Miles Mercury

The Miles M.28 Mercury was a British aircraft designed to meet the need for a training and communications plane during the Second World War. It was a single-engined monoplane of wooden construction with a twin tail and a tailwheel undercarriage with retractable main units.

Development
Originally, the M.28 had been planned as a replacement for the Whitney Straight and Monarch, but this was shelved when war broke out.

In 1941, the project was revived in response to a requirement for a training and communications aircraft. The design was produced as a private venture by Ray Bournon using Miles' normal wooden construction. The resulting machine introduced several features not found on trainers: retractable undercarriage and trailing edge flaps amongst others. In the communications role, the M.28 had four seats and a range of 500 mi.

The prototype first flew on 11 July 1941 and proved easy to fly, with light controls and a short landing run. Owing to Miles' heavy commitment to war-production, however, only six aircraft were built, of slightly varying specifications, the last being the Mercury 6 which first flew in early 1946. Examples of the type were operated in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Australia.

Variants

 * M.28 Mark I: First prototype – Two seat trainer, powered by 130 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major I engine.
 * M.28 Mark II: Three seat trainer (with dual controls) powered by 140 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major IIA. One built 1942. Re-engined with 140 hp Blackburn Cirrus Major II and then with a 150 hp Cirrus Major III post-war.
 * M.28 Mark III: Three seat trainer with triple controls for two students and one instructor, powered by 150 hp Cirrus Major 3 and with revised wing section. One built (PW937).
 * M.28 Mark IV: Four seat communications aircraft powered by 145 hp Gipsy Major IIA. One built 1944.
 * M.28 Mark V: Post-war four-seater powered by Cirrus Major III. Square rear windows. One built 1947.
 * M.28 Mark VI: Post war four-seater powered by Cirrus Major III. Round rear windows. One built 1946.