Movatterモバイル変換

Miles Falcon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1930s British three- or four-seat cabin monoplane aircraft

M.3 Falcon
Miles M.3A Falcon MajorG-AEEG atOld Warden
General information
Type	Cabin monoplane
Manufacturer	Miles Aircraft Limited
Designer	Frederick George Miles
Number built	36
History
First flight	12 October 1934
Developed into	Miles M.4 Merlin

TheMiles M.3 Falcon is a 1930sBritish three/four-seat cabinmonoplane aircraft designed byMiles Aircraft Limited.^[1]

Design and development

[edit]

TheM.3 Falcon was a clean, single engined low-wing monoplane with trousered main undercarriage and fixed tail-wheel, designed in1934. It was structurally similar to the earlierMiles M.2F Hawk Major family, but had side-by-side seating for two behind the pilot in a glazed cockpit. It was powered by a 130 hp (97 kW)de Havilland Gipsy Major piston engine. The prototype,G-ACTM, built byPhilips and Powis first flew atWoodley Aerodrome on 12 October 1934.

The first production aircraft (designatedM.3A Falcon Major) was flown in January 1935. It had a wider fuselage than the prototype to improve passenger comfort and revised glazing with a forward sloping windscreen. The M.3A was somewhat underpowered, so the (M.3B Falcon Six) and later versions were fitted with a 200 hp (150 kW)de Havilland Gipsy Six engine.

TheM.3C Falcon Six was a four seater with dual controls. TheM.3D was strengthened to allow an 11% increase in all up weight compared with the M.3B. The final versions were theM.3E andM.3F.

An enlarged five-seat version was developed as theM.4 Merlin.

Operational history

[edit]

Miles M.3D Falcon SixG-ADTD wearing racing colours at Leeds (Yeadon) Airport in May 1955

The prototype was fitted with extra fuel tanks and entered into theMacRobertson Race fromEngland toAustralia in October 1934. It took 27 days to reachDarwin, but returned in a record time of 7 days 19 hours 15 minutes, including one stage of 1,800 miles (2,900 km) non-stop fromJodhpur toBasra.

Twenty-nine M.3As and M.3Bs were delivered during 1935 and 1936 to private owners, clubs, and commercial operators in Britain and abroad.

The M.3B was entered into the 1935King's Cup Race, and piloted byTommy Rose won with a speed of 176.28 mph (283.70 km/h). In 1936 Rose, with the same aircraft, reduced the U.K to Cape passage record to 3 days 17 hours and 38 minutes.^[2]

Pre war, three Falcon Sixes appeared in RAF garb at theRoyal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) for trials of a variety of wings and aerodynamic innovations. At the outbreak of thewar three aircraft remained civilian as communications aircraft with various companies but, like so many civil aircraft ten others were impressed into service by theRoyal Air Force,Royal Navy, theRoyal Australian Air Force and the Swedish air force. Six Falcons survived the war, one of which was used by the RAE to test the wing of theMiles M.52.^[3]

Variants

[edit]

Production numbers from^[4]

M.3: Prototype three-seat version with a 130 hpde Havilland Gipsy Major engine. 1 built.
M.3A Falcon Major: Production four-seat version with a 130 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major engine. 18 built
M.3B Falcon Six: Three-seat version with a 200hpde Havilland Gipsy Six engine. 11 built, including 1 Falcon Six designated M.3, but not including 2 M.3Bs later converted to M.3E and F.
M.3C Falcon Six: Four-seater with dual controls with a 200 hp de Havilland Gipsy Six engine. 1 built.
M.3D: Strengthened variant with a 200 hp de Havilland Gipsy Six engine. 3 built. One was a converted M.3B.
M.3E: Variant with a 200 hp de Havilland Gipsy Six engine. 1 built but uncertified.
M.3F: A former M.3B modified for Fairey wing, spoiler and retractable aileron trials with the RAE,R4071.^[5]
Miles Gilette Falcon: A single aircraft modified for the M.52 program.

Civil operators

[edit]

References 1 and 2 give detailed histories of the typically complicated lives of these small aeroplanes.

Military operators

[edit]

Australia

Royal Australian Air Force 3 aircraft.

South Africa

South African Air Force

Sweden

Royal Swedish Air Force 1 aircraft.

United Kingdom

Royal Aircraft Establishment 3 aircraft.
Royal Air Force 5 aircraft.
Royal Navy 1 aircraft.

Spain

Spanish Republican Air Force

Surviving aircraft

[edit]

In Great Britain,G-AEEG, a privately owned M.3A based atThe Shuttleworth Collection,Old Warden is on display at the Collection and flies regularly. It spent much of its life in Sweden asSE-AFW.^[6]
InAustralia, M.3AVH-AAT is still airworthy with a private owner, based at Lilydale, Victoria.
In Spain, a M.3C registeredEC-ACB is also active. This aircraft participated in theSpanish Civil War.^[7]
InAustralia, there’s aMiles Falcon at theNelson Air Company inNelson, Victoria.

Specifications (M.3A)

[edit]

Data fromBritish Civil Aircraft 1919–1972: Volume III^[8]

General characteristics

Capacity: Three
Length: 25 ft 0 in (7.62 m)
Wingspan: 35 ft 0 in (10.67 m)
Height: 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Wing area: 174.3 sq ft (16.19 m²)
Empty weight: 1,300 lb (590 kg)
Gross weight: 2,200 lb (998 kg)
Powerplant: 1 ×de Havilland Gipsy Major piston engine , 130 hp (97 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 145 mph (233 km/h, 126 kn)
Cruise speed: 125 mph (201 km/h, 109 kn)
Range: 615 mi (990 km, 534 nmi)
Service ceiling: 15,000 ft (4,600 m)^[9]
Rate of climb: 750 ft/min (3.8 m/s)

References

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toMiles Falcon.

Notes

[edit]

^Jackson 1988, pp. 147–50
^Jones, D. The Time Shrinkers: the Development of Civil Aviation between Britain and Africa Rendel 1971 pp175-8
^Mondey.2002. p. 167.
^http://www.members.aol.com/warwicaeo/milesaircraft)/aircraftm0afhis.htm^{[dead link]}
^Cooper 2006, p. 204.
^The Shuttleworth Collection – Miles Falcon Retrieved: 2 March 2017
^"Aircraft Data EC-ACB, 1936 Miles M3C Falcon Six C/N 231".airport-data.com. Retrieved14 March 2019.
^Jackson 1988, p. 58.
^Brown 1970, p. 80

Bibliography

[edit]

Amos, PeterMiles Aircraft – The Early Years – The Story of F G Miles and his Aeroplanes, 1925–1939. Tonbridge, Kent: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 2009.ISBN 978-0-85130-410-6.
Brown, Don L. (1970).Miles Aircraft Since 1925. London: Putnam & Company Ltd.ISBN 0-370-00127-3.
Comas, Matthieu (September–October 2020). "So British!: 1939–1940, les avions britanniques dans l'Armée de l'Air" [So British!: British Aircraft in the French Air Force 1939–1940].Avions (in French) (236):38–61.ISSN 1243-8650.
Cooper, Peter.Farnborough:100 years of British aviation. Hinkley: Midland 2006.ISBN 1-85780-239-X
Jackson, A.J.British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 3. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1988.ISBN 0-85177-818-6.
Mondey, David.The Hamlyn Concise guide to British Aircraft of World War II. London: Chancellor press, 2002.ISBN 1-85152-668-4.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985) Orbis Publishing

v t e Miles aircraft
Experimental	M.6 Hawcon M.13 Hobby M.30 X Minor M.35 Libellula M.39B M.52 M.76 M.105
Trainers	M.2 Hawk Trainer M.7 Nighthawk M.9 Kestrel M.9A Master I M.14 Magister M.19 Master II M.27 Master III M.15 T.1/37 M.37 Martinet Trainer M.100 Student
Sportplanes	Southern Martlet M.1 Satyr M.2 Hawk M.2 Hawk Major M.2 Hawk Speed Six M.5 Sparrowhawk M.12 Mohawk M.18 M.77 Sparrowjet
Touring aircraft	M.3A Falcon Major M.3B Falcon Six M.4 Merlin M.11 Whitney Straight M.17 Monarch M.65 Gemini M.75 Aries M.115
Airliners	M.8 Peregrine M.26 M.57 Aerovan M.60 Marathon I M.69 Marathon II M.71 Merchantman
Freighters	M.57 Aerovan M.68 Boxcar M.71 Merchantman
Utility aircraft	M.16 Mentor M.28 Mercury M.38 Messenger
Fighters	M.20 M.24 Master Fighter
Target tugs	M.25 Martinet M.33 Monitor
Drones	M.50 Queen Martinet
Type number	Southern Martlet M.1 Satyr M.2 Hawk M.2 Hawk Major M.2 Hawk Speed Six M.2 Hawk Trainer M.3A Falcon Major M.3B Falcon Six M.4 Merlin M.5 Sparrowhawk M.6 Hawcon M.7 Nighthawk M.8 Peregrine M.9 Kestrel M.9A Master I M.11 Whitney Straight M.12 Mohawk M.13 Hobby M.14 Magister M.15 T.1/37 M.16 Mentor M.17 Monarch M.18 M.19 Master II M.20 M.24 Master Fighter M.25 Martinet M.26 M.27 Master III M.28 Mercury M.30 X Minor M.33 Monitor M.35 Libellula M.37 Martinet Trainer M.38 Messenger M.39B Libellula M.50 Queen Martinet M.52 M.57 Aerovan M.60 Marathon I M.65 Gemini M.68 Boxcar M.69 Marathon II M.71 Merchantman M.75 Aries M.76 M.77 Sparrowjet M.100 Student M.105 M.115

Swedish military aircraft designations 1926–current

By role

Attack aircraft (A)	A 1 A 28 A 29 A 32 A 36 AJ 37 A 38 JAS 39
Bombers (B)	B 1 B 2 B 3 B 4 B 5 B 6 B 7 B 8 B 16 B 17 B 18 B 24 B 26
Army aeroplanes (Fpl)	Fpl 51 Fpl 53 Fpl 54 Fpl 61
Gliders² (G/Lg/Se)	G 101 Se 102 Se 103 Se 104 Lg 105
Helicopter² (Hkp)	Hkp 1 Hkp 2 Hkp 3 Hkp 4 Hkp 5 HKP 6 HKP 9 HKP 10 HKP 11 HKP 14 HKP 15 HKP 16
Fighters (J)	J 1 J 2 J 3 J 4 J 5 J 6 J 7 J 8 J 9 J 10 J 11 J 12 J 19 J 20 J 21/21R J 22 J 23 J 24 J 26 J 27 J 28 J 29 J 30 J 31 J 32 J 33 J 34 J 35 JA 37 JAS 39
Advanced trainers (Ö)	Ö 1 Ö 2 Ö 3 Ö 4 Ö 5 Ö 6 Ö 7 Ö 8 Ö 9
Trials aircraft (P)	P 1 P 2 P 3 P 4 P 5 P 6 P 7 P 8/P 8A/P 8B P 9A/P 9B
Reconnaissance (S)	S 1 S 2 S 3 S 4 S 5 S 6 S 7 S 8 S 9 S 10 S 11 S 12 S 13 S 14 S 15 S 16 S 17 S 18 S 22 S 26 S 29 S 31 S 32 S 35 SF 37/SH 37 JAS 39 S 100
Trainers (Sk)	Sk 1 Sk 2 Sk 3 Sk 4 Sk 5 Sk 6 Sk 7 Sk 8 Sk 9 Sk 10 Sk 11 Sk 12 Sk 14 Sk 15 Sk 16 Sk 25 Sk 26 Sk 28 Sk 35 Sk 38 Sk 40 Sk 50 Sk 60 Sk 61
Torpedo bombers (T)	T 1 T 2 T 16 T 18
Transports (Trp/Tp)	Trp 1 Trp 2/2A Trp 3 Trp 4 Tp 5 Tp 6 Tp 7 Tp 8/8A Tp 9 Tp 10 Tp 16 Tp 24 Tp 45 Tp 46 Tp 47 Tp 52 Tp 53 Tp 54 Tp 55 Tp 78 Tp 79 Tp 80 Tp 81 Tp 82 Tp 83 Tp 84 Tp 85 Tp 86 Tp 87 Tp 88 Tp 89 Tp 91 Tp 100 Tp 101 Tp 102 Tp 103

Post–1940
unified sequence

16
17
18
19
20
21/21R
22
23
24¹
- B/J 24
- Tp 24
25
26¹
- B/S 26
- J/S 26
- Sk 26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
45
46
47
50
51
52
53
54
55
60
61
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
Tp 87
88
89
91
100
- S 100
101
102
103

Italics Pre-unification designations • ¹ Assigned to multiple types • ² Not unified with main sequence

Spanish Armed Forces liaison/utility aircraft designations

Enlace (L)
Liaison

First series	L.1 L.2 L.3 L.4 L.5 L.6 L.7 L.8 L.9 (I) L.9 (II) L.10 L.11 L.12 L.13 L.14 L.15 L.16 L.17 L.18 (I) L.18 (II) L.19
Second series	L.1 L.2 L.3 L.4 L.5 L.6 L.7 L.8 L.9 L.10 L.11 L.12 L.13

Utilitario (U)
Utility

U.1–U.8¹
U.9
U.10¹
U.11¹
U.12
UD.13
U.14
UD.14
U.15
U.16
U.17
U.18²
U.19²
U.20

¹ Not assigned
² No details known

v t e Australian Defence Force aircraft serial-number prefixes
Italics indicate prefixes not used.
RAAF Series One 1921–34	A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 A10 A11 A12
RAAF Series Two 1935–63	A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 A10 A11 A12 A13 A14 A15 A16 A17 A18 A19 A20 A21 A22 A23 A24 A25 A26 A27 A28 A29 A30 A30 A31 A32 A33 A34 A35 A36 A37 A37 A37 A38 A39 A40 A41 A42 A43 A44 A44 A45 A46 A47 A48 A49 A50 A51 A52 A53 A54 A55 A56 A57 A58 A59 A60 A61 A62 A63 A64 A65 A66 A67 A68 1–200 500–1001 A69 A70 A71 A72 A73 A74 A75 A76 A77 A78 A79 A80 A81 A82 A83 A84 A85 A86 A87 A88 A89 A90 A91 A92 A93 A94 A95 A96 A97 A98 A99 A100
RAN Series¹	N1 N2 N3 N4 N5 N6 N7 N8 N9 N10 N11 N12 N13 N14 N15 N16
RAAF Series Three Tri-Service series 1964–present	A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 A10 A11 A12 A13 A14 A15 A16 A17/N17 A18 A19 A20 A21 A22/N22 A23 N24 A25 A26 A27 N28 N29 A30 A31 A32 A33 A34 A35 A36 A37 A38 A39 A40/N40 A41 N42 A43 A44 A45 A46 A47 N48 N49 A51 N52 A53 A54 A55 A56 A69
Lists	Aircraft of the RAAF Aircraft of the RAN Aircraft of the Australian Army
¹ Prior to adoption of Tri-Service prefixes.