Post by flyboy on Jun 14, 2018 9:41:25 GMT
The Miles / Handley Page ( Reading ) Ltd Marathon.
Miles Aircraft Ltd designed the M.60 Marathon to meet the requirements of the Brabazon Committee, post war, for a four engined all metal construction light transport aircraft with a high wing. Carrying a crew of two with up to twenty passengers there were three prototypes built. The first prototype U-10/G-AGPD c/n 6265 flew for the first time on May 19th 1946 with Chief Test Pilot Ken Waller at the controls. This first prototype varied from others by way of a third central fin which was not included on the second prototype. This second prototype U-10/G-AILH with c/n 6430 flew for the first time on October 18th 1946 but was to be the final Miles built Marathon.
Note: The 'U-' registration was the test registration letter allocated to Miles Aircraft at this time and changed to 'G-21-' in 1948.
G-AGPD went to Boscombe Down to obtain a C of A but while there suffered two incidents, the first when the nose landing gear collapsed on landing, and the second an engine failure of the port outer engine. The C of A was eventually issued on September 4th 1947 just in time for the aircraft to be exhibited at the 8th SBAC show at Radlett.
With orders for twenty five aircraft from the Ministry of Supply and a further twenty five from British Airways future production seemed assured, however, British European Airways which had been looking for a DH Dragon Rapide replacement decided that the Marathon was not suitable and reduced their order from the original twenty five aircraft to only six which were used on non passenger carrying flights. The remaining nineteen aircraft were not accepted by BEA and Miles found themselves with financial problems. Following the mishaps to a prototype at Boscombe Down (noted above) and other difficulties and needing orders for one hundred aircraft to break even the Miles company were forced into bankruptcy.
While negotiations for a change of ownership were underway tragedy struck when the first prototype G-AGPD, which had been returned to Boscombe Down by the Ministry of Supply for acceptance trials, was written off in a crash which killed the test pilot Brian Bastable and flight test observer Miss Beryl Edmonds.
On June 21st 1948 Handley Page purchased the assets, including the Woodley factory near Reading and formed a new company Handley Page (Reading) Ltd which went on to eventually produce forty aircraft over the next three years which were known as the Handley Page (Reading) H.P.R.1 Marathon 1.
In total forty six Marathons were produced between 1946 and 1951.
On January 14th 1950 the first production aircraft G-ALUB left Woodley on a 35,000 mile demonstration tour of Australia and New Zealand with the first en-route landing being at Blackbushe, not a great distance away, for an over-night stop before Customs clearance the following morning!
One of the airframes was modified to accommodate twin turbo-prop engines, with two Armstrong Siddeley Mambas being installed. This became an engine testbed for the proposed H.P Herald and was known as the Marathon 2.
Most of the unsold and returned aircraft were passed on to the Royal Air Force and initially based at RAF Thorney Island on the south coast following modification as Marathon T.11's where they were used from 1953 by No.2 Air Navigation School. A total of sixteen aircraft were later transferred to No.1 Air Navigation School at RAF Topcliffe in Yorkshire in 1958.
With a climb rate of only 300ft per minute plus a maximum ceiling of only 9,500ft and with a major problem of tail heavy trim early prototype aircraft had proved to be unpopular, but performance improved as production continued, as can be seen in the tables below.
By February 1959 only 9 of the RAF machines remained airworthy due to a history of mechanical unreliability which led to the type being retired by the RAF in April 1959 and they were soon being scrapped, some at Lasham.
Variants:
M.60 Marathon 2x Miles built prototypes.
Miles M.69 Marathon II 1x Miles built prototype with 2x Mamba engines created for BEA.
Marathon M.69 As above, but re-engine by Handley Page and used as an engine testbed for the
Alvis Leonides Major radial engines proposed for the original Herald project.
Marathon HPR.1 Handley Page built production aircraft , 40 built.
Marathon T.11 Military navigation trainer version, 28 of above modified.
Specification Marathon.1:
Length 52ft 1.5in ( 15.89m)
Wing Span 65ft 0in (19.81m)
Height 14ft 1in (4.29m)
Weight Empty 11,688lb (5,313 kg)
Max Take-off weight 18,250lb (8,295 kg)
Powerplants 4x DH Gipsy Queen 70-3 inline pistons of 340hp (254 kw each.
Performance:
Speed Max 233mph (202kn, 374 km/h)
Cruise Speed 201mph (175kn,324km/h)
Range 935mi (813nmi,1505km)
Service Ceiling 18,400ft (5608m)
Rate of Climb 683ft/min (208m/min).
Information:
Used by civil operators in: Burma (Union of Burma Airways),
Japan (Far East Airlines).
Nigeria (West African Airways Corporation)
U.K British European Airways - not operated with passengers.
Military and Government: Germany (West German Government).
Jordan (Arab Legion Air Force).
UK (Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment)
(Empire Test Pilot School)
(Royal Air Force-- No.1 and No.2 Air Navigation Schools,
--..-- -- No.8 Flying Training School).
Blackbushe Known Marathon Visitors:
Reg Type c/n Operator Known dates visited
D-CFSA Mk.1 } 112 German CAA {29.4.56,1.5.56 from Hamburg,10.8.57>
--..-- --..-- } --..-- --..-- {00.4.58,23.7.58,11.7.59.
G-ALUB --..-- ] 101 Handley Page Reading [14.1.50 from Woodley>
--..-- --..-- ] --..-- --..-- [15.1.50 to Australia, sales tour.>
--..-- --..-- ] --..-- --..-- [2.5.50 ret. from Australia & to Woodley.
G-ALXR HPR.1 105 Ministry of Supply stored 17.2.51,14.8.51,00.9.51.
G-AMEM --..-- 111 --..-- --..-- 17.2.51,14.8.51,00.9.51.
G-AMEO --..-- 112 --..-- 19.1.55.
G-AMEP --..-- 113 --..-- --..-- 17.2.51,14.8.51,00.9.51.
G-AMER --..-- 114 --..-- --..-- 17.2.51,14.8.51,00.9.51.
G-AMET --..-- 116 --..-- --..-- 14.8.51,00.9.51.
G-AMEW --..-- 118 Derby Airways 17.7.59.
G-AMGW --..-- 127 --..-- 3.9.56-5.9.56,26.4.58,3.4.59.
G-AMGX --..-- } 128 WAAC {5.9.52>
--..-- --..-- } --..-- Balfour Marine {00.00.53.
G-AMHZ --..-- 137 Handley Page Reading 8.8.54 del. to Japan.
VK 501 --..-- 134 Arab Legion Air Force 3.11.54 del.
VX229 T.11 6430 Royal Air Force 6.9.55-7.9.55.
VX231 HPR.5 6544 Ministry of Supply 3.9.56.
XA268 T.11 } 121 Royal Air Force {16.5.56.Written off 11.2.58.>
--..-- --..--} --..-- --..-- {at RAF Topcliffe.
XA272 --..-- 125 --..-- 10.1.56.
XJ830 T.1 ] 132 RAE Farnborough [13.8.57 to Le Bourget.>
--..-- --..--] --..-- --..-- [3.9.57.
XJ831 T.1 } 133 RAE Farnborough {00.10.51,5.9.55,7.9.55-9.9.55>
--..-- --..--} --..-- --..-- {6.9.56,14.8.57,00.4.58.
Credits:
Wikipedia
Tripod
rj for access to his records
Enthusiasts for use of their logs via rj.
aviastar.org
PB for his photos
Complete JSM 16.6.2018.