Miles was a prolific designer, and a mass of projects passed through the drawing office, though many of these came to nothing. One unusual looking design which did made the grade was the Miles M.57 Aerovan, a twin-engine light freighter which flew first in January 1945. In appearance the wings and tail unit were similar to those of the Messenger, but somewhat larger, while the fuselage was of pod and boom layout.
A number of UK and overseas orders were placed and the Aerovan entered production with a longer pod than the prototype, which was designated Aerovan Mk 1, and the second prototype the Aerovan Mk II. The first Aerovan Mk III production model was similar to the Mk II, and seven were built with 150 hp Blackburn Cirrus Major III engines, the standard Aerovan powerplant. The next version, the Aerovan Mk IV, differed in detail and 40 were built. One Aerovan Mk V with 145 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major 10 engines and two Aerovan Mk VI aircraft with 195 hp Avco Lycoming O-435-4A engines were built; one of the latter was fitted with an experimental Hurel-Dubois high aspect ratio wing in 1957 when it became known as the H.D.M. 105. The last known surviving Aerovan was the first Mk VI, operating in Italy in 1968, although a pair of uncompleted airframes were around for some years.
At very low cost, Aerovans carried loads up to the size and weight of a family car.