The m-20 no-1 flying.
the M.20 was built in their usual all-wooden structure and employed for simplicity a lovely spatted fixed undercarriage. Powered by a RR Merlin, it was armed with the RAF standard of eight machine guns.
First flown that cruzial day of 15 Sept. 1940, the M.20 showed serious potential from the very beginning. Its performance in fact was better than the Hurri, but not up to the Spitfire. It had longer legs and carried more ammo than both though. Sadly, with the Battle of Britain won, the very reason of its conception had disappeared. Only two prototypes were finally produced, the second one for the Fleet Air Arm. The latter wanted the design for their carriers and also for the CAM ships, but the availability of Hurris put an end to that too.
Lovely inflight photo of the first prototype. The wing hides the other innovation of the M.20: an elegant 360º visibility "teardrop" cockpit canopy.
Nothing that a new Master variant equipped with a trusty 870hp radial Bristol Mercury XX radial engine couldn't take care. First flown in Oct. 1939, the M.19 Master Mk.II saw both an extensive production (1,748) and a truly useful service life.
Four "kaffirs" under the supervision of a very white officer. Disturbing, yet gloriously beautiful Kodachrome photo of a South African AF Master Mk.II being cleaned at the Waterkloof Air Force Base near Pretoria in 1943. Boy, that proudly black Rotol
two images of the wooden layout M.20 / 1, which was presented to Sir Kingsley Wood in 1939.The plane was not ordered.Notice the curved wing, which provided shorter main landing gear that was supposed to be retractable at an early design stage.
Photograph of a pencil illustration of a Miles M.38 Messenger type aircraft landing on the aft deck of a Royal Navy convoy ship, where it is slowed and "caught" by a large net rigged vertical to the deck; page 2 of a booklet [see NASM 9A08527], "The Miles Mariner," containing general information on an aircraft proposed by Miles Aircraft Limited to the Royal Navy as an anti-submarine patrol aircraft.
Miles Masters being made10th January 1942: The production line making Miles 'Master' II trainer aircraft for the RAF. Original Publication: Picture Post - 952 - A Girl Goes Into War Industry - pub. 1942
RAF Trainers
November 1939: British Royal Air Force fighter pilots stand on a runway next to a line of 'Master' planes designed for advanced training purposes, World War II, England. RAF officers stand behind the pilots. The planes were equipped with Rolls Royce engines and were officially quoted at maintaining a speed of 500 miles per hour. (
Miles M30 X Minor U-0233
In 1939, F.G. Miles began the design of a large transport aeroplane, the X.2, intended to have the maximum degree of aerodynamic cleanness obtainable. To this end the fuselage was made wide and shallow so that it merged almost imperceptibly into the wing which was fitted with large root fillets. Miles submitted it to the Air Ministry. However the Air Ministry were not interested in civil aircraft or in research work other than that directly connected with the urgent expansion of the RAF. In connection with the X project, Miles decided to build a flying scale model, M.30 X Minor in 1941. The aircraft was built of wooden construction, and flown in the hope that some useful data might be obtained. The first flight was made in February 1942, providing Miles with useful data for several years. At a later date, extensions to the wingtips were fitted, thereby increasing the wingspan from 33 ft to 28 ft 6 in. When the flight trails had been completed, the X Minor was transferred to Apprentice School as technical equipment. General characteristicsCrew: 2
Length: 26 ft 3 in (8.00 m)
Wingspan: 33 ft (10 m) 38 ft 6 in (11.73 m) when extended later
Height: 9 ft (2.7 m)
Wing area: 200 sq ft (19 m2)
Aspect ratio: 5.4
Empty weight: 2,710 lb (1,229 kg)
Gross weight: 4,240 lb (1,923 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × de Havilland Gipsy Major 4-cyl inverted in-line air-cooled piston engine, 130 hp (97 kW) each