Martin-Baker MB 2
Martin-Baker · United Kingdom · first flew 1938 · fighter
The Martin-Baker MB 2 was a British private-venture fighter prototype based on the simple structure of the earlier MB 1 civil aircraft. It was briefly evaluated by the Royal Air Force but never entered series production.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Square-cut fuselage of almost constant depth, slightly longer than the wingspan |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Fixed undercarriage faired in two trouser-type fairings, the port one carrying the oil cooler
- Square-cut fuselage of almost constant depth, slightly longer than the wingspan
- Small tapered tailplane mounted on top of the fuselage with a roughly triangular fin and rudder
A low-wing single-engined fighter with a fixed trouser-faired undercarriage and a fuselage longer than its wingspan.
Specifications
- The Martin-Baker MB 2 has a length of 10.59 m (35 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.36 m (34 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
James Martin designed it in response to Specification F.5/34 for a fighter with an air-cooled engine for hot climates. It was built of steel tubing and was powered by a Napier Dagger III HIM 24-cylinder H-type engine. Captain Valentine Baker first flew it at Harwell on 3 August 1938.
Variants
A retractable undercarriage was planned but the design was abandoned first. In its initial configuration it had no fin and the rudder was mounted directly on the fuselage; a fixed fin was added later because lateral stability was unsatisfactory.
Where you'll see it
Despite its fixed undercarriage its performance was as good as contemporary fighters, but it was limited in design potential and no production followed. A crash post extended automatically to protect the pilot in a nose-over landing.
Related aircraft
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