Miles Mariner merchant ship based anti submarine aircraft.

[tigercat]

Just reading my latest issue of Britain at War magazine

Their is an article about the plan to base a modified miles messenger on-board a merchant ship.

The idea was  that it could fly very slow , had good visibility and could carry 2 depth charges.This was to be launched from simplified catapult.

To land their would be a net and a simplified arrest or gear.

Land based trials were successful but a ship for sea testing was not forthcoming . Even with the backing of the chair of the Stanhope shipping line keen for anything that would save his crews .

George Miles did eventually get permission and  despite his trial carrier being moored  to a hefty and wind blowing across the deck landed.

Commander Eric Winkler Brown conducted sea trials on HMS Hunter. Apparently the Mariner was the " idiots deck landing aircraft" For ta k e off  he ran the aircraft to full power released the brakes and it went up like a lift in about its own length.

Despite the successful test the official verdict was no

[jcf]

The net was the backup if the pilot missed the arresting gear or it failed.
Miles Aircraft since 1925 has two photos of George Miles flying the
prototype Messenger into the net during the tests. The aircraft was safely
stopped without damage to propeller, engine, airframe or pilot. Rockets
were used for the take-off portion of the land-based tests.

[PR19_Kit]

Ooooh, that's interesting. 

I have a Pavla Messenger kit in my 'What the DEVIL was I going to do with that?' pile.

[jcf]

Just another day at the office. 

[NARSES2]

Always thought the Messenger an attractive aircraft

[Captain Canada]

Very interesting. Thanks for posting those pics. I had no idea she had giant flaps like that....nice !