Miles Hawk Major

Hawk Major

Miles M.2H Hawk Major at White Waltham Airfield, near Maidenhead Berkshire, in June 1953
Role	Two-seat touring and racing monoplane
Manufacturer	Miles Aircraft Limited
Designer	Frederick George Miles
First flight	1934
Primary user	Royal Air Force
Number built	64
Developed from	Miles Hawk

The Miles Hawk Major was a 1930s British two-seat light monoplane designed by Miles Aircraft Limited.

Design and development

The Hawk Major was designed as a successor to the Miles Hawk by F.G. Miles. Main changes were a de Havilland Gipsy III engine, metal (instead of wood) engine mount, and trousered undercarriage. The prototype (designated M.2F Hawk Major) was first flown in 1934 and went on to second place in the 1934 King's Cup Race at an average speed of 147.78 mph. A racing version was developed as the one-off single-seat M.2E Gipsy Six Hawk with a 200 hp de Havilland Gipsy Six engine. The production Hawk Major had the 130 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major engine. The aircraft sold well to private owners, including two that were fitted with smoke generators to allow them to be used as skywriters. An improved version (the M.2H) with a trailing edge flap replaced the M.2F on the production line. A number of special one-off racing versions were also built.^[1] In October 1934, Squadron Leader Malcolm Charles McGregor flew a Hawk Major from RAF Mildenhall to Melbourne, Australia in 7 days, 15 hours while competing in the MacRobertson Air Race.^[2] In 1936 Miles Hawk VI, G-ADOD was entered into the Schlesinger Race from Portsmouth to Johannesburg and flown by A. E. Clouston who nearly made it all the way to Johannesburg but had to make a forced crash landing due to engine trouble 150 miles south of Salisbury.^[3]

In 1935, an improved version for training use was developed as the Miles Hawk Trainer.

Variants

M.2E Gipsy Six Hawk (later Hawk Speed Six): Single-seat racing version powered by a 200 hp de Havilland Gipsy Six engine, one built.
M.2F Hawk Major: Production version powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Major engine.
M.2G Hawk Major: Three-seat cabin version, one built.

The Miles M.2L Hawk Speed Six wearing racing No.96 at Leeds (Yeadon) Airport in May 1955

M.2H Hawk Major: Production version powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Major engine.
M.2K Hawk Major: Powered by a 105 hp Cirrus Hermes II engine, one built.
M.2L Hawk Speed Six: Powered by a 200 hp de Havilland Gipsy Six 1F engine, one built.
M.2M Hawk Major: Three-seat version powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Major engine, two built.
M.2P Hawk Major: Dual control version powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Major engine, three built.
M.2R Hawk Major de Luxe: Racing version powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Major engine, two built.
M.2S: Long-range version Powered by a 150 hp Blackburn Cirrus Major engine.
M.2T: Long-range single-seater powered by 150 hp Blackburn Cirrus Major engine, two built.
M.2U Hawk Speed Six: Racing version powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Major Six R engine, one built.

Survivors

M.2L Speed Six registered G-ADGP is airworthy in 2009 and based at White Waltham Airfield near Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Operators

United Kingdom

Royal Air Force

Specifications (M.2F)

General characteristics

Capacity: Two
Length: 24 ft 0 in (7.32 m)
Wingspan: 33 ft 0 in (10.06 m)
Height: 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Wing area: 169 ft² (15.70 m²)
Empty weight: 1,150 lb (522 kg)
Gross weight: 1,850 lb (840 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × de Havilland Gipsy Major, 200 hp (149 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 150 mph (241 km/h)
Range: 560 miles (901 km)
Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6100 m)
Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Miles Hawk Major.

Notes

Bibliography

Amos, Peter. and Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. ISBN 0-85177-787-2.
Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970. ISBN 0-370-00127-3.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 3. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1974. ISBN 0-370-10014-X.

Miles aircraft

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