Martin-Baker MB 1
Encyclopedia
The Martin-Baker
MB1 was a British
low-wing monoplane designed and constructed in the 1930s, the first design of the Martin-Baker company to be built. Later aircraft from the company would be heavily influenced by this early design.
and Captain Valentine Baker
, the Martin-Baker company had embarked initially on an unsuccessful two-place low-wing monoplane design known as the MB 1 before completing an autogyro
design by Mr. Raoul Hafner
tested by Captain Baker at Heston Aerodrome
.
Attracting financial aid from a business friend with an interest in aviation, Martin turned to the design and manufacture of a small, two-seater touring aircraft bearing the same designation as the earlier project. Departing from the unconventional mid-engine configuration, the new aircraft was nonetheless, an example of an advanced design.
Construction involved a simple but highly ingenious method of using round section thin gauge steel tubing throughout the structure with a fabric covering. Powered by a neatly cowled six-cylinder inline 160 hp Napier Javelin
engine driving a fixed pitch wooden propeller, the tubular mounting was designed so that all parts were accessible for easy servicing and was electrically started. A simple, tubular construction undercarriage carried low pressure tyres and employed shock absorber struts.
Martin believed that simplicity would lead to efficiency and took care to eliminate complicated operations, with the result that the prototype was rapidly put together by a small group of 12 semi-skilled workers. This design philosophy was carried throughout the simple structure with much forethought given to its cockpit and general layout. The wings were also designed to fold rearwards as a one-person operation, for ease of storage. Long triangular welded-aluminium
fuel tanks, designed to be quickly detachable, were carried in the centre of each wing spar.
Although the main interest of this aircraft was in its design, a contemporary aeronautical journal reported: "The seats are comfortable and the cockpit is totally enclosed with an oval transparent hood. The windscreen is a sharp vee, with vertical front panes, which should not collect fine rain or snow and should obviate any reflection from internal or external lighting."
Although the MB 1 prototype was destroyed in a fire at the works hangar in Denham
, Uxbridge
in March 1938, many valuable lessons learned during its design, construction and testing were to be used in the production of the company's next design, the MB2.
Martin-Baker
Martin-Baker Aircraft Co. Ltd. is a manufacturer of ejection seats and safety related equipment for aviation. The company origins were as an aircraft manufacturer before becoming a pioneer in the field of ejection seats...
MB1 was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
low-wing monoplane designed and constructed in the 1930s, the first design of the Martin-Baker company to be built. Later aircraft from the company would be heavily influenced by this early design.
Design and development
Formed in 1934 by James MartinJames Martin (engineer)
Sir James Martin CBE DSc CEng FIMechE FRAeS was a British engineer and together with Captain Valentine Baker the founder of the Martin-Baker aircraft company which is now a leading producer of aircraft ejection seats....
and Captain Valentine Baker
Valentine Baker (pilot)
Captain Valentine Henry Baker MC AFC served in all three of the British Armed Forces during the First World War. After the war he became a civilian flight instructor, and co-founder of the Martin-Baker Aircraft Company...
, the Martin-Baker company had embarked initially on an unsuccessful two-place low-wing monoplane design known as the MB 1 before completing an autogyro
Autogyro
An autogyro , also known as gyroplane, gyrocopter, or rotaplane, is a type of rotorcraft which uses an unpowered rotor in autorotation to develop lift, and an engine-powered propeller, similar to that of a fixed-wing aircraft, to provide thrust...
design by Mr. Raoul Hafner
Raoul Hafner
Raoul Hafner, , was an Austrian-born British helicopter pioneer and engineer.Raoul Hafner, FEng, FRAes, a pioneer of rotating wing aircraft design, died as a result of a yachting accident, was an Austrian who made a distinctive contribution to the British aerospace industry, particularly the...
tested by Captain Baker at Heston Aerodrome
Heston Aerodrome
Heston Aerodrome was a 1930s airfield located to the west of London, UK, operational between 1929 and 1947. It was situated on the border of the Heston and Cranford areas of Hounslow, Middlesex...
.
Attracting financial aid from a business friend with an interest in aviation, Martin turned to the design and manufacture of a small, two-seater touring aircraft bearing the same designation as the earlier project. Departing from the unconventional mid-engine configuration, the new aircraft was nonetheless, an example of an advanced design.
Construction involved a simple but highly ingenious method of using round section thin gauge steel tubing throughout the structure with a fabric covering. Powered by a neatly cowled six-cylinder inline 160 hp Napier Javelin
Napier Javelin
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6....
engine driving a fixed pitch wooden propeller, the tubular mounting was designed so that all parts were accessible for easy servicing and was electrically started. A simple, tubular construction undercarriage carried low pressure tyres and employed shock absorber struts.
Martin believed that simplicity would lead to efficiency and took care to eliminate complicated operations, with the result that the prototype was rapidly put together by a small group of 12 semi-skilled workers. This design philosophy was carried throughout the simple structure with much forethought given to its cockpit and general layout. The wings were also designed to fold rearwards as a one-person operation, for ease of storage. Long triangular welded-aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
fuel tanks, designed to be quickly detachable, were carried in the centre of each wing spar.
Although the main interest of this aircraft was in its design, a contemporary aeronautical journal reported: "The seats are comfortable and the cockpit is totally enclosed with an oval transparent hood. The windscreen is a sharp vee, with vertical front panes, which should not collect fine rain or snow and should obviate any reflection from internal or external lighting."
Testing and evaluation
Aerodynamically a straightforward design, when flight tested in April 1935, the MB1 (G-ADCS) reached a top speed of 125 mph and was found to possess pleasant flight characteristics which later became a hallmark of the Martin-Baker company designs.The Chief Test Pilot for the MB1 was Captain Baker.Although the MB 1 prototype was destroyed in a fire at the works hangar in Denham
Denham, Buckinghamshire
Denham is a village and civil parish in the South Buckinghamshire district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is north west of Uxbridge and north of junction 1 of the M40 motorway. Denham contains the Buckinghamshire Golf Club.-Origin:...
, Uxbridge
Uxbridge
Uxbridge is a large town located in north west London, England and is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. It forms part of the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is located west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres...
in March 1938, many valuable lessons learned during its design, construction and testing were to be used in the production of the company's next design, the MB2.