The Miles M.28 Mercury was a British aircraft designed to meet the need for a training and communications plane during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. It was a single-engined
monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...
of wooden construction with a twin tail and a
tailwheel
Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...
undercarriage with retractable main units.
Development
Originally, the M.28 had been planned as a replacement for the
Whitney Straight
Air Commodore Whitney Willard Straight, (6 November 1912 – 5 April 1979) was a Grand Prix motor racing driver, aviator, businessman, and a member of the prominent Whitney family of the United States.
Early life
Born in New York City, Whitn ...
and
Monarch
A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority and power i ...
, but this was shelved when war broke out.
In 1941, the project was revived in response to a requirement for a training and communications aircraft. The design was produced as a private venture by
Ray Bournon using Miles' normal wooden construction. The resulting machine introduced several features not found on trainers: retractable undercarriage and trailing edge flaps amongst others. In the communications role, the M.28 had four seats and a range of .
The prototype first flew on 11 July 1941 and proved easy to fly, with light controls and a short landing run. Owing to Miles' heavy commitment to war-production, however, only six aircraft were built, of slightly varying specifications, the last being the Mercury 6 which first flew in early 1946. Examples of the type were operated in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Australia.
Variants
*M.28 Mark I: First prototype – Two seat trainer, powered by
de Havilland Gipsy Major
The de Havilland Gipsy Major or Gipsy IIIA is a four-cylinder, air-cooled, inverted inline engine used in a variety of light aircraft produced in the 1930s, including the famous Tiger Moth biplane. Many Gipsy Major engines still power vintag ...
I engine.
[Jerram ''Aeroplane Monthly'' September 1986, p. 474.]
* M.28 Mark II: Three seat trainer (with dual controls) powered by de Havilland Gipsy Major IIA. One built 1942. Re-engined with 140 hp Blackburn
Cirrus Major
The Blackburn Cirrus Major is a British, inline-four aircraft engine that was developed in the late 1930s.
Design and development
The Blackburn Cirrus Major started life as a continued evolution of the original Cirrus and Hermes series of air ...
II and then with a Cirrus Major III post-war.
[Jerram ''Aeroplane Monthly'' September 1986, pp. 475–476.]
* M.28 Mark III: Three seat trainer with triple controls for two students and one instructor, powered by 150 hp Cirrus Major 3 and with revised wing section. One built (''PW937'').
[Jerram ''Aeroplane Monthly'' September 1986, p. 475.][Mason 2010, p. 251.]
* M.28 Mark IV: Four seat communications aircraft powered by Gipsy Major IIA. One built 1944.
* M.28 Mark V: Post-war four-seater powered by Cirrus Major III. Square rear windows. One built 1947.
[Jerram ''Aeroplane Monthly'' September 1986, p. 476.]
* M.28 Mark VI: Post war four-seater powered by Cirrus Major III. Round rear windows. One built 1946.
Specifications (M.28)
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
* Amos, Peter. and Brown, Don Lambert. ''Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1''. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. .
* Brown, Don Lambert. ''Miles Aircraft Since 1925''. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970. .
* Jackson, A.J. ''British Civil Aircraft since 1919 - Volume 3''. 1974. Putnam & Company Ltd. .
* Jerram, Mike. "For Business And Pleasure—No. 3", ''
Aeroplane Monthly
''Aeroplane'' (formerly ''Aeroplane Monthly'') is a British magazine devoted to aviation, with a focus on aviation history and preservation.
__TOC__
''The Aeroplane''
The weekly ''The Aeroplane'' launched in June 1911 under founding edito ...
'', Vol. 14, No. 9, September 1986. pp. 474–477. .
* Mason, Tim. ''The Secret Years: Flight Testing at Boscombe Down, 1939-1945''. Crowborough, UK: Hikoki Publications, 2010. .
* Mondey, David. ''The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II''. London: Chancellor Press, 2002. .
{{Miles aircraft
1940s British military trainer aircraft
1940s British military utility aircraft
1940s British civil utility aircraft
Miles aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Low-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1941
Twin-tail aircraft