Unknown French captured aircraft

[Snautzer01]

Fire away...

 

[buffnut453]

Looks rather like a Miles Hawk...but the kink in the upper line of the nose and the shape of the bottom of the spats both look wrong.

 

[Old Wizard]

 

[Snautzer01]

Miles m-2l Hawk speed six

 

[Graeme]

Anyone know the history behind this photo/event?

 

[chuter]

I would guess it's actually a two seat Hawk with a single seater's canopy, the forward windshield removed and a cover over the forward cockpit. That would account for the kink in the upper nose line, the forward edge of the forward cockpit is right at that kink. The single seater's windshield is normally mounted about half the cowling's length behind the cowling while the two seater's rear windshield is a full cowling length behind as is the one in this photo.

 

[Wurger]

It's a racing version that was developed as the one-off single-seat. Earlier known as M.2E Gipsy Six Hawk.

the pic source: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/model/Miles M.2L Hawk Speed Six

Miles M.2L Hawk Speed Six, G-ACTE / 43, W. Humble. :

 

[Old Wizard]

 

[chuter]

The Gypsy Six version though has the cockpit further forward (relative to the aft cowl edge) than what we see in post 1 as it looks like the post 1 aircraft doesn't have the six, but a four instead due to the shorter cowling. Note the Six's cowling goes behind the wing leading edge.

 

[Snautzer01]

Anyone know the history behind this photo/event?

Captured in France May 1940

 

[Wurger]

The Gypsy Six version though has the cockpit further forward (relative to the aft cowl edge) than what we see in post 1 as it looks like the post 1 aircraft doesn't have the six, but a four instead due to the shorter cowling. Note the Six's cowling goes behind the wing leading edge.

Oh yes I can see that now although the white square and the guy standing in front of the plane cover the back edge of the engine cowling .. I think the most important is the shape of the fuselage top in front of the cockpit . The one in front of the winscreen has the line broken ( into two ones ) toward the prop while the Gipsy Six had one stright line.. So it wouldn't be the Miles M-2L but a M-2H or something like that with the cockpit hood modified.

The pic source : 1950's Archive Part 1: Hendon 1951

For comparison.. the Miles M-2L Hawk speed six

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff!

 

[Old Wizard]

 

[Wayne Little]

Cool!