Name a Plane

I’m not knocking what he’s done, it’s an incredible feat. There’s presumably an excellent reason why it’s 18 inches shorter but in the photos it sticks out like a sore thumb.

For more pictures check out this link:

www.aafo.com/gallery/ MB5/004.htm

For scale, have a look at the photo showing a bloke working on it!

Construction began in 1991.

Fuselage: scratch built steel tubular design modelled after the original.

Horizontal tail, (modified) main wings, landing gear, and control column: P51

Wheels and tyres: Sea Fury

Gear doors: P51 re-designed to resemble original

Power Plant and propeller set-up: Ex-Shackleton RR Griffon 58

Engine mount: Modified, ex-Canadair North Star 1 ST (Merlin powered DC4)

Instrument panel: Scratch built replica, authentically hinged at the sides for easy access to its other side.

The above is gleaned from a Warbirds Worldwide report in 1999. Anyone have an update?

I think that the photograph contributed above appears to be a lttle wide angle, and perhaps does not reflect the true length of the aircraft.

John Marlin has got the original drawings from Martin Baker and has had full co-operation from them regarding the project. Due to costs he has had to use as much of the P-51 as he could. The replica is 18 inches shorter than the original and it is also being built with a full dual controlled cockpit. John’s original plan was to have it ready and race it at Reno then sell it, but i can’t believe he’ll do that now as it has taken him twice as long as he expected. To help finance the project he sold his airworthy P-51.
He reckons that performancewise it will give all at Reno a good run for their money.
I for one love it, o.k it doesn’t quite look right but who else is going to have ago at building what was most probably going to be the most potent piston aircraft ever.

Piccie of the real thing

As you said Macky it doesn’t look quite right, though don’t get me wrong the bloke’s done well to get this far, many others would’ve stuck with a Mustang as he had before selling it to undertake this project. It looks a wee bit ‘stunted’ to me and although it’s supposed to have a fuselage based upon drawings from Martin-Baker I’m not sure how close they are to the fuselage we see here. I’m still gunning for the remains of the original turning up, where’s my spade? 😉

Tom.

I’ve seen the pics of the replica and I think it looks like a semi-scale model would. I don’t like it at all.

Isn’t it a pseudo MB5 fuselage married to a P-51 wing?

Eject Reject !

There’s some fairly major dimensional differences to fit the Mustang fuselage but it certainly looks the part. In particular, I think it’s too short.
The Boscombe Down test report on the MB5 makes interesting reading. It’s positively effusive. Coming from a bunch of hard-bitten test pilots that would pick holes in anything, and rightly so – that was their job, I’ve never read such glowing praise.

Someones building a flying replica of the MB5 in the USA ,based on a Mustang airframe. That’ll be nice to see (if and when).

Martin Baker’s Dozen.

Or just plain ‘Bob’. 😀

Alliteration is always advisable. Best I could come up with is Maul or Mace, perhaps best suited to a ground attack aircraft.

On account of the need for alliteration can I modestly suggest that the “Martin Baker Moggy” has quite a ring to it?

Moggy

Javelin,

may have suitable at the time.

Willow

How about,

The ‘Oneoff’, or the ‘Scrapped’ or my personal favourite, the ‘Toolate’.

Shame really as it had potential to possibly be ‘THE’ aircraft of WW2.

Tony

Dodo?

MB5 GT