The Shuttleworth Collection's Miles Hawk Speed Six (G-ADGP) and Percival Mew Gull (G-AEXF), together with replica Mew Gull (G-HEKL), display together during the Shuttleworth Family Drive In Airshow 2020, at Old Warden on 10th August 2020.
The prototype of the Percival E1 Mew Gull high-performance, single seat racing monoplane (G-ACND) was flown at Gravesend in March 1934, the type being specifically designed for racing and long distance touring. A single low-wing wooden construction, the Mew Gull was powered by a six-cylinder De Havilland Gipsy Six engine which eventually achieved 265 mph from its modest 205 hp powerplant.
It was developed into a number of sub-variants (Percival E2, E2H and E3H) although only six aircraft were ever built, the last of which (G-AFAA) was built at Luton after Percival Aircraft Ltd moved there in October 1936.
The Mew Gull was said to be 'the holy grail of British Air Racing' and during the latter part of the 1930s they dominated meetings and competitions around the UK.
Far and away the most famous Mew Gull was this E2H (G-AEXF), which was raced by Alex Henshaw.
Originally registered ZS-AHM, named ‘The Golden City’ and flown by Major A M Miller, it was one of three Mew Gulls intended to take part in the Schlesinger Race from Portsmouth to Johannesburg in 1936. In 1937, the Mew Gull was sold to Alex Henshaw and re-registered G-AEXF.
Henshaw won the 1937 Folkestone Trophy at 210 mph with his new mount but suffered engine failure and force landed during that year’s King’s Cup. For the 1938 racing season G-AEXF was modified by Essex Aero at Gravesend. They fitted a Gipsy Six R engine in place of the former standard Gipsy Six and a Ratier variable pitch propeller taken from the Comet racer G-ACSS. Soon the Ratier was replaced by a de Havilland constant speed propeller and the fuselage was remodelled above the top longerons to give a lower profile - with the pilot seated on the floor. With these modifications Henshaw won the 1938 King’s Cup at 236.25 mph.
G-AEXF then returned to Gravesend where a Gipsy Six series II engine, radio and long-range fuel tanks were fitted in preparation for Alex Henshaw’s out-and-home Cape record flight. He took off on February 5th 1939 and returned from Cape Town 4 days 10 hours 16 minutes later - a record that stood for over 70 years.
Henshaw sold 'AEXF' to Frenchman Victor Vermoral who, along with successive owners, hid it from the Germans during World War II. G-AEXF was returned to England, refurbished and overhauled and won the 1955 King’s Cup Air Race.
It was bought in 1985 by Desmond Penrose who had the aircraft returned to its original 1939 configuration - after which it was based at Old Warden.
In 1991 it had a forced landing in a barley field, due probably to carburettor icing. It was severely damaged due to the crop jamming the wheels in the spats. It was again restored and later, in 2002, sold to the Real Aeroplane Company at Breighton in Yorkshire. It was then purchased by the Shuttleworth Collection and arrived back at Old Warden on 6th October 2013.
In 2013, the replica aircraft (G-HEKL) emerged in private ownership and is now also airworthy in the UK. 'HEKL' is powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Queen 1 engine.
The Miles Hawk Speed Six was designed as a racing development of the already popular Miles Hawk series of sports and towing 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 she 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, purchased by Shuttleworth. 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.
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