Martin Baker MB3 and MB5

There’s a pic of John Marlin’s MB-5 near-replica running up in the current Flypast

I’ve aften wondered if the MB-5 was in any way related to the CAC-15, other than the fact that they were designed at the same time for the same job ?

No.

The CA-15, like the MB-5 and Mustang were all products of certain design principles, technological advantages etc. of the time. The CA-15 went through a very changeable gestation in both role (high-level, low-level) and powerplants, and arrived like the MB-5, without a niche. That alone demonstrated a lack of crossover with other designs.

I’ve aften wondered if the MB-5 was in any way related to the CAC-15, other than the fact that they were designed at the same time for the same job ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CA-15.jpg

:confused:

The MB5 was certainly very well tested. “A most secret place : Boscombe Down, 1939-45” by Brian Johnson and Terry Heffernan contains the report on the MB5. They accept it was overtaken by turbine developments but still considered it was worth doing a full appraisal.

It’s positively effusive, especially bearing in mind the dry officialese that reports like these are usually written in.

Wicked Wikki says…

Maximum speed: 415 mph at 20,000 ft (668 km/h at 6,100 m)
Range: 1,100 mi (1,770 km)
Service ceiling: 40,000 ft (12,190 m)
Rate of climb: 3,800 ft/min (19.3 m/s)

I don’t know how much is conjecture, from what I’ve read the flight testing had barely started before the crash, but like you say, small aircraft, sabre……the MB-5 was tested far more befre cancellation.

http://www.martin-baker.co.uk/getdoc/2a91e122-802b-4908-8b03-f5617dfe6976/MB5_history.aspx

I’d be interested to hear more about the MB3. There seems to be a relatively decent amount of info on the MB5, but less on its predecessor which had it not been for the fatal crash of the prototype might have been in a position to enter service during the war.

The only reference seems to be the comment that it was ‘very manouvrable and easy to fly’ and another very subjective comment from a member of ground crew that it seemed ‘very fast’. I should imagine as a relatively small aircraft wrapped around a Sabre, and with a fair amount of aerodynamic commonality with the MB5, it should have been 400mph+ capable?

Flypast have also done articles about the Martin Baker types. The cockpit enclosure of the MB2 still survives at Cosford I believe

Cheers

Cees

i hope that the following link might be of interest.

http://johnmarlinsmb5replica.mysite.com/index.html

Tommy

Aeroplane Monthly, October and November 1973, carried a nice two-part article on the Martin Baker designs.

Best wishes
Steve P

Thanks for the info BSG-75 and Edgar.There doesn`t seem to be much real in depth stuff easily available other than the odd magazine article though,but thanks once again,much appreciated.Cheers.

“Air International” February, 1979 had an article on the M.B.5; “Aircraft Illustrated” November, 1985, had one on all five aircraft, but there’s not much.
Edgar

Oooooooooooo that is just wrong……. grand idea, a little bit mad perhaps (no harm there) but it just looks wrong…..

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Martin-Baker_M.B.5_replica.jpg

The last I heard was that it was up for sale, uncompleted:
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=69564
I saw it at Reno a few years ago and it’s not really a replica at all, just a collection of bits and pieces with a vague resemblance to the real thing.

Agreed PL,i also saw it at reno…just looked like a waste of a perfectly good P51…it looked awful.

cheers baz

The last I heard was that it was up for sale, uncompleted:
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=69564
I saw it at Reno a few years ago and it’s not really a replica at all, just a collection of bits and pieces with a vague resemblance to the real thing.

MBs

I remember reading on this forum somewhere that a chap in the states was bulding a flying replica?Any update on that?

“interceptor” by james goulding has a good piece on the types (it’s actually a good all round book IMO) and one of the old wings of fame volumes had a very good piece as well.