The Miles M.14 Magister is a British two-seat basic trainer which was developed during the 1930s to the specification T.40/36.
After the success of the M.2 Hawk elementary trainer, Miles decided to produce a variant of the M.2 to satisfy the Air Ministry's specification T.40/36.
The type submitted was very similar to the M.2. The main difference between the M.2 and the M.14 being the cockpit, which was enlarged in the M.14 and had various new features to meet military training requirements. The prototype flew for the first time on 20th March 1937 at the hands of Frederick G. Miles, and, during the following month, it received the nickname of Magister. During early flights the aircraft showed a tendency to spin. This was, however, fixed with many alterations, among them, elevating the tailplane by 6 in (15 cm), the fitting of anti-spin strakes and the adoption of a taller rudder. These changes worked so well that the Magister became the first aircraft to receive permission from the Air Ministry to perform aerobatics.
The Magister is mainly made out of wood, the fuselage consisting of a spruce structure covered in plywood. Both wings and tail section were made out of similar materials. It is equipped with split flaps, and was the first Royal Air Force's (RAF) trainer to be equipped with them. It has also a fixed undercarriage covered in aerodynamical spats and equipped with Bendix drum brakes, in order to reduce landing distance. It is powered by a single De Havilland Gipsy Major I engine which yields 130 hp of power.
After having won the contest of the Air Ministry, it was ordered into mass production, which began in October 1937 and continued until 1941, with 1.023 machines being manufactured by Miles.
Initial production orders were supplied to flying clubs through the Straight Corporation, as well as many overseas private customers. At the outbreak of World War 2 more than 700 Magisters were in service with the RAF Elementary Flying Training Schools, among them the Central Flying School.
During June 1940 as part of the British anti-invasion preparations around 15 Magisters were fitted with small bomb racks to be used as very light bombers. However, they were never used in this role.
The Magister was also used as an experiment carried out in 1941 to include an auxiliary towed rear wing, which could carry either additional ammo or fuel. This was done to increase the range of British medium bombers at the time. The experiment was, however, a failure.
After the war, many were sold to private owners, and were known as the Hawk Trainer III. In these private hands the Magister enjoyed a reputation of being a fast racer.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Magister
2. Scale Aircraft Modelling - October 1997 - Miles Military Trainers
3. Putnam & Co. - Miles aircraft since 1925
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