Miles M.20

The Miles M.20 was a single seat fighter designed by Walter Capley in 1940 (to specification F19/40 ) for use by Great Britain during World War II.

Description
The design utilised standard Miles Master parts, fixed landing gear and a ‘blister’ type cockpit canopy – one of the first to be provided for a fighter aircraft.

The M.20's armament consisted of either eight or twelve Browning 7.7mm machine guns. The M.20 was slightly slower than the Supermarine Spitfire Mk1, and faster than the Hawker Hurricane Mk1, and had greater range. It could also carry more ammunition – 5,000 rounds compared to 2,400 for the Spitfire or Hurricane. Still, the M.20 was built simplistically and was made to be produced in large numbers. The rate of climb was 677 meters per second.

History
The M.20 was developed at a time when Great Britain was faced with a shortage of fighters to meet the full strength of the Luftwaffe, based in France and the Low Countries. The type was designed to fill the gap in British fighter production should it increase due to German bombing. The series was discontinued after the German bombing raids because they were no longer needed. Neither one of the two prototypes saw any combat.

Prototypes
The initial prototype U9 made its first flight on September 15, 1940, just nine weeks and two days after authority to proceed with the design and construction was received from the Ministry of Aircraft Production, thanks in part to the development of the Merlin XX 'Power-Egg' for the Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter Mk II, Second prototype U0228 was produced as a fleet fighter (to Specification N1/41), equipped with catapult points and jettisonable undercarriage for operation from CAM-Ships, but following tests during 1941-42, the type was not developed further. Both prototypes were scrapped.