Miles Magister

M.14 Magister
A restored Miles Magister in flight
General information
Type	Trainer
Manufacturer	Miles Aircraft
Designer	G.H. Miles
Primary users	Royal Air Force Fleet Air Arm
Number built	1,303
History
First flight	20 March 1937
Developed from	Miles Hawk Trainer

The Miles M.14 Magister is a two-seat monoplane basic trainer aircraft designed and built by the British aircraft manufacturer Miles Aircraft. It was affectionately known as the Maggie.^{[citation needed]} It was authorised to perform aerobatics.^[1]

The Magister was developed during the 1930s to Specification T.40/36, itself based on the existing Miles Hawk Trainer which had been ordered in small numbers.^[2] The first prototype's maiden flight was on 20 March 1937. It quickly became praised for its handling qualities, increasing the safety and ease of pilot training, while also delivering comparable performance to contemporary monoplane frontline fighters of the era.^{[citation needed]} The Magister was ordered into quantity production.

Entering service barely a year before the start of the Second World War, the Magister became a key training aircraft. It was the first monoplane designed as a trainer to be used by the Royal Air Force (RAF). During the war it was purchased in large numbers for the RAF, the Fleet Air Arm and various overseas military operators. It proved an ideal introduction to the Spitfire and Hurricane for new pilots.^{[citation needed]}

After the war surplus Magisters were exported in large numbers, with many converted for civilian use.