Miles Mohawk?

[Oldpilot55]

I found this in my family photos..no date, no location, no id..any ideas?

In Miles Aircraft - The Early Years it has a light stripe a little down the cowling but the photo is so poor that it could be there.

http://ukga.com/images/content/image23576.jpg

[gilman]

I think you are quite right.The shape of the of the double cockpit hood is exactly the correct shape. Miles had a close connection with Charles Lindburgh for whom this plane was designed. Worth checking the history books for when he was on his tour of th capitals Best wishes
namrod

[Conc]

I believe the aircraft ended up in the USA but was donated to the RAF museum and restored a couple of years ago. Not sure if it is on display at Hendon, Cosford or stored. It was a one off for Charles and Anne Lindbergh.

[Planemike]

The Mohawk was found in a scrap yard in Spain. It was taken to the US and then passed in to the hands of the RAF Museum who restored it. Currently on display at Hendon.

Planemike

[Oldpilot55]

I did find out that the photo was taken on 19 April 1937. At that time the plane (according to a document on RAF Hendon's web pages) would have been in Europe, having completed a trip to India.
I have asked them if they have the original log books if they could tell me where the plane was on that day.

[gilman]

Two things struck me when I was studying your picture.
1 The pilot appears to be wearing a French Pith Helmet (back from India).
2 Ground crew all in white overalls. Could it be back at Woodley with Miles staff. Was it Lindberg at the controls.
Regards gilman

[Oldpilot55]

I think its likely to be Lindbergh purely on the basis that he was the owner of the aircraft! If so the Pith helmet could have been a trophy from his trip.
It must have been easier when the Empire was pink to travel from UK to India. Although I'd still prefer to have had GPS 70 years ago.
The airfield looks to be sandy..was Woodley airfield sandy?
I suspect the photo was taken in the UK largely because my family did not travel a great deal and in those days would have been in Scotland. I'm wondering if it was taken in Scotland...?

[Sir George Cayley]

It's not raining; are sure it's Scotland;)

SGC

[Fournierf5]

With some fiddling around with the image . . . the chaps by the tailplane appear to wearing pith helmets as well!

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i473/fournierrf5/mohawk.jpg
:hmm:

[gilman]

Grass is very patchy but I think it could be a chalky surface not sandy.
Somewhere near the Downs perhaps like Rochester or Gravesend. The girl in the rear cockpit is possibly Mrs Lindburg. I hope you are sucesfull with your information from Hendon.

reards
gilman

[Fournierf5]

If you care to look there is a picture in the Yale University Library Archive / Lindbergh Picture Coll showing Lindbergh helping refuel this plane in Calcutta, dated 16 March 1937 . . . pith helmet and all!

The Manuscripts and Archives Digital Images Database (MADID) (http://images.library.yale.edu/madid/oneItem.aspx?id=1774377&q=mohawk&q1=&q2=&qc1=&qc2=&qf1=&qf2=&qn=&qo=&qm=&qs=&sid=&qx=)

[gilman]

Dear All who took part. Oldpilot55 you certainly started some interesting research with your photograph !! Planemike and Conc helprd but Fournierf5 really tied it up for us with his clean up of the picture and finally showing us were we could find a picture complete with pith helmet. Many hours of pleasure. What a good team.
gilman

[Oldpilot55]

Thanks for everyone's help! Unfortunately I cannot view the photo that Fournier f5 cleaned up. Since there has been such interest in my photo I've attached the link to the RAF Museum's page on the Mohawk.
http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/collections/aircraft/aircraft-history/X002-6559%20Miles%20Mohawk.pdf

[Fournierf5]

. . . whoever did this is to be congratulated, a virtual tour of the cockpit!

Miles M.12 Mohawk Virtual Tour | Miles M.12 Mohawk at the RAF Museum in Hendon | Photography by Eye Revolution - The Virtual Tour Company | eyerevolution (http://www.eyerevolution.co.uk/category/virtual_tours/miles_mohawk_raf_hendon/)

that's enough research - Ed.