The
Miles M.14 Magister
is a two-seat
monoplane
basic
trainer aircraft
designed and built by the
British
aircraft manufacturer
Miles Aircraft
. It was affectionately known as the
Maggie
.
[
citation needed
]
It was authorised to perform
aerobatics
.
[1]
The Magister was developed during the 1930s to
Specification T.40/36
, itself based on the existing
Miles Hawk Trainer
which had been ordered in small numbers.
[2]
The first prototype's
maiden flight
was on 20 March 1937. It quickly became praised for its handling qualities, increasing the safety and ease of pilot training, while also delivering comparable performance to contemporary monoplane frontline fighters of the era.
[
citation needed
]
The Magister was ordered into quantity production.
Entering service barely a year before the start of the
Second World War
, the Magister became a key training aircraft. It was the first
monoplane
designed as a trainer to be used by the
Royal Air Force
(RAF). During the war it was purchased in large numbers for the RAF, the
Fleet Air Arm
and various overseas military operators. It proved an ideal introduction to the
Spitfire
and
Hurricane
for new pilots.
[
citation needed
]
After the war surplus Magisters were exported in large numbers, with many converted for civilian use.
Development
[
edit
]
Background
[
edit
]
The origin of the Miles Magister was a decision made by the company's management in 1936 to further develop its military trainer range;
[3]
this decision was influenced by the firm's recent success with the
Miles M.2 Hawk Trainer
as an elementary trainer, the first low-wing monoplane to be adopted as a trainer by the
Royal Air Force
(RAF).
[3]
It was decided to produce a derivative of the Hawk Trainer to satisfy the
Air Ministry
's
Specification T.40/36
. The submission ignored the policy of only procuring metal aircraft which the RAF had at the time.
[4]
The new type was broadly similar to the Hawk Trainer: the majority of the differences between the two types pertained to the cockpit, which was enlarged and had numerous new features to better meet military training requirements.
[1]
The first prototype made its
maiden flight
on 20 March 1937, flown by
F.G. Miles
.
[5]
During the following month, the aircraft was named the
Magister
. During early flights, the aircraft exhibited a tendency to spin. The problem was solved by several modifications, including elevating the
tailplane
by 6 in (15 cm), the fitting of anti-spin
strakes
to the rear fuselage and the adoption of a taller
rudder
.
[1]
[6]
The alterations worked so well that the Magister became the first low-wing cantilever monoplane to be authorised by the Air Ministry to perform
aerobatics
.
[1]
Design
[
edit
]
The Magister is a low wing
cantilever
monoplane
designed for military training. Its design is largely derived from Miles'
Hawk Trainer
, although there are some noticeable differences, such as the significant enlargement of the cockpit. A more spacious cockpit was required to reasonably accommodate the presence of
parachutes
and various training aids, which included the provision of blind-flying apparatus.
[1]
The open cockpits have windscreens made of
Perspex
; baggage and unused equipment can be stored in a sizable bay aft of the rear cockpit via an exterior door.
[7]
Pilots are required to enter and exit the aircraft via a wingroot walkway on the starboard side.
[7]
The Magister is largely built of wood, the fuselage consisting of a
spruce
structure with a
plywood
covering; similar materials were used for the three-piece wing and the tail unit.
[5]
[7]
The wing centre section has no dihedral and is of constant section with outer sections having dihedral and tapering towards the tip.
[8]
It has
split flaps
as standard; it was the first RAF trainer to have flaps.
[9]
[10]
[7]
It has a fixed
tailwheel undercarriage
with drag-reducing
spats
on the main wheels; to reduce the landing distance, the undercarriage was fitted with
Bendix
drum brakes
.
[8]
[7]
Power is provided by a 130 hp
de Havilland Gipsy Major
engine and the fuel is contained in a pair of tanks in the centre section.
[7]
The flying characteristics and performance of the Magister lent themselves well to the trainer role; the Magister possessed superior performance to any contemporary elementary trainer.
[11]
It readily enabled trainee pilots to safely learn the handling techniques of modern frontline fighter aircraft. Its ease of handling and safety were attributes that were vigorously demonstrated by Frederick Miles performing stunts such as hands-free landings and formation flying while inverted.
[11]
The flight controls are cable-actuated; some of the controls, such as the rudder pedals, can be adjusted to suit the individual pilot.
[7]
Into production
[
edit
]
Having been impressed by the prototype's performance during trials, the Air Ministry selected the Magister to fulfil the specification.
[12]
Production began in October 1937. Recognising the importance and value represented by the order, the company committed a significant portion of its manufacturing capacity to producing the type, abandoning its plans to produce other aircraft, such as the
Miles Peregrine
, to concentrate resources on the mass production effort.
[12]
Production of the Magister continued until 1941, by which time 1,203 aircraft had been built by Miles.
[13]
More than a hundred Magisters were
licence built
in
Turkey
.
[14]
Contemporary glues used to assemble the wooden aircraft have not stood the test of time and few Magisters have survived.
[
citation needed
]
Operational history
[
edit
]
Initially, production Magisters were supplied to
flying clubs
operated by the
Straight Corporation
, as well as to several overseas government customers.
[11]
By the
Second World War
, in excess of 700 Magisters had entered service with RAF
Elementary Flying Training Schools
; the type would eventually equip 16 such schools as well as the
Central Flying School
. The bulk of civilian-owned Hawk Majors were also
pressed
into military service as trainers alongside the type.
[
citation needed
]
During June 1940, as part of
British anti-invasion preparations
, roughly 15 Magisters were fitted with
bomb racks
for the carriage of up to eight 25 lb (11.5 kg)
bombs
, to fly as a
light bombers
under a scheme called
Operation Banquet
. The preparations were never put into effect and the type never saw active combat use in this capacity.
[15]
[16]
The Magister also participated in experimental wartime research, such as to evaluate a long range ground attack platform during 1941.
[16]
Seeking to increase the payloads of conventional
medium bombers
, British military planners suggested the use of a so-called 'auxiliary wing' that could be towed like a
glider
behind a bomber; this wing would be loaded with either additional fuel or munitions. To test this concept, a modified Magister was produced; by the time testing had reached an advanced stage, the RAF had significantly bolstered its offensive forces with
heavy bombers
, removing the need to deploy the auxiliary wing concept.
[17]
Other aircraft received experimental modifications to evaluate new equipment or aerodynamic features.
[18]
Following the end of the conflict, large numbers of Magisters were disposed of, leading to many being converted for civilian use. Such aircraft were renamed the
Hawk Trainer III
.
[14]
Amongst its civil uses was
air racing
; during the 1950
Kings Cup Air Race
alone, eight Hawk Trainer IIIs were entered, one of which (a modified cabin version
G-AKRV
), piloted by E. Day, was awarded first place, having achieved a recorded speed of 138.5 mph while doing so. At least two other aircraft were thus modified.
[19]
During the
postwar
years, many Magisters were exported to overseas customers, including private pilot owners and flying clubs. Countries that purchased the type included Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Morocco, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Thailand and Tunisia.
Variants
[
edit
]
- 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 135 hp (100 kW) Blackburn Cirrus II engine
Operators
[
edit
]
-
Australia
-
Canada
- Royal Canadian Air Force
[20]
-
Egypt
-
Belgium
-
Estonia
-
Ireland
-
Latvia
-
Malaya
-
New Zealand
-
Portugal
-
South Africa
-
Turkey
-
Thailand
-
United Kingdom
Surviving aircraft
[
edit
]
| This section
needs expansion
. You can help by
adding to it
.
(
December 2020
)
|
By 2009, ten Hawk Trainer IIIs were registered in the United Kingdom, of which several were airworthy.
[
citation needed
]
Furthermore, several ex-service Magisters have been preserved and on display ? including an ex-RAF example at the
Imperial War Museum
in the UK, and an ex-Irish Air Corps example at the
National Museum of Ireland
in Dublin.
[
citation needed
]
One Miles Magister was restored and is still airworthy in the Aeroclub of
San Martin, Mendoza
[22]
ZK-AWY is preserved in the
Museum of Transport and Technology
New Zealand
.
TC-KAY is preserved in the Turkish Air Force Museum.
Specifications (Miles M.14A)
[
edit
]
Data from
Miles Aircraft since 1925
,
[23]
General characteristics
- Crew:
2
- Length:
24 ft 7.5 in (7.506 m)
- Wingspan:
33 ft 10 in (10.31 m)
- Height:
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
- Wing area:
176 sq ft (16.4 m
2
)
- Airfoil
:
root:
Clark YH
mod (19%) ;
tip:
Clark YH mod (9%)
[24]
- Empty weight:
1,286 lb (583 kg)
- Gross weight:
1,900 lb (862 kg) normal
- 1,845 lb (837 kg) for aerobatics
- Fuel capacity:
21.5 imp gal (25.8 US gal; 98 L) ; oil 2.5 imp gal (3.0 US gal; 11 L)
- Powerplant:
1 ×
de Havilland Gipsy Major I
four cylinder air-cooled inverted in-line piston engine, 130 hp (97 kW)
- Propellers:
2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed:
142 mph (229 km/h, 123 kn) at 1,000 ft (300 m)
- 140 mph (122 kn; 225 km/h) at sea level
- 130 mph (113 kn; 209 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m)
- 125 mph (109 kn; 201 km/h) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m)
- Cruise speed:
122 mph (196 km/h, 106 kn)
- Stall speed:
43 mph (69 km/h, 37 kn) flaps down
- 52 mph (45 kn; 84 km/h) flaps up
- Range:
367 mi (591 km, 319 nmi)
- Endurance:
3 hours
- Service ceiling:
16,500 ft (5,000 m) *
Absolute ceiling:
19,000 ft (5,800 m)
- Rate of climb:
850 ft/min (4.3 m/s)
- Wing loading:
10.7 lb/sq ft (52 kg/m
2
)
- Take-off run:
630 ft (190 m) in 5 mph (4 kn; 8 km/h) wind
- Take-off distance to 50 ft (15 m):
1,200 ft (370 m) in 5 mph (4 kn; 8 km/h) wind
- Landing run:
420 ft (130 m) in 5 mph (4 kn; 8 km/h) wind
- Landing distance from 50 ft (15 m):
975 ft (300 m) in 5 mph (4 kn; 8 km/h) wind
See also
[
edit
]
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
[
edit
]
Citations
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Brown 1970, p. 136.
- ^
"
Miles Magister
", Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, September 2009. (Retrieved 28 April 2022)
- ^
a
b
Brown 1970, p. 135.
- ^
Brown 1970, pp. 135-136.
- ^
a
b
Johnson
Aeroplane Monthly
March 1980, pp. 154?155.
- ^
Johnson
Aeroplane Monthly
March 1980, pp. 155?156.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Unwin, Dave (11 April 2013).
"Miles Magister"
. pilotweb.aero.
- ^
a
b
Flight
12 June 1941, p. h.
- ^
Johnson
Aeroplane Monthly
March 1980, p. 154.
- ^
Thetford 1957, p. 334.
- ^
a
b
c
Brown 1970, p. 139.
- ^
a
b
Brown 1970, pp. 136, 139.
- ^
Brown 1970, pp. 144-145.
- ^
a
b
Brown 1970, p. 145.
- ^
Mondey 1994, p. 168.
- ^
a
b
Brown 1970, p. 140.
- ^
Brown 1970, pp. 140-141.
- ^
Brown 1970, pp. 141-144.
- ^
Jackson 1974, p. 69.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
Amos 2009, pp. 367?406.
- ^
MacCarron 1996, p. 138.
- ^
Un avion Miles Magister de 1938 vuela por los cielos de San Martin, en Mendoza.
, retrieved
23 March
2021
- ^
Brown 1970, p. 146.
- ^
Lednicer, David.
"The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage"
.
m-selig.ae.illinois.edu
. Retrieved
16 April
2019
.
Bibliography
[
edit
]
- Amos, Peter.
Miles Aircraft ? The early years
. Tonbridge:
Air-Britain
, 2009.
ISBN
978-0-85130-410-6
.
- Amos, Peter.
Miles Aircraft ? The Wartime Years 1939 to 1945
. Tonbridge:
Air-Britain
, 2012.
ISBN
978 0 85130 430 4
.
- Brown, Don L. (1970).
Miles Aircraft since 1925
(1st ed.). London: Putnam & Company Ltd.
ISBN
0-370-00127-3
.
- Comas, Matthieu (September?October 2020). "So British!: 1939?1940, les avions britanniques dans l'Armee de l'Air" [So British!: British Aircraft in the French Air Force 1939?1940].
Avions
(in French) (236): 38?61.
ISSN
1243-8650
.
- "Friend or Foe: Two Familiar British Trainers: Tiger Moth and Miles Magister"
.
Flight
, Vol. XXXIX, No. 1694, 12 June 1941. p. h.
- Gerdessen, Frederik. "Estonian Air Power 1918 ? 1945".
Air Enthusiast
, No. 18, April ? July 1982. pp. 61?76.
ISSN
0143-5450
.
- Green, William and Gerald Pollinger.
The Aircraft of the World
. London: Macdonald, 1955.
- Jackson, A.J.
British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 2
. London: Putnam, 1973.
ISBN
0-370-10010-7
.
- Johnson, Graham H.R. "RAF Piston Trainers No. 7: Miles M.14 Magister".
Aeroplane Monthly
, Vol. 8 No. 3, March 1980. pp. 154?161.
- Lawrence, Joseph (1945).
The Observer's Book Of Airplanes
. London and New York: Frederick Warne & Co.
- Lukins, A.H. and D.A. Russell.
The Book of Miles Aircraft
. Leicester, UK: The Harborough Publishing Company Ltd., 1946.
- MacCarron, Donal.
Wings Over Ireland
. Leicester: Midland Publishing, 1996.
ISBN
1-85780-057-5
.
- Mondey, David.
The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II
. Chancellor Press, 1994.
ISBN
978-1851526680
.
- Ov?a?ik, Michal and Karel Susa.
Miles Magister: M.14, M14A, M14B
. Prague: Mark I Ltd., 2001.
ISBN
80-902559-4-9
.
- Simpson, Rod
The Archive Photographs Series Miles Aircraft
Stroud: Chalford Publishing Ltd, 1998.
- Swanborough, Gordon.
British Aircraft at War, 1939?1945
. East Sussex, UK: HPC Publishing, 1997.
ISBN
0-9531421-0-8
.
- Temple, Julian C.
Wings over Woodley ? The Story of Miles Aircraft & and the Adwest Group
Bourne End: Aston Publications, 1987.
- Thetford, Owen.
Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918?57
. London: Putnam, 1957.
External links
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]
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B.F
(Trainer)
| |
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B.KhF
(Fighter-trainer)
| |
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