Martin-Baker MB 1

Martin-Baker · United Kingdom · first flew 1935 · light aircraft

The Martin-Baker MB 1 was a British low-wing light aircraft designed and built in the 1930s, the first aircraft design of the Martin-Baker company to be built.

Recognition (WEFT)

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

• Low-wing two-seat touring monoplane with a neatly cowled inline engine
• Cockpit totally enclosed by an oval transparent hood
• Wings that fold rearwards, with round-section steel tube structure and fabric covering

Look for a small low-wing two-seater with a sharp vee windscreen, an oval transparent hood and wings that fold back.

Specifications

• The Martin-Baker MB 1 has a length of 8.801 m (29 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 11.28 m (37 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 201 km/h (125 mph).
• Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Martin turned to the design and manufacture of a small two-seater touring aircraft after an earlier unsuccessful two-place design bore the same MB 1 designation. The prototype, G-ADCS, was put together by a small group of 12 semi-skilled workers and was flight tested in April 1935.

Variants

It was powered by a 160 hp Napier Javelin six-cylinder inline engine driving a fixed-pitch wooden propeller. The design heavily influenced the later MB 2, MB 3 and MB 5 fighters.

Where you'll see it

It reached a top speed of 125 mph and was found to have pleasant flight characteristics, tested by Captain Baker. The prototype was destroyed in a fire at the works hangar in Denham in March 1938.

Related aircraft

• Martin-Baker MB 2
• Martin-Baker MB 3
• Martin-Baker MB 5
• Adaro 1.E.7 Chirta
• Ambrosini SAI.1
• American Gyro AG-4 Crusader
• Arup S-4

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