Miles Nighthawk
{{Short description|1930s British civil utility aircraft}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox aircraft
|name = M.7 Nighthawk
|image = Miles M.7 Nighthawk Wolves 05.53.jpg
|caption = Miles M.7A Nighthawk wearing racing colours at Wolverhampton (Pendeford) Airport in May 1953
|type = Four-seat training monoplane
|manufacturer = Miles Aircraft Limited
|designer =
|first_flight = 18 December 1935
|introduction =
|retired =
|status =
|primary_user = Royal Romanian Air Force
|more_users = Royal Air Force
|produced =
|number_built = 5
|developed_from = Miles M.3B Falcon Six
|variants = Miles M.16 Mentor
}}
The Miles M.7 Nighthawk was a 1930s British training and communications monoplane designed by Miles Aircraft Limited.
Design and development
The M.7 Nighthawk was developed from the Miles Falcon Six intended as a training and communications aircraft. The prototype, registered G-ADXA, was first flown in 1935, it was a low-wing monoplane powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine. The prototype crashed during spinning trials at Woodley Aerodrome in January 1937. Four production aircraft followed.
The design was modified to meet an Air Ministry specification and produced as the M.16 Mentor.Jackson 1988, p.341. In 1944 a Nighthawk fuselage was fitted with the wings from a Mohawk and fitted with a {{convert|205|hp|abbr=on}} de Havilland Gipsy Six Series II engine with a variable pitch airscrew. It was designated the M.7A Nighthawk. The last Nighthawk to remain airworthy was G-AGWT in the early 1960s. This aircraft was raced in many postwar UK air competitions, but is no longer extant.
Operational history
Two aircraft were delivered to the Royal Romanian Air Force in 1936 and one was delivered to the Royal Air Force in May 1937 with serial number L6846. It was used as a VIP transport by No. 24 Squadron RAF.Halley 1980, p. 53.
Variants
;M.7
:Production version with a 200 hp (149 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine, two built.
;M.7A
:Four-seat variant built for the Romanian Government, two built.
;M.7A (Hybrid)
:Hybrid version with Nighthawk fuselage and wings from a Mohawk and powered by a {{convert|205|hp|abbr=on}} de Havilland Gipsy Six Series II engine, one built.
Operators
Specifications (M.7)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972:Volume III Jackson 1988, p.265.
|prime units? = imp
|crew=One
|length m=7.62
|length ft=25
|length in=0
|span m=10.67
|span ft=35
|span in=0
|empty weight kg=750
|empty weight lb=1,650
|gross weight kg=1,090
|gross weight lb=2,400
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine
|eng1 kw=149
|eng1 hp=200
|max speed kmh=282
|max speed mph=175
|cruise speed kmh=250
|cruise speed mph=155
|ceiling m=7,010
|ceiling ft=23,000
|ceiling note=Flight 20 February 1936, p. d.|climb rate ms=5.1
|climb rate ftmin=1,000
See also
{{aircontent|
|related=
|similar aircraft=
|sequence=
|lists=
|see also=
}}
References
{{commons category|Miles Nighthawk}}
=Notes=
{{reflist}}
=Bibliography=
{{refbegin}}
- Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970. {{ISBN|0-370-00127-3}}.
- Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians), 1980. {{ISBN|0-85130-083-9}}.
- 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}}.
- [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1936/1936%20-%200466.html "Learning in Luxury: The Miles Nighthawk: A Cabin Monoplane Built Primarily for Instrument- and Night-flying Training"]. Flight, 20 February 1936, Supplement, pp. c–d.
{{refend}}
{{Miles aircraft}}
Category:1930s British military trainer aircraft
Category:1930s British civil utility aircraft
Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft