page_title: Percival Gull
section_title: Racing and record-breaking
hierarchical_section_title: Percival Gull / Operational history / Racing and record-breaking
caption_attribution_description: English: Jean Batten's record-breaking Percival P.3 Gull Six G-ADPR 'Jean' at the 1954 Coventry air show
context_page_description: The Percival Gull was a British single-engined monoplane, first flown in 1932. It was successful as a fast company transport, racing aircraft and long-range record breaker. It was developed into the Vega Gull and the Proctor.
context_section_description: On 9 July 1932, E.W. Percival flew the prototype Gull (G-ABUR) in the round Britain King's Cup Race, averaging almost 143 mph (230 km/h), although a D-series Gull never won the trophy. The speed of Gulls also made them attractive for the long distance flights popular in the 1930s and the Gull, fitted with extra tanks offered a range of 2,000 miles (3,220 km).
  On 4 October 1933, Charles Kingsford Smith started a flight in a Gull Four (G-ACJV), from Lympne Aerodrome to Darwin, Australia, arriving on 10 December 1933, in a record 7 days, 4 hrs, 44 min.
  On 17 June 1935, E.W. Percival piloted a Gull Six (G-ADEP) from Gravesend to Oran (Algeria), returning to Croydon Airport the same day, and was later awarded the Oswald Watt Gold Medal in recognition of this flight.
  New Zealander Jean Batten made at least two memorable flights in her Gull Six (G-ADPR). On 11 November 1935, she departed Lympne and flew two legs to Thiès, Senegal. After a 12 hr, 30 min crossing of the Atlantic on 13 November, she arrived at Port Natal, Brazil, and was later awarded the Britannia Trophy. On 5 October 1936, Batten flew from Lympne to Darwin in the record time 5 days, 21 hr, 3 min, then flying on across the Tasman Sea to Auckland to set another total record time of 11 days, 45 min.
  On 4 May 1936, Amy Johnson, flying a Gull Six (G-ADZO), took off from Gravesend on a flight to Wingfield aerodrome, Cape Town and back to Croydon Airport in a record 7 days 22 hr 43min.
caption: Jean Batten's record-breaking D.3 Gull Six in 1954, named Jean on its cowling
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