Martin Baker MB5

[kitnut617]

Got the F-82 look-a-like covered. Got two Falcon kits to do too

[Martin H]

IIRC OGL did the MB "Tank Buster" with Unicrap's abortion of a kit and I have an unfinished balsa MB twin engined fighter I got from TsrJoe which would look good when finished.

I did indeed. And I bought it after Lee's sugestion that it would a fair kit to introduce me to resin..............Yes. It was my first ever resin kit.
That was way back when most resin kits were as "bad" as Unicrafts reputation these days.

[NARSES2]

I've also built the Unicraft Tank Buster

Gosh, are you boasting or complaining Chris?

Surprisingly it's relatively buildable, for a Unicraft kit anyway 

[PR19_Kit]

One thing I've noticed while building both of my MB5s (and I know this going to sound very JMN-ish...) is that the tailplane on the AZ kit is mounted lower than the one on Skybirds kit. It's not much, maybe the thickness of the tailplane itself, but it is  lower.

It's darn difficult to find a pic of the real thing that shows exactly where it should be, but this one shows the real thing quite well.



Looking at that compared to my Skybirds build I'd have to say the Skybirds tailplane is too high on the fuselage, but there's naff all I can do about it now.

[PR19_Kit]

Could be right there, yes Flyer. 

It'd be a real PITA to do that thinning though, especially as I've faired it in so nicely with loads of PSR, and tonight I've put the first coat of PRU Blue on.

I'll just have to adjust the backstory. 

[PR19_Kit]

They're everywhere. 

I rather like the way that FS model as the canopy faired in toward the fin. A bit too late to do it on mine though.

[PR19_Kit]

I've recently been in contact with The Venerable Mike McEvoy and he's building two AZ MB5s, one a Reno racer like my Monsoooooon  and the other an RAN Pacific Fleet aircraft with all sorts of under-wing ordnance, both of which may make it to the MK Show.

Sounds like we may need a BIG stand!

[NARSES2]

Hope to have at least one of mine done for MK. Possibly it's 109-H adversary as well

[kitnut617]

Now that the "Sea Baker" is on the shelves, and anyone who's getting one and will not be using the RCN marking, could you keep me in mind as I would like to get hold of them please. Cover any costs associated with them for sending to Canada.

[NARSES2]

As part of my build I was wondering what the MB 5's range was likely to be. Surprisingly I couldn't find it in any of the books I have including British Experimental Combat Aircraft of WWII which otherwise has a lot of information on the type.

Now in the end I looked it up on Internet and got a figure of 1,770 Km which to my brain is approximately 1,100 miles.

Now can anyone confirm this and if so do they know if this allowed for combat time or was it purely a "ferry range" ? It would be nice to know before I do the background notes for my build.

Thanks

[kitnut617]

The notes in Vol.VII of Aircraft of the Fighting Powers for the MB5 say 1200 mile range. Now the notes for the Tempest Mk.II says it's normal range was 1000 miles, giving it a tactical radius of action of 500 miles. For comparison, the notes for the P-51H say it had a range of 3560 miles

[PR19_Kit]

For comparison, the notes for the P-51H say it had a range of 3560 miles

Eh? That's trans-Atlantic range, and I can't recall any Mustangs being capable of that. Presumably with BIG external tanks if it's true.

The MB5 seemed to have lots of unused internal space, and it didn't have any wing tanks, so there was lots of scope for development.

[kitnut617]

For comparison, the notes for the P-51H say it had a range of 3560 miles

Eh? That's trans-Atlantic range, and I can't recall any Mustangs being capable of that. Presumably with BIG external tanks if it's true.

That's over 1700 miles radius of action Kit, the F-82 had a similar range, just over 3000 miles

[NARSES2]

The notes in Vol.VII of Aircraft of the Fighting Powers for the MB5 say 1200 mile range. Now the notes for the Tempest Mk.II says it's normal range was 1000 miles, giving it a tactical radius of action of 500 miles.

Cheers mate.

So perhaps 600 mile radius. Might need to carry tanks, but otherwise 

[PR19_Kit]

For comparison, the notes for the P-51H say it had a range of 3560 miles

Eh? That's trans-Atlantic range, and I can't recall any Mustangs being capable of that. Presumably with BIG external tanks if it's true.

That's over 1700 miles radius of action Kit, the F-82 had a similar range, just over 3000 miles

Indeed, but the P-82 had lots more tankage.