During 1935, E. G. Perman advertised Mignet’s Pou-du-Ciel in aviation magazines and even went as far as proposing the formation of a Flea Constructors’ Club.
There was a link between the firm of E. G. Perman & Co of Brownlow House, 50-51 High Holborn, London WC1, and F. W. Broughton who later went on to design the trio of Broughton-Blayney Brawney single-seaters.
That Perman began in aviation building Fleas is well-documented and the business can be traced back to 24 Brownlow Mews, Guilford Street off Gray’s Inn Road. It was to this address which Flea G-ADOV was registered on 1 October 1935, to G. A. Puttnam, described as “trading as E. G. Perman & Co”. The same attribution goes to G-ADPW later the same month. The following January we find G-ADPV, this time registered to Perman & Co alone, as were G-ADPX and ’PY. Then there is a gap until G-AECM.
Appleby (1912-84) had formed the G. A. Puttnam company as Flea builders in March 1936. Where the name Puttman came from is unknown. His other directors were Martin Payne (formerly with Sir John Carden), Samuel W. Soden and his wife Gertrude, described as furriers, and Dr Harold A. Tracey, a medical practitioner. The firm went on to advertise “the PAC Pou […] fitted with the Carden Aero engine”, trumpeting how, “every machine made by PAC is test flown and passed by Stephen V. Appleby”. The price, with Carden-Ford engine, was £175 and hire-purchase terms were available. It advertised its Flea extensively, an added expense for the fledgling company.
Less than six months later, we find the firm was put up for sale as a going concern. Martin Payne had died suddenly after major surgery and without his financial backing the business could not continue.
With 3,000 sq ft of office and manufacturing space — which, an advertisement tells us, was centrally heated — the asking price was £1,000.
Whether or not the outfit was sold is not recorded. In its brief life, Puttnam had built some five aircraft at its Hornsey Road premises. Appleby now went on to share his time between a job at Heston Airport and Edward Dixon Abbott’s business, bespoke coachbuilders at Wrecclesham. Through its connection with Baynes, the Abbott company also made gliders including the Farnham Sailplane. It later teamed up with Baynes as Abbott-Baynes Sailplanes to build the famous Scud series of small gliders.
Perman simply disappears off the aviation radar after 1936.
All Aero 