Harman Patil (Editor)

Miles Martinet

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Top speed
  
386 km/h

Length
  
9.42 m

Manufacturer
  
Miles Aircraft

Wingspan
  
12 m

First flight
  
April 24, 1942

Miles Martinet Picture of Miles Martinet Military Aircraft and information

The Miles M.25 Martinet was a target tug aircraft of the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm that was in service during the Second World War. It was the first British aircraft to be designed specifically for target towing.

Contents

Design and development

Miles Martinet Miles Martinet TTI

Based upon the Miles Master II, the Martinet featured a strengthened airframe to handle the stresses of towing a target drogue. Other differences from the Master included a longer nose, higher cockpit and greater wingspan, but otherwise the two aircraft shared many common components. The targets and towing gear were contained in a fairing beneath the fuselage and were retracted by an external, wind-powered winch.

The first prototype Martinet was first flown on 24 April 1942, by Chief Test Pilot F/Lt Thomas Rose from Woodley Aerodrome. In total, 1,724 Martinets were produced by Miles Aircraft Ltd for the RAF and FAA to meet Air Ministry Specification 12/41.

Miles Martinet The Aviation Photo Company Miles Types RAF Miles Martinet TT1

There were two other variants of the Martinet; the M.50 Queen Martinet, a radio-controlled target drone of which 69 were built and a further 17 produced through conversion of production Martinets. The M.37 Martinet Trainer was developed during the war but only two were built. All Martinets and their variants were manufactured at Woodley.

Variants

Miles Martinet The Miles Martinet

  • M.25 Martinet: Two-seat target tug aircraft. The M.25 Martinet was used by both the RAF and the Royal Navy, as the Martinet TT.Mk I.
  • M.50 Queen Martinet: Unmanned radio-controlled target drone.
  • M.37 Martinet Trainer: Two-seat training aircraft. Only two were built.

    • Operators

     Belgium
  • Belgian Air Force (11 operated from 1947–1953 as target tugs)
    •  France
  • French Air Force - 41 Martinet TT.1s were delivered between 1945 and 1948.
    •  Ireland
  • Irish Air Corps - two Martinett TT.1s were delivered in 1946.
    •  Portugal
  • Portuguese Navy
  • Portuguese Air Force
    •  Turkey
  • Turkish Air Force
    •  United Kingdom
  • Royal Air Force
  • Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm

    • Specifications (M.25)

    Data from The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II.

    General characteristics

    Miles Martinet httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

  • Crew: two
  • Length: 30 ft 11 in (9.42 m)
  • Wingspan: 39 ft (11.89 m)
  • Height: 11 ft 7 in (3.53 m)
  • Wing area: 242 ft² (22.48 m²)
  • Empty weight: 4,600 lb (2,090 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 6,680 lb (3,030 kg)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 6,750 lb (3,062 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Mercury 20 or 30 radial engine, 870 hp (649 kW)

    • Performance

  • Maximum speed: 240 mph (386 km/h) at 15,000 ft (4,600 m)
  • Cruise speed: 199 mph at 5,000 ft (320 km/h at 1,525 m)
  • Range: 694 miles (1,117 km)
  • Wing loading: 28.1 lb/ft² (137.1 kg/m²)
  • Power/mass: 0.235 hp/lb (0.389 kW/kg)

    • Surviving aircraft

    A single Martinet survives; it is owned by the Museum of Berkshire Aviation in the United Kingdom. The aircraft (RAF serial number MS902) was built in 1943, and spent its operational life in Iceland at RAF Reykjavik. In 1949, MS902 was sold to the Akureyri Flying Club and given the Icelandic civil registration TF-SHC. The club flew it until it crashed in 1951 near Kopasker in north-east Iceland. The wreckage remained at the crash site until 1977, when it was recovered and placed in storage by the Icelandic Aviation Historical Society.

    The aircraft was returned to the United Kingdom in 1996 by the Museum of Berkshire Aviation and has since been the subject of a lengthy restoration project.

    References

    Miles Martinet Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA