Classic Lecture Series: The Miles M.52 project by Mike Hirst

Miles 1940s supersonic aircraft project could have been the first aircraft to break the sound barrier. Though the project was championed by Sir Frank Whittle, who worked with Miles to supply the engine, and was supported by the scientists at the RAE in Farnborough. However, the reasons surrounding the UK Government's secretive cancellation of the project has long been a mystery. In this lecture to the Royal Aeronautical Society's Historical Group, Mike Hirst explores the technical and political sides of the project, from its inception in 1943 to its cancellation in 1948. His lecture is followed by a discussion by many of the people who were there at the time, including from Miles Aircraft, the Ministry, the RAE and the project's test pilot, Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown. The lecture took place on 4 November 2004. The podcast was edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS and it was digitised thanks to a grant from the Royal Aeronautical Society Foundation.