View source for Miles Mohawk

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2017}}
{|{{Infobox Aircraft Begin
  |name = M.12 Mohawk
  |image = Miles m12 mohawk.jpg
  |caption = Miles M.12 Mohawk flown by [[Charles Lindbergh]]
}}{{Infobox Aircraft Type
  |type = Civil touring aircraft, trainer
  |manufacturer = [[Phillips & Powis Aircraft]]
  |national_origin = United Kingdom
  |designer = G.H. Miles
  |first flight = 22 August 1936
  |introduced =1 February 1937 
  |retired = 1950
  |status = On display
  |primary user = [[Charles Lindbergh]]
  |more users = [[Royal Air Force]]
  |produced =
  |number built = 1
  |unit cost =
  |variants with their own articles =
}}
|}
The '''Miles M.12 Mohawk''' was a 1930s [[United Kingdom|British]] two-seat, tandem cabin monoplane built by Phillip & Powis Aircraft (later to become [[Miles Aircraft]]) to the order of [[Charles Lindbergh]] in 1936. After being used by Lindbergh in Europe it was impressed into service with [[Royal Air Force]] as a communications aircraft in 1941.

==Design and development==
In 1936, after Lindbergh had moved to England, he asked  George Miles to build a fast, long-range machine for use between the various capitals. As a result of close co-operation between the pilot and designer, a first-class design was produced.<ref>Berg 1998, p. 362.</ref>

The M.12 Mohawk followed earlier [[Miles Nighthawk]] and [[Miles Hawcon]] designs and practice in having a low wing [[cantilever wing|cantilever monoplane]] design of [[spruce]] structure covered in [[plywood]]. The centre section had no [[dihedral (aircraft)|dihedral]] and of constant section, with outer sections having dihedral and taper towards the tip. The fuselage was similarly a spruce structure with plywood covering. The M.12 was a conventional taildragger with fixed main wheels, each encased in an aerodynamic fairing beneath the wing and featuring a tail wheel. As a purpose-built aircraft to Lindbergh's specifications and in incorporating an American 200&nbsp;hp [[Menasco Buccaneer]] B6S engine to the classic Miles low-wing configuration,<ref>Lukins and Russell 1945, pp. 40–41.</ref> the M.12 was distinctly an Anglo-American machine.<ref>[http://www.pilotfriend.com/aircraft%20performance/miles/6.htm "Miles M 12 Mohawk performance and specifications."]  ''Certified Aircraft Database.'' Retrieved: 30 May 2013.</ref> A second set of Miles M.12 wings were used in the M.7A hybrid.<ref>Mosley 1976, p. 213.</ref>

==Operational history==
[[File:MilesMohawk.JPG|thumb|right|The Miles Mohawk at the Royal Air Force Museum, London.]]
The M.12 was [[United Kingdom aircraft registration|registered]] ''G-AEKW'' on 17 July 1936 but it first flew on 22 August 1936, wearing the [[United Kingdom aircraft test serials|test serial]] ''U8''.<ref name="miles">Amos 2009, pp. 243–254.</ref>  The Mohawk received its [[certificate of airworthiness]] on 28 January 1937 and started a series of test flights, including flights by Lindbergh.<ref name="miles" />  On 1 February 1937, the aircraft was officially handed over to Lindbergh at a ceremony at Woodley.<ref name="miles" />  As soon as the aircraft was handed over, Lindbergh and his wife departed in it on a trip to India.<ref name="miles" /> In the following few years, the Lindberghs flew the aircraft all over Europe until Charles Lindbergh flew it in to Woodley on 4 April 1939, placing the aircraft in storage as Lindbergh returned to the United States.<ref name="miles" />

In August 1939, the aircraft was inspected by the Air Ministry for possible impressment into military service. On 31 October 1941, it was impressed into service with the [[Royal Air Force]] and given the [[United Kingdom military aircraft serials|military serial number]] ''HM503''. The aircraft was delivered to [[RAF Turnhouse]] in Scotland on 8 November 1941.<ref name="miles" /> Following the installation of a Fairey-Reed propeller in May 1943, it was delivered to [[RAF Andover]] for use by the Maintenance Command Communications Squadron.<ref name="miles" /> The M.12 was little used because of difficulties with the Menasco Buccaneer engine, and when the squadron moved to Babdown Farm, they left the Mohawk at Andover.<ref name="miles" /> In February 1944, the aircraft was delivered to No. 5 Maintenance Unit at [[RAF Kemble]] for storage and was not flown by the RAF again.<ref name="miles" />

In May 1946, the Mohawk was bought by Southern Aircraft (Gatwick) Limited and following refurbishment was advertised for sale in July 1947.<ref name="miles" /> In August 1947, the Mohawk was flown into second place at the Folkstone Trophy Air Race at a speed of 138.5&nbsp;mph.<ref name="miles" /> By October 1949, the aircraft was owned by Bruno Pini who along with Neville Browning flew it to North Africa to participate in the Oran International Rally.<ref name="miles" /> On 1 January 1950, on the journey home, they were forced to land the aircraft in Spain. Although the aircraft had little damage, it was abandoned, with the pair returning to England. The Miles Mohawk was not to fly again.<ref name="miles" />

In 1973, the Miles Mohawk was discovered in a junkyard near Seville and was rescued by Lew Casey, a curator at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, and taken to the United States for restoration.<ref name="miles" /> After many moves and a slow restoration effort, Casey decided to donate the Mohawk to the [[Royal Air Force Museum]].<ref name="miles" /> In October 2002, the aircraft was shipped to the United Kingdom and the museum began restoring the aircraft for static display.<ref name="miles" /> In August 2008, the restored aircraft was put on display at the "Milestones of Flight" exhibition at the RAF Museum Hendon.<ref name="miles" />

==Operators==
;{{UK}}
*[[Royal Air Force]]

==Specifications==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=<ref>''Flight'' 5 November 1936, p. 475.</ref>
|prime units?=imp
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|genhide=

|crew=2
|capacity=
|length m=
|length ft=25
|length in=6
|span m=
|span ft=35
|span in=
|height m=
|height ft=6
|height in=6
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=182.75
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=1605
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=2700
|fuel capacity=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[Menasco Buccaneer]] B6S
|eng1 type=air-cooled inverted 6-cylinder inline engine
|eng1 kw=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng1 hp=200<!-- prop engines -->

|prop blade number=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop name=
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->

<!--
        Performance
-->
|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=190
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=<ref name="jackv3 p266">Jackson 1988, p. 266.</ref><!-- supersonic aircraft -->
|cruise speed kmh=<!-- if max speed unknown -->
|cruise speed mph=170<!-- if max speed unknown -->
|cruise speed note=<ref name="jackv3 p266">Jackson 1988, p. 266.</ref>
|range km=
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|more performance=

|avionics=
}}

==See also==
{{Aircontent|
|related=
*[[Miles Kestrel]]
*[[Miles Martinet]]
|similar aircraft=
*[[Percival Gull]]
|sequence=
|lists=
*[[List of aircraft of the RAF]]
|see also=
*[[Charles Lindbergh]]
}}

==References==

===Notes===

{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===

{{Refbegin}}
* Amos, Peter. ''Miles Aircraft: The Early Years'' Tonbridge, Kent, UK: [[Air-Britain]] (Historians) Ltd., 2009. {{ISBN|978-0-85130-410-6}}.
* Amos, Peter and Don Lambert Brown. ''Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1''. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. {{ISBN|0-85177-787-2}}.
* Berg, A. Scott. ''Lindbergh''. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1998. {{ISBN|0-399-14449-8}}.
* Brown, Don Lambert. ''Miles Aircraft Since 1925''. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970. {{ISBN|0-370-00127-3}}.
* Jackson, A. J. ''British Civil Aircraft 1919–1972: Volume III''. London: Putnam, 1988. {{ISBN|0-85177-818-6}}.
* [https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1936/1936%20-%202998.html "Lindbergh Buys British: His New Miles Mohawk Described: A High performance "Custom-built" Tourer"]. ''[[Flight International|Flight]]'', 5 November 1936. Vol. XXX, No. 1454. pp.&nbsp;473–475.
* Lukins, A.H. and D.A. Russell. ''The Book of Miles Aircraft.'' Leicester, UK: Harborough, 1945.
* Mosley, Leonard. ''Lindbergh: A Biography''. New York: Doubleday and Company, 1976. {{ISBN|978-0-385-09578-5}}.
* Temple, Julian C. ''Wings Over Woodley: The Story of Miles Aircraft and the Adwest Group''. Bourne End, Bucks, UK: Aston Publications, 1987. {{ISBN|0-946627-12-6}}.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.pilotfriend.com/aircraft%20performance/miles/miles.htm Miles Aircraft]

{{Miles aircraft}}

[[Category:Miles aircraft|Mohawk]]
[[Category:British military trainer aircraft 1930–1939]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:World War II British trainer aircraft]]
[[Category:Charles Lindbergh]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1936]]