The original Proctor aircraft, designed by Edgar Percival, was a British plane produced at the Percival factory in response to an Air Ministry requirement in 1939 for a radio trainer and communications plane. It was a single-engined, low-wing monoplane with seating for three or four, depending on the model. The type was put into production as a Second World War aircraft for the RAF and the Fleet Air Arm. Developed from the Percival Vega Gull, the early Proctors followed the design quite closely but the later Marks IV and V were a completely redesign of the originals and proved to have less than adequate flight performance, amongst other shortcomings. Only 1143 Proctor Percivals in total were ever built. The Mk V was a civil model derived from the Proctor IV and put into production for private owners, business and light charter. Only 150 of the type were built and the RAF purchased four of these four seaters for use by air attachés.
Our 1:72 scale replica G-AKIU is in the livery of an aircraft used by the British Embassy in Washington, DC. With silver bodywork and red lettering on the upper and lower wings, additional detail sees the model with black anti-glare panel, red stripe along the fuselage and black tyres, engine and intakes. The propellers are silver with yellow tips and red spinner.
Following its withdrawal from service, the real aircraft passed through several owners over the years before being acquired in 1999 by Mike Collett, Classic Air Force Chairman. Fully restored by a dedicated team of experts, G-AKIU is now once again airworthy, owned by Air Atlantique and on view at Coventry Airport.