Miles Aircraft Presents... The Miles Aerovan - a Miles Ciné Section Production

A c.1945 7 minute black-and-white silent film of the prototype Miles M.57 Aerovan U-0248 designed by George Miles being rolled out, loaded, in-flight and landing.
The Royal Aeronautical Society has received the permissions for sharing these videos by Karen Pratt, George Miles’ daughter, and Jeremy Miles, F. G. Miles’ and ‘Blossom’ Miles’ son. For use of videos for non-commercial purposes credit the Royal Aeronautical Society with the respective individuals. For commercial use and for further information on each videos copyright, contact: [e-mail]

[@killbot1974]

I love this type of utilitarian aircraft. It's not meant to be graceful, or even pretty. It's meant to do its job, and do it well.

[@staryjdido918]

I could live in that thing and just fly from place to place.

[@GARDENER42]

I remember seeing one of these flying over on a regular basis when I lived in Leicester in the late 60's or early 70's. Possibly based at Stoughton.

[@660einzylinder]

Blimey, that's a Fordson Tug bringing it out of the hanger, basically a Ford 8hp van with a tricycle undercarriage.

[@Spawn-td8bf]

Looks like a mini Blackburn Beverley. I like it. Thank you for posting.

[@Farweasel]

Speaking of Miles Aeroplanes There's a really beautiful Miles Gemini been flying at UK displays this year (I think at the Little Gransden show they said its based in Yorkshire). Twin engined and very agile. Absolute treat to watch.

[@joanpere8863]

For me it looks like a precursor of Shorts 3-30 or Cessna Caravan.

[@CrusaderSports250]

Yes the Shorts and the Cessna aircraft were well ahead of their time with their innovative design,, so practical, just that Miles did it first !!!.

[@ronnieince4568]

@@CrusaderSports250 actually Shorts bought the basic design concept from.Miles and then built their own version the Skyvan

[@McRocket]

Great airplane. And it's nice not having the (usually) annoying background music and the narrator who (usually) talks to you like you are 9 years old.

[@Theogenerang]

Terrific little aircraft. I know these little planes worked like troopers putting gold mining and forestry machinery into remote work sites.

[@73honda350]

Such a practical, utilitarian and probably rather inexpensive plane for it's time, or even today.

[@scottparis6355]

Perhaps the most British aircraft ever.

[@ivancho5854]

I believe that the Avro Anson may dispute that claim.

[@censusgary]

Oh, man, I love this thing. A flying camper van. You can even park your car in it. Of course, it doesn’t look very airworthy, and the passengers have to take their chances in folding lawn chairs, and I don’t know where you’d find a road with lanes wide enough for that wingspan, but ... it’s a flying camper van!

[@CrusaderSports250]

Why does it not look airworthy? what is it about the design that you have problems with?,, the only thing that looks slightly strange is the single tail boom, other aircraft of this type that came later had twin tail booms, ( the Beverly had a single but that was a much larger machine ), you have to remember that this was designed and built at the end of the war and unless they had a prototype contract Miles Aircraft would be on sticky ground for misuse of strategic materials, ( this would not have been the first time the innovative Miles would have faced that accusation), to help alleviate the air ministry's ire they would have used already proven components and just made the fuselage pod and inboard part of the wing from scratch, the air ministry at the time was very staid, Miles made trainers, not fighters, not high speed aircraft, not cargo planes, just trainers, Miles would have had more success convincing them they could build a submarine ( but even then just for training!!), its a great credit to Miles that like Howard Hughes he flew the prototype taking responsibility for the design.

[@jamesjackman5345]

Thank you for the films. The Miles company were so inventive and ahead of the times.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

And yet in 1947 some of their creditors tried to get them wound up for non-payment. 2 of the Directors were also prosecuted on 24 charges of fraud and deception, but the prosecution case was so weak they were all dismissed before the defence barrister got his chance to put the defendans' case before the jury. Both men were acquitted of all charges. Handley Page bough the aviation portion of Miles.

[@WilhelmKarsten]

Miles Aircraft was without any doubt the most corrupt manufacturer in the history of British aviation, bribes, extortion, fraud and embezzlement and the worst political corruption scandal in aviation history, the Miles M.52 scandal

[@mercomania]

Looks very comfortable with those seats.

[@alanpeacock6042]

Had my first flight in one a Woodley,1946

[@FairlyOldGit]

original design that was used as a base for the Short_SC.7_Skyvan en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_SC.7_Skyvan#Design_and_development

[@drawingboard82]

I thought that as soon as I saw it :-)

[@mrb.5610]

Britain's answer to Lookheed's C-5 Galaxy ..... Bless !!

[@jackywhite880]

To be fair, Britain's 100th of the price answer.

[@robwilde855]

But 25 years earlier, and for a totally different purpose.

[@mrb.5610]

@@robwilde855 I know .... just something very 'British' about that little aeroplane ! Looks almost like grandad modified his caravan in the garden shed ....

[@robwilde855]

@@mrb.5610 I know what you mean! But I suspect that's because of our looking at it through our modern eyes. To the folk of 1945 it probably looked quite futuristic for a transport aircraft!

[@medic7698]

Very innovative.

[@jackywhite880]

One of my favourite aircraft of all time. Made a scratch-built display model as a kid. Actually saw one many years ago, but unfortunately it wasn't in flying condition. It became kind of infamous when, a few years before the S.Atlantic War, the Argentinians used a couple of them to take dissidents aloft and throw them overboard.

[@AtheistOrphan]

The Argentinians did NOT use Miles Aerovans. However they did use the (much later) Short Skyvan.

[@philhewett1601]

The little cargo plane that could!

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

A grand total of 48 across 6 variants were built.

[@666toysoldier]

It seems to me that a modern aircraft (turbine engines, updated wing design, robust suspension) would be great for supplying remote areas.

[@kmrerk]

Wow..! A relatively small, useful, easy to fly utility aircraft ! My uncle Dewey could have used one of these on his farm. Picking up a new tractor in the city and flying home with it. He already had a small airfield for his crop duster. What a concept. A truly useful and easy to use utility airplane. It's also a very attractive and interesting bird. Most modern planes seem to be aimed at billionaires trying to impress their girlfriends by showing how fast they can fly between their golf club and beach resort. Anyone got a restored and flyable ?

[@hertzair1186]

Seems more cargo hold that those tiny engines could handle....

[@herbertrutter1884]

So simple it's genius.

[@DavidSmith-ze2wi]

Heard of this aircraft but never seen one, is there any left. Amazing what can be made in a garden shed.

[@ivancho5854]

No, OUT of a garden shed!

[@palco22]

I cranked up the volume and still no sound. I tried to figure things out and in the end I came to the conclusion that maybe there was no sound and it was just a silent film but by that time the video was over.....so now I'm looking for the rewind button to watch it again.........but with no sound.

[@avnrulz]

Looks like a glider that's been motorized.

[@jerrymiller276]

I noticed that during the flight those lightweight lawnchair seats were back in place. I'd be willing to bet that it would have taken a ten thousand foot strip to get it aloft with the car aboard. Looking at the cowling, I'd guess it was severly underpowered.

[@ironwolfF1]

And tiny 2-blade props...TBH, they gave this plane the minimum amount of 'grunt' needed to get her off the ground. Small wonder British civil aerospace got steam-rolled by their American counterparts.

[@somerandomnification]

The empty weight was 3000lbs and gross weight was 5800lbs. The landing speed was 35 knots, so the takeoff speed was probably pretty low, too; So it might not have taken 10k feet to get off the ground with that little car as cargo (no pun intended).

[@jerrymiller276]

@@ironwolfF1 The US has produced its share of seriously underpowered aircraft, so I don't think we can smear the Brits for this one.

[@ironwolfF1]

@@jerrymiller276 Are we looking at the same airplane??? If the Dollar Store sold aircraft, this thing would be in Isle 7... 😉

[@oscarbuxo3431]

James Bond...man with the golden gun....

[@K1W1fly]

So, once you have driven the car onboard, how do you get out of it?

[@ivancho5854]

Why on earth would one want to get out of one's motor carriage when the aircraft's seats are made of Meccano? Cheers old bean!

[@chunkyedwards5381]

It should be painted green with a white number 2 on the side.

[@garychynne1377]

the mini boxcar. interesting.

[@ooloncaluphid]

With a bit more of a Mod paint job, and suitably configured exit door, it would have been suitable for delivering hippies to Woodstock, by parachute.

[@greggi47]

It's a sweet little thing, highly adaptable. I like those stackab;e seats/ But it looks like it should should have 4 engines, or three anyway.

[@jackywhite880]

I'm pretty sure they at least planned a bigger 4-engined version, called (I think) the Merchantman. Not sure how many were made, or if indeed it ever got to production. Perhaps someone here knows more.

[@nunyabidniz2868]

What happened to the audio? A little narration would go a long way...

[@tomellis4750]

Go put wings on a van. We all ready did.

[@royfearn4345]

How about one on the Miles Marathon?

[@TechnologyJunkie]

Was there a soundtrack on the original?

[@chrismccartney8668]

Utility after the war created oddities but some major innovations for example Vespasian scooter designed by aero engineer no frame required and provided cheap transport for Italian masses.. Honda 50 powered transport for million upon millions of asians and many more designs born out necessity I.e. the mini 4 seater car for the masses Fiat 500 Citroën 2cv.....

[@timsweet3224]

they were really advanced miles ,once again bet it was the hoity toity leaders of men who fkd it up for um .

[@sirclarkmarz]

i bet it gets hot in that cockpit

[@luchatrokaalvaradoguajardo5185]

remove the curtains or frames I want to see the scene to the end because they do NOT understand that they are very annoying

[@orlandopizzio5647]

Suicide doors...in a PLANE!!!!

[@hanschristophercharles6981]

Lmfao!!! Courtesy of Lincoln Continental!

[@malcolmirvine7897]

Bit like the shorts skyvan 330

[@justins.1283]

I'd like to see someone replicate that design with some modern turboprop engines. Seems like a robust but simple design with a multitude of uses.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

Short SC7 Skyvan.

[@theodoreolson8529]

The plane looks like a movie prop. There was around this time the Fairchild C-82 which flew in 1944 but I guess little known. Follow on was the C-119 Flying Boxcar. All three of these aircraft look similar except for the twin boom design. I suppose is the form following function.

[@ivancho5854]

I can imagine it in a Jacques Tati film.

[@fredbecker607]

It is a baby boxcar

[@scoobydooo4390]

Christ..!! It's a baby Argosy. It'll grow a second boom when its older.......................

[@dave20thmay]

No it's a fledgling Blackburn Beverley.

[@jackywhite880]

I've always wondered why Miles didn't go for a twin boom arrangement from the engine nacelles, like so many other aircraft of this kind.

[@jeffmoore4266]

ba's replacement for the 747s and a380s.

[@lanselithgow5865]

With the UK finally getting out of the EUSSR , with some updates , put them back in production!!

[@kellywellington7122]

That fits...one giant leap back to 1946 for Britain. Oooooo...bring back rationing, too. That will be fun. Let's hope you can come out from hiding in the underground tubes.

[@lanselithgow5865]

@@kellywellington7122 Britain was Ahead of USA in aerospace then! The properties of water n air do not change. Some designs are inherently /eternally sound. DC3 is 85 , C130 hercules , b52 n many others 60+ As Prez Trump has Demonstrated - reduce taxes n govt regs n manufaturing n refurbishing will thrive!

[@manmonkee]

@@lanselithgow5865 Hmm, you might want to read about Zombie economics, reducing taxes doesn't actually work. Large companies are not re introducing manufacturing in america, their buying back their shares and hoarding it. Paul Krugmans a good read.

[@lanse77lithgow]

@@manmonkee Ya Gotta Be Kidding! Prez Trumps USA economy?! Small contractors n biz are the largest employers! Last pre covid yr in usa saw not only lowest black n All other minority unemployment , but 400% increase in black americans starting up their own biz! Mebe less reading n more reality.

[@manmonkee]

@@lanse77lithgow well there are 2 economies and I was talking more about the Wall street economy, But yes your right, there where more people working in multiple low paid jobs than ever before in America. More people could say they were working but couldn't afford health care and something like 70% of Americans couldn't scrap together $500 and more importantly for an economy, No buying power!. I take it your quite right wing and I've noticed there's a lot of picking and choosing your facts. Economies are Multi Layered with cascades of consequences reaching every element , Maybe more reading and less generalizations might self educate your views.

[@peterkirgan6850]

Wtf?????

[@Halli50]

Practical? Certainly. Good-looking? Certainly NOT.