Miles Sparrowjet

Miles Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1953 · light aircraft

The Miles Sparrowjet was a British lightweight jet aircraft of the early 1950s, developed by Miles Aircraft as a low-cost jet trainer and research aircraft. It was based on the earlier piston-powered Sparrow and used a single turbojet engine mounted in the fuselage.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Very compact Miles design with fuselage-mounted jet engine
T — Tail	Conventional

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British 1950s lightweight single-jet research and training aircraft
Jet-powered development of the Miles Sparrow piston type
Very compact Miles design with fuselage-mounted jet engine

A compact mid-wing monoplane with a smooth fuselage housing the buried jet engine; the absence of a propeller and the short span are distinctive, and the overall form is cleaner than contemporary piston-engine equivalents.

Specifications

The Miles Sparrowjet has a length of 9.39 m (31 ft).
It has a wingspan of 8.69 m (29 ft).
Its maximum speed is 367 km/h (228 mph).
Typical crew: 1-2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1953, the Sparrowjet was one of several Miles designs aimed at the post-war market for economical jet trainers. Miles Aircraft was in financial difficulties during this period and the Sparrowjet did not attract production orders, remaining a prototype. It demonstrated the feasibility of an inexpensive jet design but the company entered receivership before it could be exploited.

Variants

Only a single prototype was constructed.

Where you'll see it

The Sparrowjet never entered operational service.

Related aircraft

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