View source for Engineering:Miles Merlin

{{Use British English|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox aircraft
  |name = M.4A Merlin
  |image = Merlin0628.jpg
  |caption = 
  |type = Five-seat cabin monoplane
  |manufacturer = Miles Aircraft Limited
  |designer = Frederick George Miles
  |first_flight = 11 May 1935
  |introduction = 
  |retired = 
  |status = 
  |primary_user =
  |more_users = 
  |produced = 
  |number_built =  4
  |developed_from = [[Engineering:Miles Falcon|Miles M.3 Falcon]]
  |variants = 
}}

The '''Miles M.4A Merlin ''' was a 1930s British five-seat cabin monoplane built by Miles Aircraft Limited.

==Design and development==
The '''Merlin''' was designed by F.G. Miles of Philips and Powis, as a result of collaboration with G. Birkett of Birkett Air Service Ltd, and Tata Sons Ltd of India. It was based on the three-seat and four-seat versions of the [[Engineering:Miles Falcon|M.3 Falcon]], but with wider fuselage and consequent increased wing span. It was a low-wing monoplane, with fixed main undercarriage in trouser fairings plus a fixed tailwheel. Construction was mainly of wood, with spruce frames and three-ply birch covering, and the wings had hydraulically operated split flaps. It was powered by a 200&nbsp;hp de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine. It was first designated M.4 Merlin, but all four examples were completed as M.4A Merlin, with fixed pitch propeller instead of the intended variable pitch unit.<ref name=brown>Brown 1970, pp. 87-88</ref><ref name=jackson88>Jackson 1988, pp. 57-58</ref><ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1935/1935%20-%200735.html Flight, 4 April 1935, pp. 351-353]</ref>

==Operational history==
On 11 May 1935, the prototype (U-8, later G-ADFE), built by Philips and Powis (Miles Aircraft), first flew at Woodley Aerodrome, piloted by F.G. Miles. A few weeks later, the Merlin was delivered to Birkett Air Service, for its air taxi and charter business based at Heston Aerodrome. Two aircraft were built and delivered to Tata Sons Ltd for its Tata Air Lines service on the [[Place:Karachi|Karachi]]-Madras route. The fourth and final Merlin was delivered to E. Chaseling of Victorian and Interstate Airways in Australia, for its [[Place:Melbourne|Melbourne]]-Hay service. In 1940, the Australian Merlin was pressed into service with the Royal Australian Air Force.<ref name=brown/><ref name=jackson88/>

==Operators==
[[File:MMerlin.jpg|thumb|right]]

;{{AUS}}
*Victoria and Interstate Airways
*Royal Australian Air Force
;{{IND}}
*Tata Air Lines
;{{UK}}
*Birkett Air Services

==Specifications (M.4A)==
[[File:Miles M.4A.svg|frameless|right|3-view line drawing of the Miles M.4A]]

{{Aircraft specs
|prime units? = imp
|ref=Lukins & Russell<ref>Lukins & Russell 1945, p. 32</ref>
|crew=1
|capacity=4 passengers
|length m=7.87
|length ft=25
|length in=10
|span m=11.27
|span ft=37
|span in=0
|height m=2.92
|height ft=9
|height in=7
|wing area sqm=18.21
|wing area sqft=196
|empty weight kg=770
|empty weight lb=1700
|gross weight kg=1360
|gross weight lb=3000
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine
|eng1 kw=<!-- prop engines -->150
|eng1 hp=<!-- prop engines -->200
|max speed kmh=250
|max speed mph=155
|cruise speed kmh=<!-- if max speed unknown -->245
|cruise speed mph=<!-- if max speed unknown -->145
|range km=1130
|range miles= 700
|ceiling m=5490
|ceiling ft=18000
|climb rate ms=4.6
|climb rate ftmin=900
}}

==See also==
* List of aircraft of the RAAF

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Amos, Peter. and Brown, Don Lambert. ''Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1''. Putnam, 2000. {{ISBN|0-85177-787-2}}.  
* Brown, Don Lambert. ''Miles Aircraft Since 1925''. Putnam, 1970. {{ISBN|0-370-00127-3}}. 
* ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985)''. Orbis Publishing.
* Jackson, A.J. ''British Civil Aircraft since 1919''. Putnam, 1974. {{ISBN|0-370-10014-X}}.
* Jackson, A.J. ''British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 3''. Putnam, 1988. {{ISBN|0-85177-818-6}}.
* Lukins, A.H. and Russell, D.A. ''The book of Miles aircraft''. Harborough 1945.
<!--==External links==-->

{{Miles aircraft}}
{{ADF aircraft designations}}

[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]

{{Sourceattribution|Miles Merlin}}