The type was originally designated the
Hendy 3308 Heck, with the prototype built by the
Westland Aircraft Works at
Yeovil. While originally intended to be fitted with a
Napier Javelin engine, it was completed with a
de Havilland Gipsy Six engine instead. It was allocated the
registration G-ACTC and first flew in July
1934. Parnall Aircraft Limited was formed in May
1935 when George Parnall and Company merged with the
Hendy Aircraft Company and the
armament engineering firm
Nash & Thompson. The Heck was redesignated the
Parnall Heck. A number of problems with the undercarriage led to it being locked down and covered with 'trouser' fairings. The aircraft set a new record for the flight from
Cape Town to England of 6 days, 8 hours and 27 minutes in November
1936. A small production line was started at
Yate,
Gloucestershire and the production version was designated the
Heck 2C. The production aircraft were three-seaters with fixed spatted undercarriages. None of the aircraft was sold, and four (G-AEGH, G-AEGI, G-AEGJ and G-AEMR) were operated by Parnall Aircraft for communications and liaison with RAF squadrons in connection with Parnall's armament contracts. When the
Second World War started, the aircraft were repainted from dark grey to a brown and green camouflage scheme but retained civilian registration markings. The fifth production Heck 2C, registered G-AEGL, was flown as serial K8853 under contract 486334/36, and was used for trial installations of engines and armaments, including the development of the gun sight installation for the
Spitfire and
Hurricane. It was later allocated the
Maintenance serial 3125M. The
Parnall 382 was a newly designed two-seat open cockpit trainer, with some Heck components to meet
Air Ministry Specification T.1/37. It was flown in February
1939 and later assessed at
Martlesham Heath as the
Heck III, but was not ordered. ==Operators==