Beagle B.218
| B.218 / B.242 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Light transport monoplane |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Beagle Aircraft Limited |
| First flight | 19 August 1962 |
| Status | Destroyed |
| Produced | 1961-1962 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Beagle B.218X (also known as the Beagle-Miles M.218) was a 1960s British four-seat twin-engined light transport monoplane built by Beagle Aircraft Limited at Shoreham Airport. The prototype was modified into the Beagle B.242X but neither variant entered production.
Design and development
Before it became part of Beagle Miles Aircraft had looked at producing a replacement for the Miles Messenger and Gemini. Three twin-engined low wing monoplane designs were considered, the fixed landing gear Miles 114 in two and four-seat versions and the retractable landing gear four-seat Miles 115. When Beagle was formed it was decided to build a prototype of the Miles 115 design designated the Beagle-Miles M.218, it was also decided to build a prototype of the Miles 114 as the M.117 but in the end it was not built.
The M.218 was of plastic construction and was a powered by two 145 hp (108 kW) Rolls Royce Continental O-300 piston engines and had a retractable tricycle landing gear. Construction started at the end of 1961 and it made its first flight at Shoreham on 19 August 1962. Registered G-ASCX it was displayed at the 1962 Farnborough Air Show priced at £9,800, it did create interest from customers although they had a preference for metal built aircraft rather then the plastic M.218.
The production aircraft were to be named Martlet but the company did not have the money to put it into production and it was withdrawn in 1963 for modification. A lot of the plastic parts were changed to metal and more powerful 195 hp (145 kW) IO-360 engines were fitted. Now re-registered G-ASTX it reflew again on the 27 August 1963 and was re-designated the Beagle B.242. The aircraft was issued with a certificate of airworthiness on 18 June 1965 but the company was busy with the production of the twin-engined Beagle B.206 and single-engined Beagle Pup and could not afford to further develop the type or put it into production. The aircraft was withdrawn from use in 1966 and subsequently destroyed in a fire in August 1969.
Variants
- Beagle B.218X
- Prototype with O-300 engines, 1 built.
- Beagle B.242X
- M.218 extensively modified and fitted with IO-360 engines.
Specifications (B.218X)
Data from British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1
General characteristics
Performance
See also
Comparable aircraft
References
- Notes
- Sources
- Beagle Aircraft - A Production History. Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications. 1974. ISBN 0 904597 00 8.
- Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1. London: Putnam. ISBN 0 370 10006 9.
Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beagle_B.218
