Miles Martinet
The Miles M.25 Martinet was a target tug aircraft of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Fleet Air Arm (FAA) that was in service during the Second World War. It was the first British aircraft to be designed specifically for target towing.
| M.25 Martinet | |
|---|---|
| Role | Target tug |
| Manufacturer | Miles Aircraft |
| First flight | 24 April 1942 |
| Status | Out of service, retired |
| Primary users | Royal Air Force Royal Navy French Air Force Belgian Air Force |
| Produced | 1942–1945 |
| Number built | 1,724 |
| Developed from | Miles Master |
Work on the Martinet was started in response to the RAF's shortage of obsolete frontline aircraft for target towing duties. A derivative of the Master trainer, it was designed to have as much commonality with existing production aircraft as possible. The first prototype Martinet made its maiden flight on 24 April 1942; quantity production started immediately. A total of 1,724 Martinets were produced, of which the majority were operated either by the RAF or FAA, although some were used by overseas and civilian operators.
The Martinet was also developed into a relatively secret aircraft in response to Specification Q.10/43, which called for a radio-controlled target drone. This aircraft, designated the M.50 Queen Martinet, was only produced in small numbers, and its existence was a state secret until 1946. Several other derivatives of the basic airframe were also produced, including a dedicated glider tug and a trainer variant.