Hunting Percival, a British aircraft manufacturer, developed in the late forties the medium transport aircraft Prince. Most of them found its way to the civil market. A slightly larger and more sturdy variant for military use was named Pembroke. The prototype, RAF Serial WV698, was ready for flight in November 1952. 42 aircraft were ordered by the RAF as a successor to the Avro Anson. 69 Pembrokes were sold to other European countries.  

When Sweden in 1954 purchased 120 Hawker Hunters (J 34), the British more or less demanded Sweden to complete the order of the attractive ”Hunters” with some aircraft type more difficult to sell - ”Trade Policy” according to the official words. The Swedish Air Force took the opportunity to order transport aircraft - needed, but not as important as the fighters.  

Three week after the contract of the Hawker Hunters, in July of 1954, 16 Pembroke C Mk 52 were ordered. They got the Swedish designation TP 83. The individuals got the Air Force numbers 83001-83016. The aircraft were delivered in 1954-1956.  

As two TP 83s were destroyed - on in a crash and one in a hangar fire - two Pembroke C Mk 52/2 were bought from the Danish Air Force in 1961. They got the Air Force numbers 83017 and 83018.  

The TP 83 was used for a lot of different tasks. Except for liaison and transport of Air Force personnel, it was used as ”flying classroom” for the education of navigators, ELINT (ELectronic INTelligence) in co-operation with the FRA (Försvarets Radioanstalt = ”the Radio Establishment of the Defence”) and Search And Rescue (SAR). Other duties was to act as a test platform and as a flying ambulance. Two aircraft (83006 and 83017) were in 1970 painted in a special blue-and-white colour scheme (see photo below!) and entirely used for VIP-transports. 

The TP 83 had an flight crew of two and could take ten passengers. Alternatively, six stretchers or 1.150 kg of cargo could be carried. 

The TP 83 was powered with two Alvis Leonides 9-cylinder radial engines of 570 hp each.    

For the Model Builder

Special Hobby has a plastic model kit of Hunting Percival P66 C. Mk 54 in scale 1/72 (Kit no. SH72078). Together with Swedish decals from Flying Colors Aerodecals # Sr 7208 you can build a model of TP 83 in VIP markings. Click on the thumbnails for larger images.

© Lars Henriksson