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Martin-Baker MB.2

1938 WORLD WAR 2 X-PLANE

History

Before the Martin-Baker name was associated with ejection seats for jet aircraft, the company positioned itself as an aircraft manufacturer prior to World War II (1939-1945). The company was founded in 1929 by (Sir) James Martin as Martin's aircraft factory and became Martin Baker Aircraft Ltd in 1934 when Martin entered into a partnership with Captain Valentine Baker.

Their first joint venture will be the market-oriented civilian Martin Baker "MB.1".

Martin-Baker introduced its first true modern low-wing form to the UK at a time when biplanes still constituted airline service. His early work on aircraft led to an entirely new design approach that simplifies manufacturing and maintenance, while also proving to be a weight-saving measure. Be the plane of MB. 1 aircraft uses a Napier "Javelin" 6-cylinder in-line 160 hp engine to drive a twin-blade propeller. Although the landing gear uses fixed main legs, the cockpit is completely enclosed for an edgy look.

When tested in 1935, the plane reached a speed of 125 miles per hour. However, the design didn't go beyond this single airworthy prototype, but still influenced the company's design.

MB. 2 itself was commissioned in 1935 and construction began the following year. Hull mass in MB. 1 is used in new aircraft to create a lightweight profile with inherently good aerodynamic properties.

Work was again carried out on the aircraft under the name of a private company, but it was ultimately deemed to be in compliance with Department of the Air Force specification F. 5/34, which appeared in November 1934 and called for a modern front-line fighter capable of flying 275 miles per hour , service ceilings up to 33,000 feet.

MB. The 2 comes in another low-wing form, with the main wing mounted nicely forward amidships. The engine is located in a compartment in the nose, driving a twin-blade propeller unit, and the cockpit is located above the center of the design. Despite the framed canopy, cockpit visibility is generally good for this type of aircraft configuration - although the long nose and large wing area limit visibility at certain angles.

The empennage consists of a vertical fin and center-mounted horizontal plane, the latter being raised to eliminate the flow of the main aircraft ahead. The undercarriage is of a "trail" configuration, using fixed forged main legs. A small tail wheel forms the stern.

The aircraft is powered by a 1,020-horsepower Napier-Halford "Dagger III" radial-piston air-cooled engine.

MB's first flight. No. 2 was chartered on 3 August 1938 and Captain Baker took control. Aircraft and Weapons Experimentation (AAEE) was a research facility of the UK Air Force (from 1918 to 1992) and was able to evaluate this early form - the docking point for the aircraft relied on a rather outdated fixed landing gear design (retractable) main legs soon became the norm).

Further testing led to modifications to the vertical stabilizer to counteract the strong "wobble" during takeoff and stability during flight, the latter of which comes into play after reaching a certain speed.

Revised MB. On May 24, 1939, the No. 2 model took off with a new tail unit. The Air Force then conducted its own tests of the aircraft, which is now known as "P9594." Over the next few months, we found the handling to be excellent and the initial stability issues largely resolved. However, with the outbreak of war in Europe in September 1939, the Ministry's interest in MB grew.

2 saw the MB to a large extent at the end. 2 This represents little improvement over the number of fighter jets currently in service with the RAF and RAF. The fixed landing gear was another big sticking point for the MB. 2 As a modern fighter, it inherits the qualities of the early flight era.

From then on, the aircraft languished effortlessly until it was scrapped just before the war ended (1945).

Tested, MB. The 2 has a top speed of 304 mph, a service cap of 29,000 feet, and a climb rate of 2,200 feet per minute. As a fighter development, the proposed weapon was an 8 x .303 caliber machine gun - four machine guns mounted on one wing. This never happened.

MB. 2 Follow the development of MB. 3. This form was introduced to meet Air Force Specification F. 18/39. Aircraft are described elsewhere on this page.