| M.3 Falcon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Miles M.3A Falcon Major G-AEEG at Old Warden | |
| Role | Cabin monoplane |
| Manufacturer | Miles Aircraft Limited |
| Designer | Frederick George Miles |
| First flight | 12 October 1934 |
| Number built | 36 |
| Developed into | Miles M.4 Merlin |
The Miles M.3 Falcon is a 1930s British three/four-seat cabin monoplane aircraft designed by Miles Aircraft Limited. [1]
The M.3 Falcon was a clean, single engined low-wing monoplane with trousered main undercarriage and fixed tail-wheel, designed in 1934. It was structurally similar to the earlier Miles M.2F Hawk Major family, but had side-by-side seating for two behind the pilot in a glazed cockpit. It was powered by a 130 hp (97 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Major piston engine. The prototype, G-ACTM, built by Philips and Powis first flew at Woodley Aerodrome on 12 October 1934.
The first production aircraft (designated M.3A Falcon Major) was flown in January 1935. It had a wider fuselage than the prototype to improve passenger comfort and revised glazing with a forward sloping windscreen. The M.3A was somewhat underpowered, so the (M.3B Falcon Six) and later versions were fitted with a 200 hp (150 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Six engine.
The M.3C Falcon Six was a four seater with dual controls. The M.3D was strengthened to allow an 11% increase in all up weight compared with the M.3B. The final versions were the M.3E and M.3F.
An enlarged five-seat version was developed as the M.4 Merlin.
The prototype was fitted with extra fuel tanks and entered into the MacRobertson Race from England to Australia in October 1934. It took 27 days to reach Darwin, but returned in a record time of 7 days 19 hours 15 minutes, including one stage of 1,800 miles (2,900 km) non-stop from Jodhpur to Basra.
Twenty-nine M.3As and M.3Bs were delivered during 1935 and 1936 to private owners, clubs, and commercial operators in Britain and abroad.
The M.3B was entered into the 1935 King's Cup Race, and piloted by Tommy Rose won with a speed of 176.28 mph (283.70 km/h). In 1936 Rose, with the same aircraft, reduced the U.K to Cape passage record to 3 days 17 hours and 38 minutes. [2]
Pre war, three Falcon Sixes appeared in RAF garb at the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) for trials of a variety of wings and aerodynamic innovations. At the outbreak of the war three aircraft remained civilian as communications aircraft with various companies but, like so many civil aircraft ten others were impressed into service by the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, the Royal Australian Air Force and the Swedish air force. Six Falcons survived the war, one of which was used by the RAE to test the wing of the Miles M.52. [3]
Production numbers from [4]
References 1 and 2 give detailed histories of the typically complicated lives of these small aeroplanes.
Australia 
South Africa 
Sweden 
United Kingdom 
Spain 
Data fromBritish Civil Aircraft 1919–1972: Volume III [8]
General characteristics
Performance
Related lists
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner; it is easily distinguished from the Electra by its distinctive tail stinger or "MAD" boom, used for the magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) of submarines.
The Curtiss Falcon was a family of military biplane aircraft built by the American aircraft manufacturer Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company during the 1920s. Most saw service as part of the United States Army Air Corps as observation aircraft with the designations O-1 and O-11, or as the attack aircraft designated the A-3 Falcon.
The de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk is a tandem, two-seat, single-engined primary trainer aircraft designed and developed by Canadian aircraft manufacturer de Havilland Canada. It was developed shortly after the Second World War and sold in large numbers during the immediate post-war years, being typically employed as a replacement for the de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane.
The Saab 91 Safir is a three or four seater, single engine trainer aircraft. The Safir was built by Saab AB in Linköping, Sweden and by De Schelde in Dordrecht, Netherlands.
The de Havilland DH.60 Moth is a 1920s British two-seat touring and training aircraft that was developed into a series of aircraft by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.
The DH.83 Fox Moth is a small biplane passenger aircraft from the 1930s powered by a single de Havilland Gipsy Major I inline inverted engine, manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.
The Miles M.38 Messenger is a British four-seat liaison and private owner aircraft built by Miles Aircraft.
The General Aircraft GAL.42 Cygnet II was a 1930s British single-engined training or touring aircraft built by General Aircraft Limited at London Air Park, Hanworth.
The Miles M.16 Mentor was a 1930s British single-engined three-seat monoplane training and communications aircraft built by Miles Aircraft Limited.
The Foster Wikner Wicko was a 1930s British two-seat cabin monoplane built by the Foster Wikner Aircraft Company Limited at Southampton Airport, Hampshire.
The Auster J/5 Autocar was a late 1940s British single-engined four-seat high-wing touring monoplane built by Auster Aircraft Limited at Rearsby, Leicestershire.
The Auster J/5 Aiglet Trainer was a 1950s British single-engined four-seat high-wing training and touring monoplane built by Auster Aircraft Limited at Rearsby, Leicestershire.
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.
The Miles Hawk Major was a 1930s British two-seat light monoplane, developed by Miles Aircraft from the Miles Hawk in order to take advantage of the new inverted de Havilland Gipsy Major engine. When fitted with the longer Gipsy Six in place of the forward crew member, it was known as the Miles Hawk Speed Six.
The Miles M.4A Merlin was a 1930s British five-seat cabin monoplane built by Miles Aircraft Limited.
The Miles M.5 Sparrowhawk was a 1930s British single-seat racing and touring monoplane designed by Miles Aircraft Limited.
The Miles M.7 Nighthawk was a 1930s British training and communications monoplane designed by Miles Aircraft Limited.
The Miles M.65 Gemini was a British twin-engined four-seat touring aircraft designed and built by Miles Aircraft at Woodley Aerodrome. It was the last Miles aircraft to be produced in quantity.
The Auster J series was a family of British light civil utility aircraft developed in the 1940s and 50s by Auster at Rearsby, Leicestershire.
The Miles Hawk Speed Six was a 1930s British two-seat light monoplane, developed by Miles Aircraft from the Miles Hawk Major by fitting the longer and more powerful Gipsy Six engine and removing the forward crew member.
