The unusual appearance of the Parnall Imp was entirely due to its wings, for it was otherwise a conventional two-seat, single-engined biplane of its time.

[2] The simplicity came from the complete absence of the rigging wires that braced conventional biplanes and needed constant attention.

The Imp was a single-bay biplane, with a single, strongly outward-leaning wide chord streamlined strut on each side, connecting the centre of the lower wing to the upper one.

With the assistance of a large cutout in the trailing edge, this arrangement provided a clear upward view from both cockpits.

[1] It gained its Certificate of Airworthiness in May 1928 and competed in the 1928 King's Cup race, where it finished in eighth place, piloted at almost 110 mph (177 km/h) by D.W. Bonham Carter.

[1] It was later used for flight trials of the 65 hp (48 kW) Pobjoy P seven-cylinder radial engine, then sold into private hands in August 1933,[3] only to be scrapped that December.