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horizontal tail was carried by the trailing edge, which had unbalanced elevators with trim tabs. The wings, like those of the
Aerovan were of low aspect ratio, with flaps along all the trailing edge not occupied by ailerons. The M.68 differed in having four rather than two engines, though because it used the 90 hp (67 kW)
126:, generated considerable excitement at its launch in 1947 because of its novel approach to air freight. The key idea was to pack freight into a wheeled container or "air-trailer" that could be towed on the road but which became part of the freight aircraft's fuselage for air transport. It was possible to do this by modifying the
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pair of small landing wheels. The fixed nose wheel was also different, being a little shorter and castored; the overall undercarriage arrangement placed the bottom of the container close to the ground. There were also changes to the cabin, which was less rounded and had less generous glazing than the
Aerovan.
142:
3s of the
Aerovan, the net gain in power was only 50 hp (37 kW) or 16%. With the container in place the fuselage pod of both aircraft was about the same length; when no container was carried the rear fairing of the M.68 could be brought forward to mate with the rear bulkhead of the cabin.
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The fixed main undercarriage of the
Aerovan was attached to the lower fuselage. Since in the M.68 the equivalent section might not be present, a different layout was required and the M.68 used long fixed rearward sloping legs passing upwards through the inner engine cowlings. These each carried a
133:
The span and length of the M.68 were the same as those of the
Aerovan. The beam aft of the pod was unchanged, bearing the same tail unit with three fins, one central and two as endplates. All three carried rudders though only the central one was horn balanced, as on the Aerovan 2. The taper on the
162:
in
September that year. Before it flew there, the outer endplate fins had been significantly modified from the blunt bottomed form of the Aerovan to a much deeper, symmetrical and near elliptical form. It was scrapped the following year, though its deep elliptical fins were used on the Lycoming
130:, which had a conveniently podded fuselage largely independent of the boom that then carried the tail. The M.68 was created by making the pod in two parts, the pilot's cockpit forward and a fairing behind, between which the container could be mounted.
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The container itself was 10 ft (3.05 m) long and 4 ft 6 in 1.37 m) on each side; it could carry 1,600 lb (725 kg) of freight
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powered
Aerovan 6. 1947 was the last year of trading for Miles Aircraft Ltd, whose assets were taken over by Handley Page.
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400 mi (644 km, 350 nmi) with full payload of 1,600 lb (725 kg)
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was built. It flew for the first time on 22 August 1947 and appeared at the
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II 4-cylinder inverted inline air-cooled, 90 hp (67 kW) each
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The Miles M.68, sometimes but unofficially known as the
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Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
106:was a 1947 attempt to produce a containerised
35:M.68 detachable cargo container configuration
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138:II rather than the 155 hp (116 kW)
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452:. Vol. 2. London: Putnam Publishing.
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234:130 mph (209 km/h, 110 kn)
228:140 mph (225 km/h, 120 kn)
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203:50 ft 0 in (15.24 m)
197:36 ft 0 in (10.97 m)
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450:British Civil Aircraft 1919–59
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780:Four-engined tractor aircraft
795:Four-engined piston aircraft
790:Aircraft first flown in 1947
785:1940s British cargo aircraft
770:1940s British civil aircraft
110:by the modification of the
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150:Only one M.68, registered
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25:
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397:Flight 18 September 1947
410:CAA registration G-AJJM
348:Flight 4 September 1947
182:General characteristics
448:Jackson, A.J. (1960).
370:, pp. 168–72, 389
211:Blackburn Cirrus Minor
140:Blackburn Cirrus Major
136:Blackburn Cirrus Minor
669:M.37 Martinet Trainer
579:M.11 Whitney Straight
684:M.50 Queen Martinet
629:M.24 Master Fighter
415:6 June 2011 at the
280:Related development
524:M.2 Hawk Speed Six
313:I.S.T. XL-15 Tagak
108:freighter aircraft
69:Miles Aircraft Ltd
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534:M.3A Falcon Major
308:Boeing L-15 Scout
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714:M.69 Marathon II
529:M.2 Hawk Trainer
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47:Type of aircraft
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78:22 August 1947
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167:Specifications
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75:First flight
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694:M.57 Aerovan
659:M.33 Monitor
654:M.30 X Minor
649:M.28 Mercury
609:M.17 Monarch
449:
441:Bibliography
431:Jackson 1960
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92:Number built
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709:M.68 Boxcar
704:M.65 Gemini
604:M.16 Mentor
599:M.15 T.1/37
584:M.12 Mohawk
569:M.9 Kestrel
395:Miles M.68
346:Miles M.68
219:Performance
207:Powerplant:
118:Development
764:Categories
724:M.75 Aries
589:M.13 Hobby
554:M.6 Hawcon
544:M.4 Merlin
321:References
303:Auster B.4
298:Aero Ae 50
104:Miles M.68
509:M.1 Satyr
259:UK portal
201:Wingspan:
172:Data from
514:M.2 Hawk
497:Aircraft
491:aircraft
413:Archived
245:See also
158:show at
83:Retired
195:Length:
160:Radlett
399:p. 326
350:p. 252
238:Range:
152:G-AJJM
124:Boxcar
749:M.115
744:M.105
489:Miles
326:Notes
189:Crew:
86:1948
40:Role
21:M.68
729:M.76
689:M.52
639:M.26
624:M.20
614:M.18
209:4 ×
156:SBAC
102:The
766::
423:^
387:^
356:^
334:^
96:1
481:e
474:t
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191:2
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