A Peculiar Puffin

[NARSES2]

The Miles M 20 started off life as an emergency fighter proposal during the dark days of 1940 and was one of the first types envisaged to use the "power egg" concept.

By the time the aircraft was ready for flight tests the immediate need for an emergency fighter had passed and there were enough Spitfires and Hurricanes to go around with lots of promising developments in the pipeline. Not to be put off by this the people at Miles started to look at ways to save their project and decided to offer a navalised version. Now this is where the story gets a little confusing.

There is absolutely no evidence of any order being placed by the A.M., the Ministry of Production, the RAF or the RN for the aircrafts production but Miles still managed to produce 15 of them ?? When discovered by a diligent supplies clerk in the M.of.P who wondered why Miles needed Merlin Power Eggs the company insisted that they had received verbal instructions to proceed and did so. Faced with this fait aucompli the authorities took the aircraft on charge but somehow forgot to pay for them. Apparently the necessary paperwork got lost in the post. Miles were still trying to get their money as late as 1955 !

Now the authorities had 15 aircraft for which they had no use, so what to do with them ? They were nearly sent East to the Middle East or to Greece but on both occasions the order was rescinded. Then in 1941 the CAM ship concept was born and they had found their role. With a few changes the aircraft suited the "disposable" fighter role well, indeed it was rumoured the RAF would have liked to have seen them disposed of over the side as quickly as possible. They equipped the Merchant Ship Fighter Unit alongside some time worn Hurricanes and were used in the role until the availability of Merchant Aircraft Carriers in mid 1942. Of the 15 aircraft 5 were launched and inevitably lost when they ditched after their sortie, one was lost overboard during a winter gale and the remaining 9 were scrapped immediately after being struck off charge in 1942. They claimed no kills, indeed it's doubtfull if they ever fired their guns in anger but those launched did enough to scare off the shadowing Condors and thus contributed to saving merchant seaman's lives.

The aircraft was never given an official name, known only as the M.20 or the "bl**dy nuisance" in official papers but to it's operators it's squat appearance and small size got it labelled Puffin.

Kit is the Kora resins one which went together nicely but has rather a lot of pin holes, not as many as the Tornado though. Paints are my usual mix and the markings are again from the Sky Hurricane sheet and the SAM book and should of been on a CAM ship Hurricane.

[PR19_Kit]

I like that one Chris, the aircraft's always been a fave of mine and you've bought it to life, not to mention the eminently believable backstory. 

Having said that the M20 would have a been REAL pain to ditch with those massive spats, a turn-over would have been almost a certainty. But perhaps the landing gear was jettisoned first? 

[kitbasher]

Nice M.20 Chris.  To me something quite intriguing about the M.20 - and attractive - and I wonder what it would look like with retractable u/c, perhaps cross kitting with a Hurricane I (metal wing)?

[crudebuteffective]

nice work

the m20 was proof you can make a good aircraft quickly

[nighthunter]

I love the wee M.20, in fact, I gave it the name Miles Mischief, which would work well in the Official Papers

[royabulgaf]

I read about this in Tony Buttler's new book on RAF might have beens.  Apparently a version with no real undercarriage was considered for merchant catapault ships.

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice aircraft - looks beefy. A retractable landing gear (as a Mk. II version) would suit it well, too?

[Weaver]

Looks good Chris! 

I always wondered how these would have got on had they been given a chance: I suspect rather well.

[rickshaw]

Shame they didn't produce more and send them to Malaya.  I'm sure they'd have given a good account of themselves.

Very nicely done, Chris, very nice indeed.   

[NARSES2]

I read about this in Tony Buttler's new book on RAF might have beens.  Apparently a version with no real undercarriage was considered for merchant catapault ships.

Well I never. I've got the book but haven't really read it yet. Great minds 

Having said that the M20 would have a been REAL pain to ditch with those massive spats, a turn-over would have been almost a certainty. But perhaps the landing gear was jettisoned first? 

Yup landing gear was taken off prior to fitting to catapult and she took off mounted to a sled type contraption 

[Mossie]

Lovely little emergency fighter that might have punched above it's weight.  Nice little model Chris!

[KJ_Lesnick]

How much speed would come out of removing the spatted gear

[Old Wombat]

Can't give a definitive answer but, generally, quite a bit - about 15-20 mph, from memory - but the big difference would be in the aircraft's combat handling. Spats, when flying at speed, cause downward drag which can severely reduce combat climb & turn rates & the weight of retracting gear is not necessarily that much heavier than spatted gear.



Guy

[TallEng]

That's nice
If it did get retracting U/C wouldn't it look an awful lot like a Typhoon?
So now I'm wondering, how small is small?

Regards
Keith

[NARSES2]

Can't give a definitive answer but, generally, quite a bit - about 15-20 mph, from memory - but the big difference would be in the aircraft's combat handling. Spats, when flying at speed, cause downward drag which can severely reduce combat climb & turn rates & the weight of retracting gear is not necessarily that much heavier than spatted gear.



Guy

I think it was the Finn's who built a Fokker D XX1 with retractable undercarriage. Because of the extra weight involved with the retractable undercarriage It made no appreciable difference to the aircraft's performance so they converted it back. I'm only talking speed/climb etc. I've not read anything about the aircrafts manouverabilty.