Percival Merganser

The Merganser was designed as a five-passenger, light airliner with an emphasis on "passenger appeal". To this end, a high-wing configuration and tricycle landing gear were chosen to provide the best view and a low, level floor for easy access. The fuselage, having been completed in November 1946, was shipped by train ferry to Paris to be displayed at the Aero Show. By this time, the Merganser was already doomed, since it was designed to be powered by de Havilland Gipsy Queen 51 engines and neither these nor any suitable substitute were available. ==Operational history==

Only one Merganser was flown; when it made its first flight on 9 May 1947 from Luton Airport, the engines were on loan from the Ministry of Supply. Although the Merganser never entered production, further development, based on the data gathered from its test programme, would lead to the larger Prince, President and Pembroke series for which a suitable powerplant was available. ==Variants==

;P.48 Merganser :Five to eight-seat transport, one completed and two fuselages. ;P.48A Merganser :Proposed floatplane variant, not built. ;P.48B Merganser :Proposed ski-plane variant, not built. ;P.49 Merganser II :Proposed aerial survey variant, not built. ==Specifications (Merganser)==