Miles M.18 pilot report

[paulmadden707]

Does anybody know of a published pilot report (other than the brief note from the WWII Flight Test Establishment) of the Miles M.18 Trainer? Better still, does anybody know of a living pilot who flew the M.18...and might be willing to talk about it?

[Airclues]

I suggest that you contact The Museum of Berkshire Aviation;

Home - Museum of Berkshire Aviation (http://home.comcast.net/~aero51/html/)

It is situated on the site of the Miles factory and contains exhibits relating to all of the Miles products.

You could also try The Museum of Flight, East Fortune;

http://www.rampantscotland.com/visit/blvisit_museum18.htm

[NutherA2]

I first saw GAHKY in 1956 at RAF Jever, when it was owned and flown by Brian Iles. Some 30 years later I met up with it again at Scone when it was owned by the Scottish Aircraft Preservation Trust and for a couple of years I flew it for them. If my elderly memory and logbooks might help, just ask.

[paulmadden707]

It's wonderful to get such a quick reply...thank you!
The Test Establishment note just said that the pilots thought the M18 handled better than the Magister and that it was impossible to spin!! It seems a bit strange that Miles was proposing a replacement WWII trainer that could not spin, don't you think? But, I don't know their reasoning.
I have read a few pilot reports of the Magister flight characteristics and its initial trauma when the first version could not be recovered from a spin. What did you think of the M18 handling characteristics, in particular, its low-speed flight characteristics and stalling behavior (the PPRuNe spell checker made me spell it this way!)? Also, were you able to spin the aircraft? If so, what about its recovery characteristics?
I look forward to hearing from you, and thanks again.

PM

[NutherA2]

Wonder if it was the Miles? I think it must have been, Brian won the 1961 King's Cup Air Race in the Miles, I remember the record of his victory was painted on the cowling.

[Tony Mabelis]

Brian was a member of The Tiger Club at Redhill back in the 1960's.
I remember G-AHKY parked in the hangar at Redhill with the wings removed.
I'm not sure, but I imagine there was an airworthiness problem with the old glue.
Tony

[NutherA2]

I’ve never flown the Magister, so can’t offer a comparison. We didn’t have any sort of Pilot’s Notes for the M18 (Mark 2), but I was lucky enough to be given a check-out by the test pilot who saw KY through its Permit renewal, (Group Captain Retd. Colin Bidie) after he’d done a year or two flying it.

KY was not cleared for aerobatics or spinning but my memories of it are that it really was a pleasure to fly. The controls were well balanced the Cirrus engine gave it an excellent take off performance and a good rate of climb. Stalling was benign and absolutely conventional. Overall it was a very easy and pleasant aircraft to fly, very much easier than its contemporary Tiger Moth, though with nothing like the latter’s character.

[Heathrow Harry]

try Ken Fostekew - he's a volunteer at the Museum of Berkshire Aviation and is very helpful when I've been there


[email protected]

I think

[paulmadden707]

Thank you NutherA2 for your description of the M18 flight characteristics. Given that the M18 was designed to be a trainer, I imagine it was, at one time, cleared for aerobatics and spinning. A copy of the Pilots Notes might provide additional information.

[ericferret]

As the aircraft were civil registered it's possible that the CAA have copies of the pilots notes
in their archive. Long shot to be fair.

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

Paul - Please check your Private Messages.

Rgds Tom.

[paulmadden707]

Peter Amos, the Miles Aircraft Historian, has answered most of the questions regarding the spinning characteristics of the M.18 in his book:

Volume 1 of ‘Miles Aircraft – The Early Years’ by Peter Amos.

Chapter 31
Miles M.18 Trainer Mk.I, Mk.II, Mk.III and Mk.IV HL

An extract from a test flight report quoted in the book mentions that it was impossible to spin the M.18 with the flaps extended. However, the aircraft did spin or, perhaps, spin/spiral, with the flaps up.