Time Period: World War II
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Type: Fighter Aircraft (Lightweight)
Manufacturer: Miles Aircraft
Miles M.20 Aircraft Overview
The Miles M.20 is a British experimental aircraft that was designed and built by the Miles Aircraft Company in the late 1940s. It was intended to be a research aircraft for exploring the characteristics of swept-wing designs, which were becoming increasingly popular at the time.
The M.20 was powered by a single Rolls-Royce Derwent turbojet engine and had a top speed of around 500 miles per hour. Its swept-wing design, which had a 35-degree sweep angle, allowed it to achieve high speeds without encountering problems with compressibility and high-speed stability.
The M.20 was flown for the first time in September 1945, and it was later modified to incorporate wing leading-edge slats and flaps to improve low-speed handling. It was also used for high-altitude testing, reaching an altitude of over 43,000 feet during one test flight.
Although the M.20 was not produced in large numbers, it was an important research aircraft that contributed to the development of swept-wing designs that became a standard feature of high-speed jet aircraft. The experience gained from the M.20 contributed to the development of other aircraft, including the Hawker Hunter and the Gloster Javelin.
Miles M.20/4 Specifications
- Crew: One
- Length: 30 ft 1 in (9.17 m)
- Wingspan: 34 ft 7 in (10.54 m)
- Height: 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m)
- Wing area: 234 sq ft (21.7 m2)
- Airfoil: root: NACA 23021; tip: NACA 23009
- Empty weight: 5,870 lb (2,663 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 7,758 lb (3,519 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 154 imp gal (185 US gal; 700 l) fuel ; 8.5 imp gal (10 US gal; 39 l)
- Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Merlin XX V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 1,260 hp (940 kW) at 3,000 rpm
- Propellers: 3-bladed Rotol constant-speed propeller
Miles M.20/4 Performance
- Maximum speed: 333 mph (536 km/h, 289 kn) at 20,600 ft (6,300 m) combat load
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- 350 mph (560 km/h) clean at 20,600 ft (6,300 m)
- Stall speed: 80 mph (130 km/h, 70 kn) flaps down
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- 101 mph (163 km/h) flaps up
- Range: 550 mi (890 km, 480 nmi) / 2 hour duration – normal
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- 870 mi (756 nmi; 1,400 km) / 5 hours 12 minutes duration – absolute maximum
- Endurance: 5 hours 12 minutes at 9,000 ft (2,743 m)
- Service ceiling: 31,400 ft (9,600 m)
- Absolute ceiling: 35,500 ft (10,800 m)
- Rate of climb: 3,200 ft/min (16 m/s)
- Time to altitude: 20,000 ft (6,100 m) in 9 minutes 36 seconds
- Wing loading: 33.2 lb/sq ft (162 kg/m2)
- Take-off run: 810 ft (250 m) with 30° flap
- Take-off distance to 50 ft (15 m): 1,350 ft (410 m) with 30° flap
Miles M.20/4 Armament
- Guns: 8 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns.
