Miles Magister - Definition

Miles Magister
Description
Role	2-seat monoplane basic trainer
Crew	2
First Flight	March 1937
Entered Service	October 1937
Manufacturer	Miles Aircraft Ltd
Dimensions
Length	24 ft 7 in	7.51 m
Wingspan	33 ft 10 in	10.31 m
Height	9 ft 1 in	2.77 m
Wing area	176 ft²	16.3 m²
Weights
Empty	1,260 lb	570 kg
Loaded	1,863 lb	845 kg
Powerplant
Engines	1 x de Havilland Gipsy Major 1 inverted-Vee type
Power	130 hp	97 kW
Performance
Maximum speed (@ 1,000ft)	132 mph	212k m/h
Range	380 miles	610 km
Service ceiling	18,000 ft	5,500 m
Rate of climb	850 ft/min	260 m/min
Wing loading	10.6 lb/ft²	51.8 kg/m²
Power/Mass	0.07 hp/lb	0.11 kW/kg

The Miles Magister (M.14) was a British 2-seat monoplane trainer aircraft built by the Miles Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm. Affectionately known as the Maggie, the Magister was based on Miles' civilian Hawk Major and Hawk Trainer and was the first monoplane designed specifically as a trainer for the RAF. As a low-wing monoplane, it was an ideal introduction to the Spitfire and Hurricane for new pilots.

Production of the Magister to Air Ministry Specification T.37/37 began in October 1937 and by the start of World War II over 700 had entered service with RAF Elementary Flying Training Schools, eventually equipping 16 such schools as well as the Central Flying School. Large numbers of civilian Hawk Majors were also pressed into service as trainers. Production of the Magister continued until 1941 by which time 1,203 had been built. After the war many Magisters were converted for civilian uses and redesignated as the Hawk Trainer III.