page_title: Miles Sparrowhawk
section_title: Design and development
hierarchical_section_title: Miles Sparrowhawk / Design and development
caption_attribution_description: Miles M.5 Sparrowhawk G-ADNL landing at Manchester (Ringway) Airport in July 1949
context_page_description: The Miles M.5 Sparrowhawk was a 1930s British single-seat racing and touring monoplane designed by Miles Aircraft Limited.
context_section_description: The prototype M.5 Sparrowhawk was developed from standard Miles Hawk components as an entry into the King's Cup Race of 1935 piloted by F.G. Miles. The standard Hawk fuselage was shortened and accommodation was for only one pilot, sitting as low as possible. The top decking was reduced in height, a special high-compression version of the de Havilland Gipsy Six engine was fitted, and the undercarriage track was widened. Although the Sparrowhawk won the 1935 speed prize at an average of 163.64 mph (263.35 km/h) over 953 miles (1,534 km), because of heavy handicapping, it only came ninth overall in the race. 
  A further five Sparrowhawks (designated M.5A) were also built as King's Cup Racers and three were delivered to customers but they did not perform spectacularly. In 1936 Victor Smith entered Sparrowhawk G-AELT into the Schlesinger Race from Portsmouth to Johannesburg but had problems with oil after Salonika and eventually retired in Khartoum. The final two M.5A Sparrowhawks were built in 1936 but were not flown until 1940. One was modified and flown to meet a requirement for an experimental aircraft for high-lift flap research with the Royal Aircraft Establishment, it was later de-modified and used as a communications aircraft. The sixth Sparrowhawk was modified with short span wings and wide chord flaps for experimental work.
  The prototype, registered G-ADNL, was modified in late 1953 as a jet-powered racer for Fred Dunkerley. The front fuselage and tail unit were modified and it was re-designated the M.77 Sparrowjet. The Sparrowjet was powered by two Turbomeca Palas gas turbine engines fitted in the wing roots and eventually achieved its original purpose and Dunkerley won the King's Cup Race in 1957 at an average speed of 228 mph (367 km/h).
caption: Sparrowhawk prototype in 1949
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