MILES FALCON
- With an enclosed cabin seating four in side-by-side pairs, the Miles
M.3 Falcon was in most other respects similar to the M.2 Hawk Major, and
initially used the same 130 hp Gipsy Major I. First flown on September
23,1934, basic Miles M.3A Falcon Major was joined in 1935 by the Miles Falcon
Six with 200 hp DH Gipsy Six engine. Some 35 Miles Falcons of all types built
by 1937. Five assorted Miles Falcons impressed 1940-41 for the RAF and one for
the FAA Communications Unit at Lee-on-Solent, No 781 Sqn. Several others
flew for most of the war retaining their British civil registrations.
Two Miles Falcon Majors and a Miles Falcon Six impressed for the RAAF served in Communications
Units. In April 1936, RAE took delivery at Farnborough of Miles Falcon Six K5924,
with three sets of wings to investigate laminar flow; this remained in
use at Farnborough until 1944. A second Miles Falcon Six, the M.3E L9705, reached
Farnborough in April 1938, testing highly-tapered wings of three different
aerofoil sections and three sets of low-tapered wings with three different
aerofoil biconvex tip sections. Returned to Miles in 1943, L9705 became
the 'Gillette Falcon', first flown August 11, 194°4, to test features
of very thin wing projected for Miles M.52 supersonic research aircraft.
A third Miles Falcon Six, ex-civil, reached the RAE in November 1939 as R4071
for research into spoilers, and survived the war there. Data for Miles Falcon
Six: Max speed, 180 mph (290kmlh). Range, 560 mis (901 km). Empty weight,
1,550 Ib (703 kg). Gross weight, 2,650 Ib (1,202 kg). Span, 35 ft 0 in
(10.67 m). Length, 25ft 0 in (7.62 m). Wing area, 174 sq ft (16.16m2).
