This is the AZ models  Martin Baker MB-6, 2 seater. This is the sevond one I have built, and was a lot more demanding too as a fair few parts were not happy about fitting properly, biggest culprit being the fuselage join, wjich had a bad taper on it's edge, causing the join to have a big trench that needed a lot of work. Decals are from the decal stash including post war mosquito nightfighter serials. The aircraft is in service during the Korean war, and sports a radar pod under a wing, and the radar is operated by the poor guy shoehorned into the back seat. The canopy needs a bit of touch up on the lower framwork, but for once I manged not to make it look like a 5 year old did it with a crayon. Well not too much anyway. 

That looks good.

Gondor

  

Did you fit it with the single seater canopy Chris? It looks a lot better than the elongated canopy that comes with the MB6 kit as standard.

Quote from: PR19_Kit on June 11, 2024, 09:10:08 AMDid you fit it with the single seater canopy Chris? It looks a lot better than the elongated canopy that comes with the MB6 kit as standard.

No, it only come with the one canopy, and that eas the 2 seater one. Strange that they leave in a fuselage and other bits to make the single seater, but not the canopy.

Looks great  such a shame Martin-Baker never made it into the world of big time of aircraft manufacturers.

Cheers,
Mark

Quote from: 2996 Victor on June 11, 2024, 10:21:07 AMLooks great  such a shame Martin-Baker never made it into the world of big time of aircraft manufacturers.

Cheers,
Mark

Cheers everyone, yep absolutely Mark, I am sure they would have been an excellent fighter.

Quote from: 2996 Victor on June 11, 2024, 10:21:07 AMLooks great  such a shame Martin-Baker never made it into the world of big time of aircraft manufacturers.

Cheers,
Mark

It wasn't going to happen because they didn't have the production facilities that
were required. Someone else would have
to do the manufacture. 

Quote from: jcf on June 11, 2024, 11:11:31 AMIt wasn't going to happen because they didn't have the production facilities that
were required. Someone else would have
to do the manufacture.

My backstory for the 2-3 MB5/6s that I've built supposes exactly that, and I suggested that Hawker would carry out the sub-contract, thus naming it the Monsoon, like their other wind named aircraft.

Oddly, years after that might have happened I myself was a sub-contractor to Martin Baker, but that was for supplying test systems for the ejection seats. And the factory really is remarkably small! 

Now you need two of them P-82 Twin Mustang style and really mess with people!
Nice work all around!

Quote from: kerick on June 11, 2024, 12:16:18 PMNow you need two of them P-82 Twin Mustang style and really mess with people!
Nice work all around!

There is 2 fuselages in the box, and it was very very tempting to do one as I have the other spare fuselage from the last one I did. I emailed AZ and asked if I could buy the relevant parts, but they never replied.

Quote from: chrisonord on June 11, 2024, 10:52:24 AM

Quote from: 2996 Victor on June 11, 2024, 10:21:07 AMLooks great  such a shame Martin-Baker never made it into the world of big time of aircraft manufacturers.

Cheers,
Mark

Cheers everyone, yep absolutely Mark, I am sure they would have been an excellent fighter.

Quote from: jcf on June 11, 2024, 11:11:31 AM

Quote from: 2996 Victor on June 11, 2024, 10:21:07 AMLooks great  such a shame Martin-Baker never made it into the world of big time of aircraft manufacturers.

Cheers,
Mark

It wasn't going to happen because they didn't have the production facilities that
were required. Someone else would have
to do the manufacture.

Absolutely! But if the Air Ministry were inclined to order their designs they could have been sub-contracted. Westland and Cunliffe-Owen, for instance, sub-contracted almost all the Seafire III contract.

I've read that one reason M-B's fighters were unsuccessful was simply because their faces didn't fit. If so, that's a sad indictment of lost opportunity.

Quote from: PR19_Kit on June 11, 2024, 11:44:01 AM

Quote from: jcf on June 11, 2024, 11:11:31 AMIt wasn't going to happen because they didn't have the production facilities that
were required. Someone else would have
to do the manufacture.

My backstory for the 2-3 MB5/6s that I've built supposes exactly that, and I suggested that Hawker would carry out the sub-contract, thus naming it the Monsoon, like their other wind named aircraft.

Oddly, years after that might have happened I myself was a sub-contractor to Martin Baker, but that was for supplying test systems for the ejection seats. And the factory really is remarkably small! 

Sounds like a great backstory and totally plausible - any manufacturers with sufficient factory space could have done it, so lots of potential whifs there!

I've heard the M-B factory was tiny. It's a testament to their tenacity and self-belief that they achieved all they did.

Cheers,
Mark

Quote from: 2996 Victor on June 11, 2024, 12:39:27 PMI've heard the M-B factory was tiny. It's a testament to their tenacity and self-belief that they achieved all they did.

It's down the end of a small, winding country lane, past a small housing estate just inside the M25 and north of the A40/M40. A less likely place for one of the leading suppliers of modern day military aircraft would be difficult to imagine! 

Quote from: PR19_Kit on June 11, 2024, 12:55:38 PM

Quote from: 2996 Victor on June 11, 2024, 12:39:27 PMI've heard the M-B factory was tiny. It's a testament to their tenacity and self-belief that they achieved all they did.

It's down the end of a small, winding country lane, past a small housing estate just inside the M25 and north of the A40/M40. A less likely place for one of the leading suppliers of modern day military aircraft would be difficult to imagine! 

Quote from: PR19_Kit on June 11, 2024, 11:44:01 AM

Quote from: jcf on June 11, 2024, 11:11:31 AMIt wasn't going to happen because they didn't have the production facilities that
were required. Someone else would have
to do the manufacture.

My backstory for the 2-3 MB5/6s that I've built supposes exactly that, and I suggested that Hawker would carry out the sub-contract, thus naming it the Monsoon, like their other wind named aircraft.

Oddly, years after that might have happened I myself was a sub-contractor to Martin Baker, but that was for supplying test systems for the ejection seats. And the factory really is remarkably small! 

The bosses trying to convince Camm that someone else's design should have priority for production would
have been an interesting challenge.