Miles M.9 Kestrel
Phillips and Powis Aircraft (Miles) · United Kingdom · first flew 1937 · light aircraft
The Miles M.9 Kestrel was a 1930s British single-engined, tandem-seat monoplane intended as an advanced trainer. Only one was built, but it was developed into the Miles Master.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.99 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Thick cantilever inverted gull wings with anhedral inboard and dihedral outboard
- Tandem seats under a simple perspex canopy
- Chin radiator under the nose of the Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine
A wooden low-wing monoplane with thick inverted gull wings, a three-bladed propeller and a tailwheel. The main undercarriage retracts backwards into the wings.
Specifications
- The Miles M.9 Kestrel has a length of 8.99 m (29 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.88 m (39 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 475 km/h (295 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Kestrel was built as a private venture and first flew in May 1937, appearing at the RAF Hendon display on 26 June 1937. It had a 745 hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine driving a three-bladed propeller.
Variants
One Kestrel was built. The Master I differed in the shape of the rear fuselage and fin, the balancing of the rudder and elevators, the cockpit glazing and the relocation of the radiator to the belly.
Where you'll see it
It reached 475 km/h at 4,270 m, only 15 mph slower than the single-seat Hawker Hurricane. It was later taken on RAF charge as N3300, tested at Farnborough and Boscombe Down, and scrapped in 1943. Orders for the production Master followed in 1938, the largest ever for an RAF trainer at that time.
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