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Aviation History
1945
1945 - 0710.PDF
FLIGHT The Miles M.48 and U A Postwar Light Plane for the Not Private Owner : Stalling Speed 25 The M.48 isitA feature is tl* from the frommodation is the earlia EARLY in 1943 (in our February 4th issue to be exact)we described the Miles M.28 monoplane, which hadbeen designed and built to fulfil two functions : as an intermediate trainer and as a communications aircraft. Pro- duction of the M.28 will continue after the war, when the type will be known as the Miles Mercury, but a slower and cheaper version intended for club use and for the inex- perienced private owner. The Miles "Everyman's Plane," as it might be called, is the type M.48. It is based upon the M.28, and, in fact, has the same fuselage and a similar 3-4-seater cabin arrange- ment, with a remarkable view from the two front seats. Features introduced in the M.48 as compared with the M.28 for the benefit of the rougher type of handling which the machine might be expected to receive in the hands of club members and not-very-skilled private owners, are a larger wing area (to reduce wing loading and landing speed), a long-travel fixed undercarriage of wide track, and three rudders instead of two. This latter feature has been necessi- tated by the extremely low stalling speed resulting from the low wing loading. The M.28 had a wiog area of 160 sq. ft. That of the M.48 is 191 sq. ft. Miles retractable auxiliary aerofoil flaps give the wing a very high maximum lift coefficient, and as the wing loading is but 12.5 lb./sq. ft., the stalling speed reaches the amazingly low value of 25 m.p.h. It is scarcely surprising that three rudders have become neces- sary to ensure full control at stalling speed. Three rudders are somewhat unusual on a single-engined machine. Theyare made necessary by the very low stalling speed. In this view of th» M.48 prototype the undercarriage leg? are unfaired. The production machines will have " stocicinss "
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