| M.4A Merlin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Five-seat cabin monoplane |
| Manufacturer | Miles Aircraft Limited |
| Designer | Frederick George Miles |
| First flight | 11 May 1935 |
| Number built | 4 |
| Developed from | Miles M.3 Falcon |
The Miles M.4A Merlin was a 1930s British five-seat cabin monoplane built by Miles Aircraft Limited.
The Merlin was designed by F.G. Miles of Philips and Powis, as a result of collaboration with G. Birkett of Birkett Air Service Ltd, and Tata Sons Ltd of India. It was based on the three-seat and four-seat versions of the M.3 Falcon, but with wider fuselage and consequent increased wing span. It was a low-wing monoplane, with fixed main undercarriage in trouser fairings plus a fixed tailwheel. Construction was mainly of wood, with spruce frames and three-ply birch covering, and the wings had hydraulically operated split flaps. It was powered by a 200 hp de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine. It was first designated M.4 Merlin, but all four examples were completed as M.4A Merlin, with fixed pitch propeller instead of the intended variable pitch unit. [1] [2] [3]
On 11 May 1935, the prototype (U-8, later G-ADFE), built by Philips and Powis (Miles Aircraft), first flew at Woodley Aerodrome, piloted by F.G. Miles. A few weeks later, the Merlin was delivered to Birkett Air Service, for its air taxi and charter business based at Heston Aerodrome. Two aircraft were built and delivered to Tata Sons Ltd for its Tata Air Lines service on the Karachi-Madras route. The fourth and final Merlin was delivered to E. Chaseling of Victorian and Interstate Airways in Australia, for its Melbourne-Hay service. In 1940, the Australian Merlin was pressed into service with the Royal Australian Air Force. [1] [2]
Australia 
India 
United Kingdom 
Data from Lukins & Russell [4]
General characteristics
Performance
The de Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth is a British three-seater high-wing monoplane aeroplane designed and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company between 1929 and 1933. It flew at a speed approaching 124 mph (200 km/h), making it one of the highest-performance private aircraft of its era.
The DH.83 Fox Moth was a successful 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 de Havilland DH.53 Humming Bird is a British single-seat, single-engine, low-wing monoplane light aircraft first flown in the 1920s.
The de Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly is a 1930s British twin-engined luxury touring biplane built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company at Hatfield Aerodrome.
The de Havilland DH.94 Moth Minor was a 1930s British two-seat tourer/trainer aircraft built by de Havilland at Hatfield Aerodrome, England. With the start of the second world war production of the Moth Minor was moved to de Havilland Australia at Bankstown Aerodrome, Australia.
The Spartan Cruiser was a 1930s British three-engined transport monoplane for 6 to 10 passengers built by Spartan Aircraft Limited at East Cowes, Isle of Wight. It was a development of the Saro-Percival Mailplane for passenger use.
The Parnall Heck was a 1930s British four-seat cabin monoplane built by Parnall Aircraft Limited at Yate, Gloucestershire. Originally a Hendy design, few were built. It combined the strength and comfort of a cabin aircraft with the speed of a racer.
The Miles M.17 Monarch was a British, light, touring aeroplane of the 1930s. It was a single-engine, three-seat, cabin monoplane with a fixed, tailwheel undercarriage.
The de Havilland DH.75 Hawk Moth was a 1920s British four-seat cabin monoplane built by de Havilland at Stag Lane Aerodrome, Edgware.
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 de Havilland DH.71 Tiger Moth was a British single-seat monoplane, designed to research high-speed flight and to test replacement engines for the Cirrus. Only two were built.
The Miles M.3 Falcon is a 1930s British three/four-seat cabin monoplane aircraft designed by Miles Aircraft Limited.
The Miles M.6 Hawcon was a 1930s British experimental monoplane designed by Miles Aircraft Limited. The Hawcon name comes from a combination of Hawk and Falcon.
The Miles M.7 Nighthawk was a 1930s British training and communications monoplane designed by Miles Aircraft Limited.
The Miles M.8 Peregrine was a 1930s British twin-engined light transport monoplane designed by Miles Aircraft Limited.
The Heston Type 1 Phoenix was a 1930s British single-engined five-seat light transport monoplane built by the Heston Aircraft Company Limited.
The Westland Widgeon was a British light aircraft of the 1920s. A single-engined parasol monoplane, the Widgeon was built in small numbers before Westland abandoned production in 1929.
The Parnall 382 was a 1930s British single-engined monoplane trainer aircraft with two open cockpits, designed and developed by Parnall Aircraft Ltd.
The Miles M.15 was a 1930s British single-engined monoplane trainer aircraft with two open cockpits, designed and developed by Miles Aircraft. Like other aircraft constructed to the official specification, it failed to meet the performance requirements, and only two were built.
The Miles M.13 Hobby was a small low-winged monoplane built for racing and research in the United Kingdom just before World War II. A single engined single seater, it ended its days in the wind tunnel at the R.A.E.