Miles M.60 Marathon

1946


TRANSPORT	Virtual Aircraft Museum / United Kingdom / Miles

With the Miles M.60 Marathon, the company broke new ground, for it was the company's first all-metal aircraft and the first with four engines. Flown in 1946 with Gipsy Queen 71 engines, the Marathon was the winner in a competitive bid to Air Ministry Specification 18/44, and the Ministry ordered three prototypes for BOAC.

Miles was frustrated severely by the vacillations of the Ministry of Aircraft Production, which gave orders and counter orders throughout the pre-production stages, but when the prototype flew test pilots soon found it was a very pleasant aircraft to handle. Loss of the prototype in a fatal crash during trials at Boscombe Down was attributed to pilot error. The second prototype flew in February 1947, but before a production contract could be signed the Miles company suffered financial collapse and its aircraft assets were eventually acquired by Handley Page.

The company became Handley Page (Reading) Ltd. and the M.60 Marathon was redesignated Handley Page H.P.R.1 Marathon I. A production order for 50 was placed, 30 for BEA and 20 for BOAC's associated companies. In the event the BEA order was reduced to 25 and later seven, then cancelled completely, and 28 of the Marathons were modified for use by the RAF as navigation trainers as the Marathon T.Mk II, serving for six years before being replaced by Vickers Varsities. Handley Page built only 40. The remaining aircraft operated in a number of overseas countries including West Germany, Jordan, Nigeria, Canada, Japan and Burma. Some were used experimentally, including use as engine test-beds, and the last survivors were scrapped around the mid-1960s.

Variant

M.69 Marathon II: designation of single prototype, flown by the Handley Page company, initially with two 753kW Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop engines; later used to test two Alvis Leonides Major radial engines

Specification

MODEL	M.60 Marathon
ENGINE	4 x de Havilland Gipsy Queen 71, 246kW
WEIGHTS
Take-off weight	7484 kg	16499 lb
Empty weight	5198 kg	11460 lb
DIMENSIONS
Wingspan	19.81 m	65 ft 0 in
Length	15.93 m	52 ft 3 in
Height	4.27 m	14 ft 0 in
Wing area	46.45 m²	499.98 sq ft
PERFORMANCE
Max. speed	322 km/h	200 mph
Ceiling	5030 m	16500 ft
Range	1368 km	850 miles

3-View

A three-view drawing (800 x 677)

Comments

Eric Beadel, e-mail, 08.08.2023 15:09

My first posting in the RAF in 1958 was to no. 1ANS ( Air Navigational School),RAF Topcliffe, North Riding, Yorkshire near Thirsk.
We had Miles Marathons there.
We also had Vickers Valletta’s and Varsity’s and Vampires.

MatthewC, e-mail, 17.10.2020 17:24

In fact there were at least two more. ABPIC.co.uk has a number of pictures showing that four arrived in 1959 /60 and also included G-AMHT /XA274 (all silver, no code) and G-AMGR /XA269 "P". XA261 was "B" and XA252 was "M". The Miles book by Don Brown (Putnam) also says that Miles bought XA275 in 1959. They all seem to have been scrapped in 1962-64.

MatthewC, e-mail, 17.10.2020 16:43

The two Marathons at Shoreham in 1960-62 were XA252 /G-ALVY and XA261 /G-AMER. They were bought back from the RAF by F. G. Miles with a view to commercial use but were eventually scrapped without being used.

Alan Peacock, e-mail, 16.02.2018 12:17

I watched its first flight at Woodlet Aerodrome

Bill Zealey, e-mail, 22.05.2017 10:14

Flew Luton-Jersey on one in the late 50's I think. Waited on grass in a marquee..pilot got our and loaded our lugage. We flew fairly low to the coast and out over the sea. I was in the cockpit for almost all of the flight.Great childhood experience.

Brian Melmoth, e-mail, 15.03.2016 09:16

I remember the Handley Page Marathon at Shoreham when , as an N C O we were flying Chipmunks in the Air Training Corps , it was May 1963 , the aircraft was in a rather sorry condition, the propellers had been removed , no engines? l don't ,remember,l did take some photographs of the aircraft , but my late mother donated all my aircraft books and photograph albums to 461 Chichester Squadron when l came to South Africa 1976.

Kenneth Newman, e-mail, 11.12.2014 09:44

my email: womble.ken@gmail.com Ken

Kenneth Newman, e-mail, 11.12.2014 09:42

I took a colour photo of the one at Shoreham should anyone want a copy (sorry but I don't know how to put it on the web). Like Shaun I would also love to know the reg.

George Stringer, e-mail, 22.06.2014 22:14

Miles M.60 Marathon.
Good aircraft for the time, I worked on all three of Derby Airways aircraft. the first two I help to rewire them with Pren cable (Rest's) as it was wrong type used.

John Barker, e-mail, 23.02.2014 11:57

I served at RAF Thorney Island from late 1951 to June 1956. was an NCO on the Radio Servicing Flight when the Marathons arrived.On arrival the planes were not usable as there was very loud background noise on the radio and the intercomm when the engines were running . I diagnosed that the problem was poor contact between the screening on the ignition harnesses and the airframe.The engine fitters were not pleased that they had undo all the cable clamps and clean the contact to the airframe.

Shaun Virgo, e-mail, 02.07.2013 22:19

I recall a Marathon with RAF markings parked at Shoreham during the period that Beagle were building their 206x there, early sixties?
Does anyone recall this or know what happened to the aircraft?

Shaun Virgo, e-mail, 02.07.2013 22:18

I recall a Marathon with RAF markings parked at Shoreham during the period that Beagle were building their 206x there, early sixties?
Does anyone recall this or know what happened to the aircraft?

A Morrell, 12.03.2012 23:08

Remember seeing this aircraft at Burnaston airport (now Toyota factory) Derby I think Derby Av had two or three scrapped around 1965?

John Albury, e-mail, 09.11.2011 15:50

Remember seeing one @ Luton airport around 1960 /61, belonging to Derby Airways.

j.webster, e-mail, 29.09.2011 18:49

Flew in this aircraft at Thorney Island 1955. Squadron recorded on the unit board at the church. Asked any retired airman of the period and many have never heard of the aircraft.

Reg Hill, e-mail, 26.12.2010 20:08

I was posted to RAF Thorney Island in January 1956 and worked on this M60 Till Vampires & Meteor 14s took over 58-59 I found it a easy Aircraft to work on I do not rember sand bags

Geoff Meggs, e-mail, 23.10.2010 21:00

Flew this aircraft from RAF Thorney Island 1954. It had 4 Tiger Moth engines but was a poor flyer. Had to carry Sand bags up front to maintain balance...

Oliver Bandmann, e-mail, 05.10.2010 14:27

Sadly uncommented, so here a short take: as a kid in BKK saw the Marathon (rather small for four engines!) come into the old Don Muang Airport from Rangoon in the early Fifties, in Burmese livery.
Never managed to fly on this rarity but also saw it at Rangoon's Mingaladon Airport

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