Martin Baker M.B.5 1/48 scale model

thingiverse

The British Martin-Baker MB 5 was the ultimate outcome of a series of prototype fighter aircraft developed during World War II. Despite its exceptional performance, neither the MB 5 nor its predecessors ever entered mass production. Test pilots praised the aircraft's excellent handling and agility. Martin-Baker Aircraft began designing the MB 5 as a modified version of the second Martin-Baker MB 3 prototype, which was intended to meet Air Ministry Specification F.18/39 for a high-speed Royal Air Force fighter capable of exceeding 400 mph. After the first MB 3 crashed in 1942, killing Val Baker, the development of the second prototype was delayed. A new design, designated as the MB 4, was initially planned with a Rolls-Royce Griffon engine, but a full redesign was chosen instead. The redesigned aircraft, known as the MB 5, featured wings similar to those on the MB 3, along with an entirely new steel-tube fuselage. Power came from a powerful Rolls-Royce Griffon 83 liquid-cooled V-12 engine, producing 2,340 horsepower and driving two three-bladed contra-rotating propellers. The aircraft was equipped with four 20 mm Hispano cannon mounted in the wings outboard of its widely spaced retractable undercarriage. A key feature of the design was its ease of manufacture and maintenance, with much of the structure consisting of box-like components that favored straight lines and simple construction. If serial production had been authorized, the aircraft would have seen service over Germany during World War II. However, the Royal Air Force focused its attention on jet-powered fighters, leaving the MB 5 unordered. During a demonstration to Winston Churchill, the Chief of the Air Staff, and other VIPs at Farnborough, the Rolls-Royce Griffon engine failed, causing the MB 5 to experience mechanical difficulties. Michael Bowyer suggests that Martin-Baker may have lacked both facilities and sufficient government support to engage in large-scale production. A scale model of the aircraft is available in 1/48 scale.