MARTIil BAKER M.8.5.

Reprinted from Aero Modeller, May, 1969
AJ2889
AIRCRAFT DESCRIBED
Number 182
MARTIil
BAKER
M.8.5.
DESCRIBED in Superlatives,ahead of its time in terms
of engineering,performance, handling and pilot appeal,
the Martin-Baker M.B. 5 will always remain an enigma.
Only oneprototype wasconstructed:but when it appeared
to specification F18/39 for its first flight with Bryan
Greenstedat the unique Martin primary control unit, it
representedthe extreme limit of piston engined flighter
development.Possibly the imminence of the jet-powered
Meteoi was influential in the demiseof so promising and
the M.B.l. itselfwas not put into production,
The Martin-Baker 2 was a fieliter for the Z-cvlinder
Napier Dagger'H'engine, fust-flown in August l-938.It
was the first British fighter designedfor eiglit Browning
.303machineguns,analthe first ihere lengtfr exceededth!
span.,The undercarriagewas fixed in 'Tiouser' fairings,
and the construction such that it could have been produced quickly and cheaply. Alas, this was not to be, and
the M.B.3 was next createdto Spec.F4134for the Napier
'tt:.j)?ii,,lrr/)1r.!,i)!li
';1
Pilot's view in the M.8,5 was exceptionally good. At top, the wide
track undercatriage, thick wing and
clean coruling lines are obyiou3, also
at
the
camouflage
'wraparound'
leading edge and tips, Tail was
in
c a m o u l la g e d o n u n d e rsi d es,' P'
circle indicates Prototype. In takeofr l,hotograph at right, the wheels
are about to retract in the winF' and
unit has already been
tailwheel
contained by bulged doors.
attractive an aircraft. It might also have been prejudiced
by having a background less imposing than that of the
Spiteful.
James Martin founded his Martin Aircraft Works at
Denham in LTb. His fust design was a mid-engined
monoplane with extension shaft to the prop, a rernarkable
adventure for the year, which perished with lack of
finance. Then came the M.B.l following Capt. V. H.
Baker joining the Company, and extensive use of tubular
structure in the Napier Javelin powered monoplane was
to establish a technique for all subsequenfdesigns though
Sabre. It had six 20 mm. cannon, wing radiators, a
pneumatically actuated undercarriage and was highly
manoeuvrable.Unhappily, it crashedin September1942,
killing Captain Baker after enginefailure soon after takeofffrom Wing airfield. Loss of the prototype was a major
disaster for the small Company and the death of llis
partner, a tremendous blow to James Martin. But as in
more recent yeaxs,the determined character of this skilled
designerwas dominant in a quick recovery. The M.B.4
was designed for the Rolls-Royce Griffon. This was a
private venture and was dropped in favour of the M.B.5,
With radiator Ehutter fully open for
taxiing, and sunlight emphaising the
slab side3 of thc fu3ela8e, the l.l.B,5
looks less ot a b€auty but is inlinit6ly
practical. €ontrol rurface arer wete
generous
large and oach arried
trim tab though from all repor6, the
machine w* vicelers and llew without call for chrngca: All photographs
from 'The Acroplene'.
Ltd,13-35 BridgeSt., HemelHempstead,
Herts,England
Copyright:Model &Allied Publications
Reprinted from Aero Modeller, May, 1969
AJ2889
AIRCRAFT DESCRIBED
Number 182
MARTIil
BAKER
M.8.5.
DESCRIBED in Suoerlatives.ahead of its time in terms
of engineering,perfbrmance, handling and pilot appeal,
the Martin-Baker M.B. 5 will always remain an enigma.
Only oneprototype wasconstructed:but when it appeared
to specification F18/39 for its first flight with Bryan
Greenstedat the unique Martin primary control unit, it
representedthe extreme limit of piston engined flighter
development.Possibly the imminence of the jet-powered
Meteor was influential in the demiseof so promising and
the M.B.l. itselfwas not put into production,
The Martin-Baker 2 was a fieliter for the Z-cvlinder
Napier Dagger'H'engine, fust-flown in August l-938.It
was the first British fighter designedfor eiglit Browning
.303machineguns,analthe first ihere lengtfr exceededth!
span.,The undercarriagewas fixed in 'Tiouser' fairings,
and the construction such that it could have been produced quickly and cheaply. Alas, this was not to be, and
the M.B.3 was next createdto Spec.F4134for the Napier
Pilods view in the M.8,5 was exceptionally good. At top, the wide
track undercarriage, thick wing and
clean corrling lines are obyioue, also
at
the
camouflage
'wraparound'
leading edge and tips, Tail was
in
c a m o u l la g e d o n u n d e rsi d es,' P'
circle indicates Prototype. In takeofr ;,hotograph at right, the wheels
are about to retract in the wings' and
unit has already been
tailwheel
contained by bulged doors.
attractive an aircraft. It might also have been prejudiced
by having a background less imposing than that of the
Spiteful.
James Martin founded his Martin Aircraft Works at
Denham in i9b. His fust design was a mid-engined
monoplane witl extension shaft to the prop, a rernarkable
adventure for the year, which perished with lack of
finance. Then came the M.B.l following Capt. V, H.
Baker joining the Company, and extensive use of tubular
structure in the Napier Javelin powered monoplane was
to establish a technique for all subsequenfdesigns though
Sabre. It had six 20 mm. cannon, wing radiators, a
pneumatically actuated undercarriage and was highly
hanoeuvrable. Unhappily, it crashed-inSeptemberl94i
killing Captain Baker after enginefailure soon after takeofffrom Wing airfield. Loss of the prototype was a major
disaster for the small Company and the death of llis
partner, a tremendous blow to James Martin. But as in
more recent yeaxs,the determined character of this skilled
designerwas dominant in a quick recovery. The M.B.4
was designed for the Rolls-Royce Griffon. This was a
private venture and was dropped in favour of the M.B.5,
With radiator shutter fully open for
taxiing, and sunlight emphaising the
slab side3 of thc fu3ela8e, the l.l.B,5
lookr less ot a beauty but is inlinit6ly
practical. €ontrol sulface arer wete
generou3
large and oach erried
trim tab though from all reportr, the
machine w* vicelers and llew without call for chrngcr All photographs
from 'The Acropltne'.
Ltd,13-35 BridgeSt., HemelHempstead,
Herts,England
Copyright:Model &Allied Publications
made for the sameGriffon enginebut to the Air Ministry
SpecificationFl8/39.
Many of the features which had made tlte M'B'3 so
different wer€ to be seen in R 2496, the prototype.
Triangular fin and rudder, aft of a large area horizontal
tail surface,and extending length gteater than span, plus
a high level canopy with excellentrange of vision for the
pilot-, and otherwiie angular lines immediately identified
rts senesls.
T-he Gritron 83 was driving contra-rotating DH prooellers.and all coolant radiatorsenclosedwithin the rear
iusehde with a common intake and controllable effiux.
Wide-wheeltrack which gavegood ground stabilityproduced a remarkablysimpleundercarriagecontainedwithin
Cockpit area photographs illustrate
the degree of access designed into
the M,8.5 through
use of detachable
panels, and the
cleanliness of the
its
cockpit with
floor and patented
contr o l
M ar tin
unit as well as the
instrument Panels
which hinged for
servicing. Close-up
of the Port leg
shows the cable
which, actuated by
pneumatics,
unlocks the radius
rod and retracts
the leg against the
spring. Gravityand
combined
spring
to lower the leg.
Reprints of this
feature, with l/48
dyeline
scale
prin6, are available as plan pack
AJ.2889 from AeroPlans
modeller
Service price 2/6d.
plu3 6d. po3tagc.
the wing panelsaft of the singlemainspar and tbugh leading edge torsion box. Tubular steel structure of the
fuselage permitted large areas of access through detachable panels, possibly unmatched by any other aircraft of similar sizebefore or since.and a kev factor of the
design was the ease of maintenance. Thii was carried
through to the pilot's cockpit, where the cleanlinessof
layout wasexceptional.Use of a floor would haveappealed
to all the R.A.F. mechanics (a dropped spanner in a
Typhoon for example could mean seat removal for recovery - or a bump on the head for the pilot if abandoned)
and the instruments were fitted to hinged panels which
permitted maintenancewithout removal.
It was in fact both a pilot's and a mechanic'saircraft.
A top speedof 460 m.p.h. at 20,000ft., the control responseof a Spitfire, lack of vibration and torque effect,
range of vision and tough structure would have made it
more than a match for other types which entered production or remained on the factory lines well after the
M.8.5 was discarded.
JamesMartin (now Sir James)went on to establishhis
World Famous range of ejector seats which have become standard equipment for many Air Forces and have
to date saved over 2,000 lives. One is tempted,to wonder
what might happen now if he were to produte his conception of a ground attack fighter to NATO specs.Whatever the outcome, we could be sure of one certainty - that
the shapewould make it as ideal for a flying scalemodel
as were the M.8.3 and M.B.5.
Span.35 ft. Length37ft.9 ins. Height16 ft. Max. Weight
with ammunition,I 1,500lb. Max. Speedat 6000ft., 425mph.
at 20000ft. 460mph. Stallingspeed96 mph. ServiceCeiling,
ft., Range1,240miles.
41,500
insignio-MY
ftototype
A
I
DG
DSG
I
DSG
DG
SeriolNo
DG
c
I
I
covered
Colour
line
Combined
rod
reorshufter
Seriol
No
R2496
lllingincidence
l.50positive.
I prop
Rodiotor/oil
cooler
oir intoke
Toilplone
incidence
l'5opositive.
WingB Fuseloge
undersides
MSG
D
Fobric
covered
elevotors
D
Wing
section-RAF
34.
:fhislobon
slorboord
only.
covers
nol fitted
Toil undersides
comoufloged
CODE:_
COLOUR
Ds
DG-DARK
GREEN.
DSG-DARK
SEA.GREY.
MSG_MEDIUM
SEA.€REY
MB_MATT
BLACK.
MY-MATTYELLOW.
Colours
lhisside
shown
of cenlre
lineorefortop
surfoce
;portsideonly.
N
N_
N\\\
r
I
A
c
FeeL
Scole:
Piiotheod.
MARTIN
BAKER
M.8.5.
I
by- G.A.Hotton.
Troced