Miles Hawk
The Miles M.2 Hawk was a twin-seat light monoplane designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Miles Aircraft Limited during the 1930s. It is the first of the company's aircraft to attain quantity production.
| M.2 Hawk | |
|---|---|
| Role | Two-seat light monoplane |
| Manufacturer | Miles Aircraft Limited |
| Designer | Frederick George Miles |
| First flight | 29 March 1933 |
| Status | Out of production, out of service |
| Produced | March 1933-July 1934 |
| Number built | 55 |
| Variants | Miles Hawk Major |
The Hawk's development started in 1932 following a conversation between designer F.G. Miles and Charles Powis, the latter offering Miles hangar space at Woodley Aerodrome to build his proposed affordable twin-seat monoplane. The aircraft was designed by Miles and his wife, while construction of the prototype was mostly performed by the carpenter Harry Hull. On 29 March 1933, the prototype performed its maiden flight.
The aircraft quickly proved its performance to be roughly 50 per cent greater than biplane contemporaries. Within 15 months, 47 Hawks had been sold to various domestic customers. An advanced derivative, the Miles Hawk Major, was also quickly developed, alongside several specialised versions of the original aircraft. Amongst other uses, the Hawk was entered into numerous air races. Production of the original Hawk series came to an end during July 1934.