Smaranda Brăescu

Yes Ruy, i could scan for you the book( it is small one). It was published in limited number under romanian " ARPIA" association. Sent me on PM your e-mail adress if you need the scan.

Dan.

Dan, thanks for your kind offer. Please check your PM booth - sometimes, I think I must contract the services of a librarian to put some order in my messy library...

Ruy

To Dénes, still on Miss Brăescu's Hawk: I examined what I have about the Miles Hawk series and it makes sense that YR-ADB may have been a M.2H two-seater, because only 3 Hawk Speed Six were actually built. The photos showing the lady and her mechanic in front of one of those rare machines give no proof whatsoever that the aircraft actually purchased was a single-seat Speed Six after all. She probably flew one in England, but that's another story. By the way, it seems that the correct designation of the Speed Six is M.2L. The sole surviving Hawk Speed Six (not bad, for a serial production of only three machines!) is G-ADGP, preserved in the U.K -
http://www.highwaygold.net/hqimages/hqphot...06/DSCN1829.jpg

Here's a photo of G-ACTE, before being sold to the Republicans:
http://www.miles-aircraft.com/M.2_hawk_speed_six.html

Let's try to disclose what happened to the third one built...

Ruy

It appears that the story of all three Speed hawks is known and none of them ended up in Rumania:

Source: http://members.aol.com/warwicaero/milesair...ft/m02afhis.htm

The same source gives the version of the 10 Miles Hawks exported to Rumania, which were in ARR service, as M.2Y.

The research apparently goes on...

Gen. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on April 19, 2005 03:32 pm

And here is the solution (from the same source):

"Hawk Major M. 2H 150 YR-ADB Untraced No Known History"

After all, it appears I was right.

Gen. Dénes

Thanks for clarifying the issue, Dénes. Now that we know the ultimate fate of G-ADOD, we can also assume that the aircraft in the photos from Mr. Bujor's collection may have been flown by Miss Brăescu in England, but not purchased.

Surprinsingly enough, the Spanish "after-life" of G-ACTE is unknown to the author of the text you posted, which is indeed strange, especially if one opens the "illustrations" section in the M.2 Hawk page - the drawings of both the M.2H and the Hawk Speed Six are the ones drawn by Mr. Miranda's for his book (and used without any indication of that!). The book provides details on the fate of G-ACTE in Spain.
"Abroad" is too vague...

Ruy

Yes, but please notice that on a second thought, I concluded that the possibilities of YR-ADB being a M.2H two-seater were much bigger, because only three Speed Six were built...

Well, from the photos I've seen, YR-ADB was a one-seater and looked pretty much like the airplane seen on the above photo (painted in blue, yellow and red).
I have to double check the photos when I'll be at home.

I would say that the original two-seat configuration was changed to a one-seat configuration, probably at Miss Braescu's request.

See below a dwg. of the M.2H, taken from the same site:

Yes, that's one of Señor Miranda's drawings... showing the factory configuration of the M.2H. I have that book.
Please check the photos of YR-ADB, because if it was really a one-seater converted from a stock two-seater, the engine cowling must be identical to that of any normal M.2H (it enclosed a four-cylinder, 130 hp Gipsy Major engine, instead of the six cylinder 200 hp Gipsy Six). The exhaust arrangement is also different: the standard version used a single tube contraption, while the Speed Six used a four stack type.

Ruy

In what pertains to the photos above, well, the aircraft has some non-standard features: in first place, and if it is a modified M.2H two-seater, the conversion might well have included a change to a more powerful Gipsy Six engine - please notice the four stack exhaust arrangement.
On the other hand, the aircraft has - albeit faintly visible, it is there - an inspection panel in the fuselage, just aft the canopy. This was a feature of the two-seaters, absent in the Speed Six (at least in the photos I know of G-ACTE and G-ADGP). It seems to me that the aircraft was a true hybrid, converted from a stock M.2H airframe.

Ruy

This post has been edited by Ruy Aballe on April 19, 2005 04:53 pm

Below is a superb view of Miss Braescu's Hawk, courtesy of R. Bujor's coll., with its owner dressed in traditional (popular) dress.



Gen. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on April 20, 2005 12:21 am

Another view of the same airplane, also courtesy of R. Bujor's coll., this time exhibited in the main square of Tg.Mures/Marosvásárhely - this poster's birthplace.

Gen. Dénes

Thanks for posting such beautiful photos, Dénes (and thanks also to Mr. Bujor). The photos confirm my theory (at a first glance): YR-ADB was indeed a hybrid. The first photo shows the standard, less pointed rudder common on the two-seaters. As for the engine cowling, now we can see that the lateral panels were slightly bulged, another hint pointing towards the instalation of a 200hp Gipsy Six engine, besides from the four-stack exhaust.

Ruy

I wonder what color could be this YR-ADB Miles Hawk. It looks like blue fuselage with red letter marks and red wing tips (on both upper and under surface) and yelow the wing center ( romanian national marks).

Dan.

This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on April 20, 2005 03:08 pm

One of the Miles Hawk ( nr.7) in ARR service in Bassarabia '41-'42. It was also flown by Lt Greceanu. Courtesy Razvan Bujor.