Miles Nighthawk
| M.7 Nighthawk | |
|---|---|
| |
| Miles M.7A Nighthawk wearing racing colours at Wolverhampton (Pendeford) Airport in May 1953 | |
| Role | Four-seat training monoplane |
| Manufacturer | Miles Aircraft Limited |
| First flight | 18 December 1935 |
| Primary users | Royal Romanian Air Force Royal Air Force |
| Number built | 5 |
| Developed from | Miles M.3B Falcon Six |
| Variants | Miles M.16 Mentor |
The Miles M.7 Nighthawk was a 1930s British training and communications monoplane designed by Miles Aircraft Limited.
Design and development
[edit]The M.7 Nighthawk was developed from the Miles Falcon Six intended as a training and communications aircraft. The prototype, registered G-ADXA, was first flown in 1935, it was a low-wing monoplane powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine. The prototype crashed during spinning trials at Woodley Aerodrome in January 1937. Four production aircraft followed.[1]
The design was modified to meet an Air Ministry specification and produced as the M.16 Mentor.[2] In 1944 a Nighthawk fuselage was fitted with the wings from a Mohawk and fitted with a 205 hp (153 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Six Series II engine with a variable pitch airscrew. It was designated the M.7A Nighthawk.[1] The last Nighthawk to remain airworthy was G-AGWT in the early 1960s. This aircraft was raced in many postwar UK air competitions, but is no longer extant.
Operational history
[edit]Two aircraft were delivered to the Royal Romanian Air Force in 1936 and one was delivered to the Royal Air Force in May 1937 with serial number L6846.[1] It was used as a VIP transport by No. 24 Squadron RAF.[3]
Variants
[edit]- M.7
- Production version with a 200 hp (149 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine, two built.
- M.7A
- Four-seat variant built for the Romanian Government, two built.
- M.7A (Hybrid)
- Hybrid version with Nighthawk fuselage and wings from a Mohawk and powered by a 205 hp (153 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Six Series II engine, one built.[1]
Operators
[edit]
Specifications (M.7)
[edit]Data from British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972:Volume III [1]
General characteristics
- Crew: One
- Length: 25 ft 0 in (7.62 m)
- Wingspan: 35 ft 0 in (10.67 m)
- Empty weight: 1,650 lb (750 kg)
- Gross weight: 2,400 lb (1,090 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine , 200 hp (149 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 175 mph (282 km/h, 152 kn)
- Cruise speed: 155 mph (250 km/h, 135 kn)
- Service ceiling: 23,000 ft (7,010 m) [4]
- Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s) [4]
See also
[edit]Related lists
References
[edit]
Notes
[edit]Bibliography
[edit]- Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970. ISBN 0-370-00127-3.
- Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians), 1980. ISBN 0-85130-083-9.
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
- Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft since 1919. London: Putnam, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10014-X.
- Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 3. London: Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-818-6.
- "Learning in Luxury: The Miles Nighthawk: A Cabin Monoplane Built Primarily for Instrument- and Night-flying Training". Flight, 20 February 1936, Supplement, pp. c–d.