 October 1962 as VH-DCM but was destroyed when it hit trees at Blanford, NSW on 9 April 1963.

VH-SSR (c/n F46) was assembled by Super Spread Aviation using a new airframe obtained from the United Kingdom in 1961 but using the wings and other components from VH-SSW¹. It was damaged on 23 October 1963 at Freeling, SA and ownership was transferred to Farmair Pty Ltd of Tinamba, SA in 1964.  It became VH-DAV with Doggett Aviation of Perth in August 1964 and was retired in February 1966. It was stored for some years until work commenced on its restoration.

One EP-9 (ZK-BDP – c/n 22) was operated by Manawatu Aerial Topdressing Co in New Zealand from May 1957 to 19 February 1958 when it was lost in a crash at Palmerston North. In 2003 an EP-9 built by the Lancashire Aircraft Co was imported to New Zealand by Kairanga Aviation Ltd, becoming ZK-PWZ (c/n 42 – ex G-APWZ).

At the 1957 Paris Air Show two examples were placed on display, G-AOZO (c/n 29) and G-AOBR (c/n 28), the former crashing at Lympne in July 1980 and the latter becoming VH-SSV, later VH-DAI and VH-EPN. One was registered in France as F-BIEG (c/n 37) but crashed in March 1961 in Algeria. Others were G-APCS (c/n 24) and G-APCT c/n 25), the former becoming EC-ASO in Spain. G-APWX (c/n 41) was used by the International Red Cross Locust Control Service in Africa in 1960 and later became N8395 in the United States. The last EP-9 became G-ARDG and was displayed at Farnborough in 1960. It was a Prospector 2 fitted with an Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah engine. It ended up at Middle Wallop as part of the rebuild of an EP-9 for the Museum of Army Flying.

The British Army Air Corps evaluated two aircraft, c/ns 38 and 39, which became XM797 and XM819 in 1958, but the de Havilland Beaver was selected for service and the two EP-9s became G-ARTU and G-ARTV, the former crashing at Old Warden in September 1969 whereas the latter bcame D-ELSA in Germany in 1962 before later returning as G-ARTV, then becoming N747JC before going to the Museum of Army Flying at Middle Wallop and being painted as XM819.