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53-610: The Miles M.57 Aerovan was a British twin-engined short-range low-cost transport aircraft designed and produced by Miles Aircraft . It was primarily used for freight and passenger services. Development of the Aerovan started during the latter years of the Second World War as an affordable freighter suitable for both civilian and military purposes. It was suited to austere operations, and possessed an atypically high payload capacity for its power output. Relatively large payloads, including

106-535: A 5/6th scale replica of the Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop nacelle for the Miles Marathon ; it was also subsequently outfitted with ailerons in line with the standard flaps. Even prior to the Aerovan entering quantity production, Miles had ambitions to produce multiple derivatives of the type. One such design was a specialised aircraft for the air observation post role, intended to be operated by

159-492: A Miles Aircraft Ltd prospectus with "false and reckless statements". The trial began on 10 May 1950 at the Old Bailey . After 17 days of sitting, the jury stopped the case against Miles and Sir William, and they were discharged. They had appeared on charges of inducing people to acquire shares in the company by making a misleading forecast and dishonestly concealing a material fact in a prospectus. According to Flight , "Twenty of

212-453: A bare configuration. The results of the initial trials were submitted to the Air Ministry as the company prepared to put the Aerovan into immediate production to support the war effort. However, Miles' work was not met with approval, the company being censured for building the aircraft without authorisation and work on the project was suspended on the ministry's orders. Work on the Aerovan

265-633: A diverse range of operations; more obscure uses included the movement of livestock across the English Channel and as a flying removal van . The majority of Mk 3 and 4 Aerovans were employed on passenger and freight services, charter work and joyriding in the UK and in the Near East . Meridian Air Maps operated Aerovan 4 G-AISF on aerial survey work from October 1955 until it crashed on takeoff from Manchester (Ringway) on 29 April 1957. The accident resulted in

318-445: A four-man crew and featuring an enlarged glazed canopy to provide an all-round view in combination with a glazed rear fuselage section. Work was also undertaken on a flying boat derivative that would have had a single-step hull, keeping the rear freight door above the waterline with the assistance of two stabilising floats carried on outriggers set on either side of the hull. Both designs would have retained significant commonality with

371-471: A large clear perspex canopy which formed the front dorsal part of the pod, while the pod-shaped fuselage was lined with four or five circular windows on either side for use by passengers. Access to the cabin and cockpit was via a door on the starboard side. For additional comfort, amenities such as soundproofing were typically installed. The Aerovan's lifting capabilities were such that payloads could weigh up to one tonne, along with sufficient volume to enable

424-681: A pair of Blackburn Cirrus Major piston engines. To facilitate easy loading, the entire rear of the fuselage was a door, necessitating the use of a relatively high tail boom. The prototype was constructed at Miles' Woodley factory in Berkshire . On 26 January 1945, this prototype conducted the type's maiden flight , piloted by Tommy Rose. The performance of the prototype was immediately positive, proving to be both comfortable and relatively easy to fly. It proved to have an atypically high payload capacity for an aircraft of such power, being capable of lifting payloads in excess of its own weight when operated in

477-598: A prospectus was issued in March, 1947 (before the accounts for 1946 were published), the directors should reasonably have been expected to know that all was not well with the company, and when, in August, 1947, a dividend of 7% per cent and a bonus of 24% were recommended, they should reasonably have been expected to know that a big loss was being suffered by the company. Charges were brought against Sir William Malcolm Mount and F. G. Miles. There were 24 charges regarding publication of

530-541: A range of curious prototypes. A company was founded in 1928 by Charles Powis and Jack Phillips as Phillips & Powis Aircraft (Reading) Ltd . In 1929 they opened Woodley Aerodrome , near the town of Reading , Berkshire. In 1936, Rolls-Royce bought into the company. Although aircraft were produced under the Miles name, it was not until 1943 that the firm became Miles Aircraft Limited when Rolls-Royce's interests were bought out. The company needed to increase production of

583-466: A rescue plan could not be drawn up until the audit was completed. The principal trade creditors were: Blackburn Aircraft Ltd., De La Rue Extrusions Ltd., Smiths Aircraft Instruments Ltd . and the Sperry Gyroscope Co. Ltd . Mr. F. G. Miles announced the payment of the 4% per cent preference dividends out of his own resources of £8,600. After Miles Aircraft had been taken over by financiers in 1947,

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636-414: A separate frame which is hinged onto the base frame so that it can be opened and closed. In addition, many portholes also have metal storm covers that can be securely fastened against the window when necessary. The main purpose of the storm cover is, as its name implies, to protect the window from heavy seas. It is also used to block light from entering lower berths when darkness is preferred. The storm cover

689-402: A ship's side whether for cannon or not. A porthole consists of at least two structural components and is, in its simplest form, similar to any other type of window in design and purpose. The porthole is primarily a circular glass disk, known as a 'portlight', encased in a metal frame that is bolted securely into the side of a ship's hull. Sometimes the glass disk of a porthole is encased in

742-490: A single car, could be transported by the aircraft, being loaded via its large clamshell freight door. While Miles intended to produce the Aerovan for the British Army as a wartime asset, development was put on hold by order of the Air Ministry until the end of the conflict. On 26 January 1945, the maiden flight of the Aerovan took place. Quantity production formally commenced during 1946, although customer demand exceeded

795-771: A specifically formed company, the Western Manufacturing Estate Ltd, the name "Western" referring to its location on the Woodley aerodrome. This company later merged with the Adamant Engineering Company Ltd. to form the Adwest Group. Miles also manufactured ballpoint pens designed by László Bíró through an associated company, the Miles Martin Pen Co. Ltd. In 1948, F.G. Miles founded F. G. Miles Limited, which continued to produce aircraft under

848-486: Is referred to as a deadlight in maritime parlance. Storm covers are also used on navy and merchant marine ships to prevent interior light from escaping the ship's lower berths, and to provide protection from hostile fire. Hinged porthole windows and storm covers are accessible from inside the ship's hull, and are typically fastened to their closed positions by hand tightening several pivoting, threaded devices, commonly referred to as "dogs". Older portholes can be identified by

901-529: The English Heritage Archive ), Miles Development Products Ltd, Miles Electronics Ltd, Miles Marine & Structural Plastics Ltd and Jet Tanks Ltd. The group was initially based at Redhill, but moved to Shoreham in 1953. Miles Electronics was involved in the manufacture of flight simulators; this division merged with the UK arm of the Link Trainer flight simulator company and was later acquired by

954-529: The H.P.R.1 Marathon . The Miles Aeronautical Technical School was taken over by the Reading Technical College . Other products in which Miles had interests included photocopiers; this business became Copycat Ltd, which was acquired by the Nashua Corporation in 1963. The Philidas locking nut unit became an independent company. The bookbinding machinery and actuator production were taken over by

1007-530: The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea . This term is used in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations . It is also used in related rules and regulations for the construction of ships. The use of the word "sidescuttle" instead of "porthole" is meant to be broad, including any covered or uncovered hole in the side of the vessel. A deadlight is a hinged metal cover which can be clamped over

1060-499: The Master advanced trainer, as well as the Martinet and Monitor target tugs . The aircraft designed by Miles were often technologically and aerodynamically advanced for their time; the M.20 emergency production fighter prototype outperformed contemporary Hawker Hurricanes , despite having fixed landing gear. The X Minor was a flying testbed for blended wing-fuselage designs, although

1113-522: The Singer Corporation . In 1975 Hunting Associated Industries acquired a controlling interest in F. G. Miles Engineering and all its subsidiaries. The company was renamed Hunting Hivolt and Jeremy Miles, the son of Fred Miles (who founded the firm), became a non-executive director on the board. Other companies included Miles HiVolt Ltd and Miles-Dufon Ltd (this company went into administration on 15 April 1980). Design work between F. G. Miles Ltd and

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1166-537: The de Havilland Gipsy Major and the Lycoming O-435 , often necessitating the use of enlarged fins and rudders to cope with the increased power under all circumstances. By swapping the engines, the maximum speed could be increased by up to 20 mph and the rate of climb by up to 50 per cent. The Aerovan was principally operated by civilian customers, with demand for the type from such operators outstripping Miles' production capacity. These aircraft were often used for

1219-882: The French company, Hurel-Dubois , resulted in the HDM.105 – a standard Miles Aerovan fitted with an Hurel-Dubois high-aspect-ratio wing. This work led to the Hurel-Dubois HD.34 and the Short Skyvan series of aircraft. The company's earlier aircraft include the Hawk Trainer and its military variant, the Magister , as well as the Messenger and the Gemini . During the Second World War, it produced

1272-615: The Miles Messenger and to do so it took over a former linen mill in Banbridge , County Down, Northern Ireland for the production of components of the aircraft. A hangar at RAF Long Kesh was used for assembly of the aircraft and flight testing was carried out at the airfield. The company moved to Newtownards following the end of the war in 1946. The company opened the Miles Aeronautical Technical School in 1943 under

1325-510: The Miles brand. The company was based on two sites, Redhill Aerodrome and Shoreham Aerodrome . In 1961, the aviation interests were purchased (along with Auster Aircraft Limited ) by British Executive and General Aviation Limited ( Beagle Aircraft ), initially as Beagle-Miles Ltd, with George Herbert Miles as Chief Designer and Technical Director. The company adopted a group structure with subsidiary companies as follows: Meridian Airmaps Ltd (whose collection of aerial photographs forms part of

1378-594: The aircraft made a forced landing south of Tel Aviv and was destroyed by Palestinians. Source: Sources: Data from British Civil Aircraft since 1919 General characteristics Performance Related development Related lists Miles Aircraft Miles was the name used between 1943 and 1947 to market the aircraft of British engineer Frederick George Miles , who, with his wife – aviator and draughtswoman Maxine "Blossom" Miles (née Forbes-Robertson) – and his brother George Herbert Miles , designed numerous light civil and military aircraft and

1431-416: The astronauts used at the beginning and end of each flight. Portholes on submarines are generally made of acrylic plastic. In the case of deep diving submarines, the portholes can be several inches thick. The edge of the acrylic is usually conically tapered such that the external pressure forces the acrylic window against the seat. Usually such windows are flat rather than spherically dished. This decreases

1484-407: The carriage of a typical family car , which could be loaded through the clamshell doors set to the rear. Various aspects of the Aerovan's configuration could be adjusted to meet customer demand; such alterations included the addition of skis for operations within snowy climates. The standard Aerovan was powered by a pair of Blackburn Cirrus Major piston engines; alternative powerplants included

1537-402: The company number, name, year of first flight and number produced of all Miles aircraft. The Miles Aircraft Collection was established in 1993 for anyone interested in Miles aircraft and related subjects and aims to encourage the preservation of all surviving examples worldwide (ideally in flying condition or otherwise in museums and collections open to the public). Porthole On a ship,

1590-407: The company's production capacity. The Aerovan was primarily flown by commercial operators, but was also operated by a number of military users. Numerous variants were developed, and further models were envisioned, including a flying boat model; however, production was halted as a result of the company's bankruptcy in late 1947. Work on the Aerovan commenced during early 1944, being envisioned from

1643-507: The configuration being generally reminiscent of the Miles Messenger . The wing featured electrically actuated flaps that could be adjusted to any angle, which were a recent innovation. On the ground, steering was achieved either by differential braking or differential operation of the throttles. The Aerovan had a relatively deep-sided forward fuselage, which necessitated the use of a large fin area. A pair of pilots were accommodated within

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1696-516: The country. A single Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) aircraft was converted for aerial fertiliser spreading , while a second for aeromagnetic survey work, although it proved to be unsuccessful. A single Mark 4 was used for research with a Hurel-Dubois high aspect ratio wing in 1957, being then known as the Miles HDM.105 . The prototype, which was retroactively designated the Mark 1, was later fitted with

1749-523: The cracking that can result from thermal shock . Those on the International Space Station were made from quartz glass mounted on titanium frames, covered with enamel. These were designed to be opened though no returning astronaut has done so. The windows also have shrouds or doors to protect them from micro-meteorites. On the Apollo space capsules a porthole was located in the hatch that

1802-442: The deaths of two passengers and pilot Jean Lennox Bird , the first woman to receive RAF wings. The RNZAF evaluated a pair of Aerovan 4s during 1950. The newly formed Israeli Air Force acquired a single Aerovan G-AJWI from Britain, which entered service during June 1948. Able to use relatively short landing strips, it was repeatedly flown into settlements and Jerusalem airport in the face of defensive rifle fire. On 17 July 1948,

1855-551: The design and manufacture of aircraft was ended by the new Board. At this time the company had some £5 million worth of business in hand, including substantial orders for the Messenger and the Gemini. In 1948 an application by the Board of Trade for the appointment of an inspector to investigate the affairs of Miles Aircraft Ltd. was granted by Mr. Justice Roxburgh. The B.O.T. case was that when

1908-582: The directorship of Maxine (Blossom) Miles The school had a "Headmaster", Walter Evans. In 1947, the company entered receivership following bankruptcy proceedings instigated by Titanine Ltd. , in the Chancery Division of the High Court . Titanine supplied Miles with aviation coatings used in the production of the Miles Gemini aircraft. Mr. Justice Wynn-Parry adjourned the petition of Titanine Ltd., for

1961-484: The following two years, and that they dishonestly concealed the fact that a profit for the manufacture of aircraft in 1947 was unlikely." Both men said that they believed every word of the prospectus was true. After the acquittal, an application for costs for £20,000 was disallowed. The aviation assets were purchased by Handley Page as Handley Page Reading Ltd. Handley Page produced the Miles-designed M.60 Marathon as

2014-435: The function of a porthole, when open, is to permit light and fresh air to enter the dark and often damp below- deck quarters of the vessel. It also affords below-deck occupants a limited view to the outside world. When closed, the porthole provides a strong water-tight, weather-tight and sometimes light-tight barrier. A porthole on a ship may also be called a sidescuttle or side scuttle (side hole), as officially termed in

2067-520: The fuselage and the use of porthole windows rather than rectangular ones. Quantity production of the Aerovan properly commenced during 1946; the majority of aircraft sold were to civilian operators, both domestic and overseas, although some military customers, including Israel and New Zealand , also emerged for the type. Following negotiations, a licence was granted for the Aerovan to be manufactured in France, but no such aircraft were ever manufactured in

2120-407: The large commercial transport intended to be produced from this research never entered production. The gigantic Miles X Airliner was to seat 55 and have eight engines buried in the wings, driving four sets of contra-rotating props and achieve a range of 3,450 miles. The Miles Libellula (named after dragonflies ) were experimental tandem-wing designs. A fighter prototype M.35 , designed to give

2173-481: The onset as a low-powered affordable freighter that was suited to both civilian and military purposes. Throughout the Second World War , George Miles had advocated for the use of such an aircraft within the British military in place of the then-standard practice of largely relying on gliders . Following the completion of the Miles Messenger 's development, it was felt by Miles' design team that an aircraft of roughly double

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2226-414: The original 24 counts were thrown out before the defence was reached. The prosecution alleged that the defendants gave a misleading forecast that for 1947 the profit covering the production of aircraft would have been £75,000, whereas there was a substantial loss. It was alleged that they recklessly made the misleading statement that the company had orders on hand which were sufficient to ensure production for

2279-473: The pilot a better landing view, and to fit on aircraft carriers without a need for folding wings, was funded and built by the company (with wood) in only six weeks but was rejected by the Ministry of Aircraft Production . A bomber version was designed, and then a prototype ordered for a "high speed bomber" requirement, but that prototype was never built. Instead, the company built a 5/8th scale version M.39B which

2332-853: The porthole is such that it achieves its humble purposes without sacrificing the integrity of the ship's hull. The porthole's thick glass and rugged construction, tightly spaced fasteners, indeed even its round shape, all contribute to its purpose of maintaining hull strength and withstanding the pressure of storm waves crashing against it. Recently there has been a decline in the number of portholes on larger ships. Cruise liners have higher superstructures with more upper deck cabins which can have large windows and balconies. Most warships no longer have portholes on their main hulls as they could weaken them and modern vessels have air conditioning and strong lighting below decks meaning that they are no longer necessary. Portholes on spacecraft must be made from glass that can survive rapid temperature changes, without suffering

2385-521: The porthole to secure it in heavy weather. According to the Navy Department Library, the word "porthole" has nothing to do with its location on the port side of a ship, but originated during the reign of Henry VII of England (1485). The king insisted on mounting guns too large for his ships and therefore the conventional methods of securing the weapons on the forecastle and aftcastle could not be used. A French shipbuilder named James Baker

2438-488: The power and weight would be a valuable pursuit; in particular, it was believed that such an aircraft would be a capable military transport for theatres such as the Burma campaign against Imperial Japan , as well as working in niche roles such as an air ambulance . To suit its intended use, it was recognised early on that such an aircraft would need to be operated from austere airstrips and less hospitable terrain. Furthermore, it

2491-636: The protruding collar of their base plate which may be up to several inches deep, thus accommodating the thickness of a wooden hull. Portholes range in diameter from several inches to more than two feet, and weigh from several pounds to over one hundred pounds. Much of the porthole's weight comes from its glass, which, on ships, can be as much as two inches thick. Metal components of a porthole are also typically very heavy; they are usually sand-cast and made of bronze , brass , steel , iron , or aluminium . Bronze and brass are most commonly used, favoured for their resistance to saltwater corrosion . The design of

2544-465: The standard Aerovan, sharing the wing, tail, and powerplant arrangement. Production of the Aerovan was abruptly terminated during late 1947 as a consequence of Miles' bankruptcy and subsequent dissolution. The Miles Aerovan was a twin-engined high-wing monoplane of plastic-bonded plywood construction with some spruce and metal parts. It had a fixed tricycle undercarriage , three vertical tail and rudder units, one central and two as tailplane endplates,

2597-431: The winding up of Miles Aircraft Ltd., until 19 January 1948, on the grounds that the company had showed prima facie reasons for not yet having formulated a reorganization scheme. The petitioners, creditors for £5,837, were supported by other creditors for £62,000 and opposed by creditors for £200,000. An affidavit put into court showed that subject to audit, a loss of £630,000 had been incurred on 31 October 1947, but that

2650-403: Was commissioned to solve the problem, which he did by piercing the ship's sides so the cannon could be mounted inside the fore and aft castles. For heavy weather and when the cannons were not in use, the openings were fitted with covers, that were called porte in French, meaning " door ". " Porte " was Anglicized to "port" and later corrupted to porthole. Eventually, it came to mean any opening in

2703-461: Was recognised that the type could be subsequently scaled upwards into a larger freighter, of which Miles had formulated multiple proposals even prior to the conflict's end. Beyond its military applications, the coming post-war era would see civilian operators that would need large numbers of economic short range transports and small freighters. A high-wing configuration selected for the aircraft, being fitted with external aerofoil flaps and powered by

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2756-522: Was resumed shortly after Victory in Europe Day . While there was immediate demand for the type amongst civilian customers, Miles were not able to keep up with the rate of orders incoming, an outcome which aviation author Don Brown attributed to the Air Ministry's decision to place the project on hold. The production model of the Aerovan featured some changes from the prototype, including an 18-inch stretch of

2809-410: Was sold to the government for research and testing; it was scrapped after being damaged and the bomber procurement had been cancelled. Tandem-wing designs, with a wing at both ends of an aircraft, reduce centre of gravity problems due to fuel or ammunition usage. The Miles M.52 was a turbojet-powered supersonic research aircraft project that was cancelled before completion. The following table lists

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