Miles mentor
| Miles M.16 "Mentor" | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Trainer aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
January 5, 1938 |
| Commissioning: |
1938 |
| Production time: |
1938 |
| Number of pieces: |
45 (including prototypes) |
The Miles M.16 Mentor was a three-seater cabin monoplane for the Royal Air Force . Her primary tasks included instrument training on day and night flights. Other areas of application were radio operator training and liaison flights.
history
According to the 1937 tender 38/37 of the British Air Ministry for a three-seat cabin aircraft with a 200 hp de Havilland Gipsy Six engine, Miles developed the M.16 from the Miles M.7 Nighthawk . The tender called for double controls, doors on both sides, blind flight instruments and landing lights. It should also be possible to carry radio equipment.
The prototype with the RAF serial number L4392 took off on its maiden flight on January 5, 1938 with H. Skinner at the controls . However, the performance values of the machine proved to be inferior to those of the Nighthawk. The controls were also more difficult to master. Nevertheless, an official test was carried out, which apparently could also prove the usability for the intended purpose. Miles received a construction contract for a total of 44 more machines. All of the copies made flew in service with the Royal Air Force, only one of which survived World War II. This mentor (L4420) received the civil license G-AHKM, but crashed on April 1, 1950.
construction
The mentor was a wooden structure. Since it could be developed from the Miles Nighthawk, the construction work only required 630 man-weeks . The Mentor had a one-piece front Perspex cockpit glazing, as it was already used on the Miles M.11 Whitney Straight .
operator
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| Passengers | 2 |
| length | 7.98 m |
| span | 10.60 m |
| Wing area | 16.81 m² |
| Empty weight | 898 kg |
| Takeoff weight | 1230 kg |
| Top speed | 250 km / h |
| Engines | a 6-cylinder in- line engine de Havilland Gipsy Six with 200 HP (147 kW) |
literature
- Don L Brown: Miles Aircraft since 1925 , Putnam & Co., 1970, ISBN 0-370-00127-3 , pp. 149 ff.
- David Arnold: Types of Airplanes in the World - Models. Technology. Data. Bechtermünz-Verlag, 1998, ISBN 3-86047-593-2 . P. 644.
