Design and Development
The Messenger was designed to meet a British Army requirement for a robust, slow speed, low maintenance, air observation post and liaison aircraft. The aircraft designed was a cantilever low-wing monoplane with fixed tailwheel powered by the de Havilland Gipsy Major 1D in-line engine. Fitted with retractable auxiliary wing flaps enabling a wing loading of around 12.5 lb per square foot, the Messenger featured triple fins and rudders in order to maintain sufficient controllability down to the very low stalling speed of 25mph. The prototype was converted from a Miles M.28 Mercury and first flew at Woodley on 12 September 1942. The aircraft had a good short field performance. However the Ministry of Aircraft Production had not been involved in the process and official resistance led to only a small order placed by the British Royal Air Force for the Messenger I as a VIP transport plane.
Wartime users of the aircraft included Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery and Marshal of the RAF Lord Tedder.
Read more about this topic: Miles Messenger
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