Miles Merlin

M.4 Merlin

Manufacturer: Miles Aircraft Limited
Designed by: Frederick George Miles
First flight: 1935
Number built: 4
Developed from: Miles M.3 Falcon

The Miles M.4A Merlin was a 1930s British five-seat cabin monoplane designed by Miles Aircraft Limited.

Design and development

The Merlin was designed in 1935 as an enlarged version of the M.3 Falcon cabin monoplane. It was built for two customers, Birkett Air Services of England and Tata Airlines of India. The Merlin was a low-wing monoplane with fixed tail-wheel undercarriage powered by a 200 hp de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine. The prototype (registered G-ADFE), built by Philips and Powis, first flew at Woodley Aerodrome on 11 May 1935. G-ADFE was delivered a few weeks later to Birkett. Two other aircraft were delivered to Tata in India to replace the de Havilland Puss Moth on the Karachi-Madras route. The fourth and final Merlin was delivered to Victorian and Interstate Airways of Australia for the Melbourne-Hay service. The Australian Merlin was impressed into the Royal Australian Air Force in 1940.

Operators

Civil Operators

Australia

Victoria and Interstate Airways

India

Tata Air Lines

United Kingdom

Birkett Air Services

Military Operators

Australia

Royal Australian Air Force

Specifications (M.4A)

Data from

General characteristics

Capacity: Five
Length: 25 ft 10 in (7.87 m)
Wingspan: 37 ft 0 in (11.27 m)
Height: 9 ft 7 in (2.92 m)
Wing area: 196 ft² (18.21 m²)
Empty weight: 1700 lb (770 kg)
Gross weight: 3000 lb (1360 kg)
Powerplant: 1 x— de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine, 200 hp (150 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 155 mph (250 km/h)
Cruise speed: 145 mph (245 km/h)
Range: 700 miles (1130 km)
Service ceiling: 18000 ft (5490 m)
Rate of climb: 900 ft/min (4.6 m/s)

Related lists

List of aircraft of the RAAF

Bibliography

Amos, Peter. and Brown, Don Lambert. 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.
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.
Lukins, A.H. and Russell, D.A. The book of Miles aircraft. Leicester, UK: Harborough 1945.

Miles Merlin Pictures and Miles Merlin for Sale.

Living Warbirds: The best warbirds DVD series.

Source: WikiPedia