Baker Aircraft - By 1939, it was clear that the British Air Ministry would not order the production of the Martin-Baker MB2. James Martin (Chief Designer) and Captain Valentine H. Baker were already working on the design of a new aircraft: the MB3. As the MB2 proved to be a successful competitor, the British Air Ministry ordered three prototypes of the MB3 fighter on 16 June 1939. The new aircraft would be designed as a special F. 18/39, given to Martin-Baker in May. . 1939. The minimum requirement of the F.18/39 specification is a speed of 400 mph (644 km/h) at 15,000 ft (4,572 m), a ceiling of 35,000 ft (10,668 m), an endurance of 2.5 hours, and an armament of four 20 mm guns. With the contract, Martin worked to complete the prototype of the MB3.

The nearly finished Martin-Baker MB3 in the summer of 1942 at the Martin-Baker factory in Denham. The plane was not painted and its 20mm gun for 6 months was installed. The gun was removed before the flight test.

Baker Aircraft

Baker Aircraft

The time to complete the plane was great for the small company Martin-Baker. The original contract stipulated that the first MB3 prototype was ready by 15 December 1939, with two aircraft completed by 15 February 1940. In the initial phase, the aircraft would used the Rolls-Royce Griffon. By September 1939, it was clear that the Griffon engine would not be available to Martin-Baker for some time. At the request of the Air Ministry, the Napier Saber replaced the Griffon, and all the planes were redesigned for the new engine. This led to a new treaty that was somewhat delayed but was finally signed on 11 August 1940. Britain was now involved in the Second World War, and Martin-Baker was swamped with other more important tasks. So completing the first MB3 took longer than expected. In 1941, Martin-Baker was informed that there would be no production order for the MB3, but the first prototype became the final decision.

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The construction of the Martin-Baker MB3 followed the company's design practice of using tubular steel frames to build the fuselage structure. The main wing spar is made of rolled steel, with fewer laminations near the wingtips. The rest of the wing structure creates a torsion box of extreme rigidity. All planes are covered with hard leather, but many panels can be opened or removed for quick access to equipment and tools. The rudder is covered in fabric, but the rest of the control area is skinned with aluminum.

MB3 during its brief trial run in the RAF Wing. Note the retractable running board and swing door to the cabin entrance.

The aircraft uses pneumatically controlled split flaps and has spring-loaded aileron separation seals to increase its roll rate and improve aerodynamics. The elevator is also different. Fuel is carried in the fuselage tank in front of the cockpit. The aircraft's rear main landing gear has a width of 15 ft 5 in (4.7 m). The tire was removed into the open well under the tail. The landing gear is lowered by gravity and raised by a pneumatic system, which is separate from the system that controls the flaps.

Each wing has three 20 mm guns with 200 rpg, all mounted outside the main gear of the plane. Ammunition belts were installed at the same time for guns; Each bullet must be rotated 90 degrees before entering the breach. This "flat feed" bullet system was patented by Martin. The arrangement of the gun and ammunition makes a compact package that can be easily accessed and repaired quickly. With its six 20 mm guns, the MB3 was one of the heaviest guns of World War II.

Aircraft Photo Of N404dd

This photo of the MB3 goes up for a great view of the plane's landing gear and the tight fitting that covers the Saber engine. Also visible are the underwing scoops for the radiator and oil cooler.

The Rolls-Royce Vulture X-24 engine was also considered to power the MB3. The V-12 Griffon was chosen first because it was less powerful than the Vulture or Sabre. However, because the Saber was easier than the Griffon and was approved by the Air Ministry, it was chosen to power the MB3. The 2,020 hp (1,506 kW) Saber II engine had 24 cylinders arranged in a horizontal H configuration and used sleeve valves. The engine drives a three-bladed de Havilland propeller that is 14 feet (4.27 m) in diameter. The engine cooling is provided by a radiator fitted to the right wing and an oil cooler fitted to the left wing. The engine ran from the wing base to the main gear, and the oil cooler was about half the size of the engine. Scoops for the engine and oil cooler were 127 mm (5 in) under the wing and were placed between the glass wells and the flaps.

The MB3 has a wingspan of 35 feet (10.7 m) and is 35 feet 4 inches (10.8 m) long. The aircraft has a gross weight of 11,497 pounds (5,215 kg). The MB3 has a top speed of 418 mph (673 km/h) at 20,000 ft (6,096 m). However, Martin claimed that Captain Baker reached 430 mph (632 km/h) at the same altitude, even without the drag that six guns would create. At sea level, the aircraft is capable of 372 mph (599 km/h) and the maximum cruise speed is 370 mph (595 km/h) at 15,000 ft (4,572 m). The landing speed of the MB3 is 88 mph (142 km/h). The plane has a ceiling of 35,000 feet (10,668 m) and a range of 420 miles (676 km).

Baker Aircraft

The rear view of the MB3 shows the good fit and finish of the aircraft. Only the aileron and elevator seals are visible.

Martin Baker M.b. 6

The original MB3 was given the serial number R2492. The aircraft was ready in March 1942, but was not completed until August. The aircraft was transported by truck to the Royal Air Force Station Wing (RAF Wing) in Buckinghamshire for flight testing. Surrounded by small fields and many trees, the small RAF Wing air base was not a good place for flight tests. Martin was opposed to using the RAF Wing, but the Air Ministry insisted.

Captain Baker was at the controls when the MB3 first flew on 31 August 1942. The six wing guns were fitted when the aircraft was built at Denham (near London) but were removed before the aircraft took off. flew away and did not reinstall. Ballast was added to simulate the weight of the guns and their ammunition. Flight tests have shown that the aircraft has good performance and handling characteristics. However, there are problems with the Saber engine and the engine overheating problem for the MB3.

Several sources claimed that the MB3 was fitted with a bubble after its first flight. This belief comes from doctored photos of the MB3 with a bubble mask designed to show what the design of the plane would look like. The bubble is not installed on MB3.

On September 12, 1942, the plane made its tenth flight. Captain Baker had just taken off when the engine seized, the result of a failure in the transmission crank. On the ground and without options, Captain Baker left the MB3 in one of the many small lines with hedges and other obstacles that surrounded the RAF Wing. The plane clipped a haystack and crashed into a hedge at high speed. MB3 rolled over, exploded and caught fire. Captain Baker died instantly.

Martin Baker Aircraft Ltd

The death of Captain Baker was a great blow to the Martin-Baker Company. Martin took it particularly hard; he lost his friend in a plane that used an engine that he didn't want to use and at the test site it was considered inappropriate. It wasn't long before Martin and the Martin-Baker company began working to improve crew safety and develop ejector seats, which the company still manufactures today.

Captain Valentine H. Baker poses with an MB3 shortly before a test flight. The engine seized on the MB3's tenth flight and Captain Baker was killed during the next landing.

With the first MB3 model destroyed, Martin's attention turned to a partially completed second model (R2496). Development of the third model (R2499, or R2500) may not have started. Martin has already developed the MB3A, which is a derivative of the MB3. The MB3A had air bubbles (which were not fitted to the model) and its cockpit was moved slightly forward to improve the pilot's view of the wing. MB4 was also created; it uses the Bristol Centaurs engine in the same MB3 fuselage. However, with the Air Ministry finally willing to supply Martin-Baker with the Griffon engine and with the MB3's performance now on par with existing aircraft, Martin sought.

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