The Shuttleworth Collection's Miles Hawk Speed Six, G-ADGP, is the only survivor of its type.
The Miles Hawk Speed Six was designed as a racing development of the already popular Miles Hawk series of sports and touring aircraft. Three Hawk Speed Six aircraft were built by Phillips and Powis during 1934 and 1935. The prototype G-ACTE fist flew in 1934 having been built for Sir Charles Rose. It was raced in Kings Cup races from 1934 – 1936.
Two further Hawk Speed Six’s were built, the M2U, G-ADOD, and the M2L G-ADGP. These were built for siblings Luis and Ruth Fontes. Both were raced extensively in 1933 and 1936 until G-ADOD was written off on 1st October 1936 following engine failure. This left G-ADGP as the sole surviving Speed Six. It was progressively modified both before and after Word War 2 in order to obtain faster speeds, coming 2nd in 4 out of 13 Kings Cup races from 1948 to 1960.
By 1971, G-ADGP had been modified so much that it was almost unrecognisable, and its importance as a historic aircraft was becoming obvious. In 1986 it was sold to Tom Buffaloe who had it rebuilt to 1937 specification. It spent most of the next 10 years based at Old Warden, while still owned by Tom Buffaloe. In 1997 it was sold to Concorde captain Roger Mills and kept at Fairoaks, appearing at Shuttleworth air displays on several occasions. In 2018 Roger decided to sell G-ADGP, and it was purchased by the Shuttleworth Veteran Aeroplane Society for the Shuttleworth Collection. Following a thorough inspection it appeared at numerous airshows in the 2018 season and fits in well with the other racing aircraft of the 1930’s, the DH88 Comet, and Percival Mew Gull.
It is seen here on a pilot familiarisation flight following the Shuttleworth Family Air show 2018.
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