The British Martin-Baker MB 5 was the ultimate development of a series of prototype fighter aircraft built during the Second World War.
The MB 5 never entered production, despite what test pilots described as excellent performance.
Martin-Baker Aircraft began the MB 5 as the second Martin-Baker MB 3 prototype, designed to Air Ministry Specification F.18/39 for an agile, sturdy Royal Air Force fighter, able to fly faster than 400 mph.
After the first MB 3 crashed in 1942, killing Val Baker, the second prototype was delayed.
A modified MB 3 with a Rolls-Royce Griffon engine, rather than the Napier Sabre of the MB 3, was planned as the MB 4, but a full redesign was chosen instead.
The redesigned aircraft, designated MB 5, used wings similar to the MB 3, but had an entirely new steel-tube fuselage.
Power came from a Rolls-Royce Griffon 83 liquid-cooled V-12 engine, producing 2,340 hp (1,745 kW) and driving two three-bladed contra-rotating propellers.
Armament was four 20 mm Hispano cannon, mounted in the wings outboard of the widely spaced retractable undercarriage.
A key feature of the design was ease of manufacture and maintenance: much of the structure was box-like, favouring straight lines and simple conformation.
It was built under the same contract that covered the building of the MB 3.
Specifications
Crew
1
Length
37 ft 9 in (11.51 m)
Wingspan
35 ft (11 m)
Height
12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) including propeller
Wing area
263 sq ft (24.4 m2)
Aspect ratio
4.66
Airfoil
RAF 34
Empty weight
9,233 lb (4,188 kg)
Gross weight
11,500 lb (5,216 kg)
Max take-off weight
12,090 lb (5,484 kg)
Fuel capacity
200 imp gal (240 US gal; 910 l) fuel;
14 imp gal (17 US gal; 64 l) oil
Powerplant
1 × Rolls-Royce Griffon 83,
V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine,
2,035 hp (1,517 kW)
Propellers
6-bladed De Havilland constant-speed contra-rotating propeller
