what is it?
The Miles M.57 Aerovan was a British twin-engined short-range low-cost transport aircraft designed and produced by Miles Aircraft. It was primarily used for freight and passenger services. Development of the Aerovan started during the latter years of the Second World War as an affordable freighter suitable for both civilian and military purposes.
How to recognise it: 2 piston engines with propellers · 15.2 m wingspan
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 81 years ago, in 1945.
- Top speed is 1.6× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- Wingspan of 15.2 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1945-01-26
- status
- retired
- number built
- 51
- role
- short haul transport
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- engines
- 2× Blackburn Cirrus Major IIA
- crew
- 2
- passengers
- 10
- length
- 11 m
- wingspan
- 15.2 m
- height
- 4.1 m
- max take-off weight
- 2,631 kg
- top speed
- 204 km/h
- cruise speed
- 180 km/h
- range
- 644 km
- ceiling
- 4,039 m
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q2892530, Wikipedia: Miles Aerovan (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.