Miles Aircraft
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| Image:Miles M.30 X Minor.jpg |
| Image:Miles Master.jpg |
| Image:Miles.m65.gemini.1a.oo-rld.arp.jpg |
Miles Aircraft was a British manufacturer of light civil and military aircraft. The company was founded by Charles Powis and Jack Phillips as Philips and Powis Aircraft.
Their aircraft include the Hawk Trainer and its military variant, the Magister, as well as the Messenger and the Gemini. During the Second World War they produced the Master advanced trainer, as well as the Martinet and Monitor target tugs.
The aircraft designed by Miles were often technologically and aerodynamically advanced for their time; the M.20 fighter concept outperformed contemporary Hurricanes and Spitfires, despite having fixed landing gear. The X Minor was a flying testbed for blended wing-fuselage designs, though the large commercial transport intended to be produced from this research never entered production.
Despite producing a revolutionary transport – the Aerovan – and nearly completing the world's first supersonic jet aircraft (the Miles M.52, which influenced the design of the Bell X-1), the company went into receivership in 1947. Its aircraft interests were bought up by Handley Page Aircraft, though the Aerovan concept was further developed by Short Brothers into the Skyvan, the Shorts 330 and later the Shorts 360.
Aircraft
The following table lists the Mark number, name, year of first flight and number produced of all Miles aircraft.
| Mk # | Name | Year | Produced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Martlet | 1929 | 6 | |
| Metal Martlet | 1930 | 1 | |
| M.1 | Satyr | 1932 | 1 |
| M.2 | Hawk | 1933 | 55 |
| M.2F-T | Hawk Major | 1934 | 64 |
| M.2E,L,U | Hawk Speed Six | 1934 | 3 |
| M.2W,X,Y | Hawk Trainer | 25 | |
| M.3A | Falcon Major | 1934 | 19 |
| M.3B | Falcon Six | 1935 | 17 |
| M.4 | Merlin | 1935 | 4 |
| M.5 | Sparrowhawk | 1935 | 5 |
| M.6 | Hawcon | 1935 | 1 |
| M.7 | Nighthawk | 1935 | 6 |
| M.8 | Peregrine | 1936 | 2 |
| M.9 | Kestrel | 1937 | 1 |
| M.9A | Master I | 1939 | 900 |
| M.11 | Whitney Straight | 1936 | 50 |
| M.11C | M.11C | 1 | |
| M.12 | Mohawk | 1937 | 1 |
| M.13 | Hobby | 1937 | 1 |
| M.14 | Magister | 1937 | 1,293 |
| M.14 | Hawk Trainer III | 52 | |
| M.15 | T.1/37 | 1939 | 2 |
| M.16 | Mentor | 1938 | 45 |
| M.17 | Monarch | 1938 | 11 |
| M.18 | M.18 | 1938 | 4 |
| M.19 | Master II | 1939 | 1,699 |
| M.20 | M20 | 1940 | 2 |
| M.24 | Master Fighter | 1940 | 26 |
| M.25 | Martinet | 1943 | 1,724 |
| M.26 | "X" | 0 | |
| M.27 | Master III | 1940 | 602 |
| M.28 | Mercury | 1941 | 6 |
| M.30 | X Minor | 1942 | 1 |
| M.33 | Monitor | 1944 | 22 |
| M.35 | Libellula | 1942 | 1 |
| M.37 | Martinet Trainer | 1946 | 2 |
| M.28 | Messenger | 1942 | 80 |
| M.33 | Monitor | 1944 | 80 |
| M.39B | Libellula | 1943 | 1 |
| M.48 | Messenger Development | 1945 | 1 |
| M.52 | M.52 | 0 | |
| M.50 | Queen Martinet | 65 | |
| M.57 | Aerovan | 1945 | 48 |
| M.60 | Marathon I | 1945 | 42 |
| M.64 | L.R.5 | 1945 | 1 |
| M.65 | Gemini | 1945 | 170 |
| M.68 | Boxcar | 1947 | 1 |
| M.69 | Marathon II | 1949 | 1 |
| M.71 | Merchantman | 1947 | 1 |
| M.75 | Aries | 1951 | 2 |
| M.77 | Sparrowjet | 1953 | 1 |
| M.100 | Student | 1957 | 1 |
| M.105 | H.D.M.105 | 1957 | 1 |
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Further reading
Wings Over Woodley, The Story of Miles Aircraft and the Adwest Group ISBN 0946627126