Miles M-38 Messenger
The Miles M.38 Messenger was a British four-seat liaison monoplane built after a 1942 request from British Army officers for a rugged, low-maintenance air observation post aircraft that could operate from short, rough strips near the front. Distinctively, it carried triple fins and rudders on its tail, an unusual layout adopted to keep the aircraft controllable down to an exceptionally low stalling speed of around 25mph. Retractable auxiliary flaps helped it land in tight spaces. Ninety-three were built between 1942 and 1948, split between wartime military examples and a postwar civil version, the Mk 2A, popular with private owners for its docile handling.
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Did you know?
Spot it by its triple fins and rudders, fitted to keep this British Army liaison monoplane controllable at an ultra-low stall speed.
Specifications
| Length | 7.3 m (24 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 11 m (36 ft) |
| Height | 2.3 m (8 ft) |
| Persons on board | 4 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 1 t |
| Range | 240 NM (444 km) |
| Stall speed | 22 kt (41 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 14,000 ft (4,267 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 10,000 ft (3,048 m) |
| Rate of climb | 750 ft/min (3.8 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 230 m (755 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 140 l |
| Units built | 93 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Miles M-38 Messenger starts as a Rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Miles, the M-38 Messenger family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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