- Miles Magister
-
M.14 Magister 
Role Trainer Manufacturer Miles Aircraft Designer G.H. Miles First flight 1937 Primary users Royal Air Force
Fleet Air ArmNumber built 1,303 
Miles Magister at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford
The Miles M.14 Magister was a British two-seat monoplane basic trainer aircraft built by the Miles Aircraft for the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm. Affectionately known as the Maggie, the Magister was based on Miles' civilian Hawk Major and Hawk Trainer and was the first monoplane designed specifically as a trainer for the RAF. As a low-wing monoplane, it was an ideal introduction to the Spitfire and Hurricane for new pilots.
Contents
Design and development
The Magister was designed to meet Air Ministry Specification T.40/36P and first flew in March 1937. The design was based on an open-cockpit, low wing cantilever monoplane of spruce structure covered in plywood. The wing centre section has no dihedral and is of constant section with outer sections having dihedral and tapering towards the tip. Split flaps were fitted as standard. The initial M.14 was followed by the definitive Miles M.14A Magister I with a taller rudder and, eventually, anti-spin strakes on rear fuselage.
Notwithstanding the relatively large number built, contemporary glues used to assemble the wooden aircraft have not stood the test of time and seemingly only one remains airworthy on the British register in 2007 with a few others designated Hawk Trainers.
Operational history
Production began in October 1937 and by the start of the Second World War over 700 Magisters had entered service with RAF Elementary Flying Training Schools, eventually equipping 16 such schools as well as the Central Flying School. Large numbers of civilian Hawk Majors were also pressed into service as trainers. Production of the Magister continued until 1941 by which time 1,203 had been built by Miles and an additional 100 were built under licence in Turkey.
Hawk Trainer Coupe G-AJRT at Leeds (Yeadon) Airport in May 1955After the war many Magisters were converted for civilian uses and redesignated as the Hawk Trainer III. The 1950 Kings Cup Air Race, in which eight Hawk Trainer IIIs competed, was won by E. Day in a modified cabin version G-AKRV at 138.5 mph. At least two other aircraft were thus modified.[1] In 2009, 10 Hawk Trainer IIIs were registered in the United Kingdom, of which several were airworthy.
Variants
- Miles M.14 Magister / Hawk Trainer III
- Initial production version.
- Miles M.14A Magister I / Hawk Trainer III
- Improved variant.
- Miles M.14B Magister II / Hawk Trainer II
- Improved variant with a 135hp Blackburn Cirrus II engine
Hawk Trainer IIIOperators
- Royal Australian Air Force[2] - One aircraft.
- Belgian Air Force - One aircraft operated from 1946 to 1948.
- Estonian Air Force[2] - One aircraft
- Irish Air Corps[3] - 27 aircraft from 1939 to 1952.
- Malayan Volunteer Air Force[2]
- Royal New Zealand Air Force[2] - Two aircraft.
- Portuguese Air Force[2] - Ten aircraft.
Specifications (Miles M.14A)
General characteristics
- Crew: 2 (instructor and student)
- Length: 24 ft 7 in (7.51 m)
- Wingspan: 33 ft 10 in (10.31 m)
- Height: 9 ft 1 in (2.77 m)
- Wing area: 176 ft² (16.3 m²)
- Empty weight: 1,260 lb (570 kg)
- Loaded weight: 1,863 lb (845 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × de Havilland Gipsy Major I inverted inline piston, 130 hp (97 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 132 mph at 1,000 ft (212 km/h)
- Range: 380 miles (610 km)
- Service ceiling: 18,000 ft (5,500 m)
- Rate of climb: 850 ft/min (260 m/min)
- Wing loading: 10.6 lb/ft² (51.8 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.07 hp/lb (0.11 kW/kg)
See also
- Related development
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
- de Havilland Moth Minor
- Fairchild PT-19
- Ikarus Aero 2
- Valmet Tuuli
- Yakovlev UT-2
- PTO-4
- Klemm Kl 35
- Caudron Aiglon
- Related lists
- List of aircraft of the RAF
- List of aircraft of the RNZAF
References
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Amos, Peter. Miles Aircraft = The early years. Tonbridge: Air-Britain, 2009. ISBN 978 0 85130 410 6
- Amos, Peter and Don Lambert Brown. Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. ISBN 0-85177-787-0.
- Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970. ISBN 0-37000-127-3.
- Green, William and Gerald Pollinger. The Aircraft of the World. London: Macdonald, 1955.
- Lukins, A.H. and D.A. Russell. The Book of Miles Aircraft. Leicester, UK: The Harborough Publishing Company Ltd., 1946.
- Ovčáčík, Michal and Karel Susa. Miles Magister: M.14, M14A, M14B. Prague, Czechia: Mark I Ltd., 2001. ISBN 80-902559-4-9.
- Swanborough, Gordon. British Aircraft at War, 1939-1945. East Sussex, UK: HPC Publishing, 1997. ISBN 0-9531421-0-8.
- MacCarron, Donal. Wings Over Ireland'. Leicester: Midland Publishing, 1996. ISBN 1-85780-057-5.
External links
Miles aircraft 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.39 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
Lists relating to aviation General Aircraft (manufacturers) · Aircraft engines (manufacturers) · Airlines (defunct) · Airports · Civil authorities · Museums · Registration prefixes · Rotorcraft (manufacturers) · TimelineMilitary Accidents/incidents Records Categories:- British military trainer aircraft 1930–1939
- Miles aircraft
- World War II British trainer aircraft
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