View source for Miles Merlin

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox aircraft
  |name = M.4A Merlin
  |image = Merlin0628.jpg
  |caption = 
  |type = Five-seat cabin monoplane
  |manufacturer = [[Miles Aircraft|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 = [[Miles Falcon|Miles M.3 Falcon]]
  |variants = 
}}

The '''Miles M.4A Merlin ''' was a 1930s [[United Kingdom|British]] five-seat cabin monoplane built by [[Miles Aircraft|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 [[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 [[Air India|Tata Air Lines]] service on the [[Karachi]]-[[Madras]] route. The fourth and final Merlin was delivered to E. Chaseling of [[Victorian and Interstate Airways]] in [[Australia]], for its [[Melbourne]]-[[Hay, New South Wales|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}}
*[[Air India|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==
{{commons category|Miles Merlin}}
* 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:1930s British airliners]]
[[Category:Miles aircraft|Merlin]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1935]]
[[Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear]]