F.A.Q Section Q: Do you take aircraft requests? A: I have a list of aircraft I plan to cover, but feel free to add to it with suggestions:) Q: Why do you use imperial measurements for some videos, and metric for others? A: I do this based on country of manufacture. Imperial measurements for Britain and the U.S, metric for the rest of the world, but I include text in my videos that convert it for both. Q: Will you include video footage in your videos, or just photos? A: Video footage is very expensive to licence, if I can find footage in the public domain I will try to use it, but a lot of it is hoarded by licencing studies (British Pathe, Periscope films etc). In the future I may be able to afford clips :) Q: Why do you sometimes feature images/screenshots from flight simulators? A: Sometimes there are not a lot of photos available for certain aircraft, so I substitute this with digital images that are as accurate as possible.

Mr Martin was told that nothing could've saved his friend, so he set out to invent something that could've done. If an ejector seat doesn't have a Martin-Baker Label, it's copied from - or licensed by - them. Nobody can count how many lives Mr Martin has saved.

I found an original factory brochure for the MB5 among my stepfather's effects after he died; he'd sent for them from the company as a boy (it was in its original mailing envelope postmarked 1946). I passed them on to a friend who works for Martin-Baker today, and they found their way back into the company archives -- they had not retained a copy themselves, so it was new to them. So that's one small piece of history saved for posterity I guess!

If it's one thing this channel has taught me, it's how much of a role luck has to play in the success or failure of an aircraft.

mustang x spitfire lore

Dornier 335 just chillin in the background at 14:43

My uncle flew one while in the RAF. He told me it was one of the finest handling prop planes he flew. Smooth, responded well to controls and was very fast.

Lovely to hear the company is still going and a fitting tribute to his friend and partner that they specialise in ejection seats, so as to prevent further fatal accidents. It's indeed a pity that there isn't one in a museum, as it is in many ways a remarkable aircraft.

As DEFYN once said, it’s the Man’s Baked.5 It’s a real shame we didn’t see it.

A small technology firm for which I once worked had this sign on the wall: "Warning: there comes a time in the history of every project when it is necessary to shoot the engineers and go into production." We too had an issue with letting perfection being the enemy of the good, and risked losing our market by taking too much time in development, as was the fate of the MB-5.

At 85 now, my memory may not be serviing so well ... but as I recall, Eric Brown, a penultimate pilot's pilot, of those years ... was a major contributing aviator to the development of the MB-5. Astonishing that he is not even mentioned in this document!!!! Serious omission IMO. I wrote Mr Brown many years ago, to inquire if he might collaborate on an aircraft document featuring, the MB5. He declined due to being occupied on other projects at the time. I still have his note... somewhere. In any case, yes, an experienced career aviator, now retired, I've always had an major interest in the MB-5!!! Contrary to other's discussions/implications here implying there was more than one MB5, to my knowlege, ONLY ONE airframe was ever flown. And Mr. Brown did much of that flight test time. He spoke very highly of the machine. This was a beautiful design. My impression seems to be that aside from arriving too late on the scene (jets were beginning to show up) the airplane was a complex one--would have been complicated to manufacture, as compared to the Spitfire/Hurricane technology of the time, and was also very heavy.

This is the best documentary on the MB.5 I have ever seen. A first class coverage of this remarkable aircraft and its history.

By the time the MB5a appeared, it was the age of the Gloster Meteor. Amazing piston fighter, way ahead.

Top class video, thanks Rex Hangar. I love how Martin dedicated his business and life to ejection seats (very successfully) from the tragedy of losing his best friend and business partner. True grit that, despite the rejection of his aircraft

I've been fascinated by the MB-5 since I read about it in a book as a child many years ago. It's like the best CD player when everyone else streams their music. A petrol supercar in the age of EVs. That appeals to me.

My sheer contempt to those who used it as a target. Sounds like others wanted to see the back of it asap. Thanks for the video, at the very least there are a collection of fine photos of the MB.

My grandad worked for MB based in Denham, Bucks for 40 years. He worked in the sheet metal design office. He retired in 1991. He actually got me an IV there when I left school at 16. I didn’t get it simply because I had interests elsewhere. I have great memories of my grandad though.. He would bring home the warning stickers & labels that were put on the ejector seats, and I would stick them on my school bag and bike 😊

I had never heard the story of Martin Baker. Thanks Rex. Great vid. 👍👍👍👍👍

Very unfortunate that this advanced plane ended its life as a ground target. I was completely unaware of this plane. This is still a great success story, however, because Mr. Martin went on to develop and build ejection seats. No doubt this has saved many lives. Another very informative video.

What an amazing but obscure machine with an unfortunate end to its life... So wish I could see it in a museum 😭

For the record: the first ejection seat was invented by Romanian engineer Aneastase Dragomir in 1929. The German Heinkel firm and Swedish Saab continued development in the 1930s, and debuted on the Heinkel He-280 jet prototype, and was fitted to the He-219 night fighter, He-162 jet "fighter", and the Dornier Do-335. The early German and Swedish systems used compressed air to propel the seat, but by 1943 this was replaced with a gunpowder charge. The Martin-Baker design improved upon the German and Swedish designs by adapting them for faster jet aircraft and became the de facto standard postwar.

Outstanding story of two brilliant men. And to think their legacy lives on!!

The P-51's ventral scoop was designed that way to take advantage of the Meredith Effect, pioneered by the British, who used it (sub-optimally) on the Mosquito. The British provided the documentation to Curtis, who were asked to pass it on to North American when the British contracted with them to develop for them the aircraft that became the P-51. MB couldn't steal from the P-51 what it was lent to it by the British.

Rex, you certainly open our eyes to a wide variety of aircraft, making it easy for us to visualize the progress add development of the various improvements through the ages. Your coverage of how the aircraft improved, and how well they performed in actual combat. A pilot myself, I certainly do appreciate the knowledge, and wish I could fly them for some test hops!

Bravo to Mr. Martin, and his company!! Well done chap.

Criminal what happened to that beautiful bird. The MB 5 has always had a mythical status in my personal aviation museum of the mind. The success of MB Ejection seats is lengendary though. With sales to an amazingly diverse collection of countries and companies

Arguably the best video documentary I have watched regarding an aircraft that has fascinated me since I was eleven years old (a very long time ago). When you consider the comments made by three of the very best pilots / test pilots of their day (if not ever) this aircraft was a tragic loss to the world of aviation - something that has plagued the British aviation industry since the Second World War.

Love your channel. Thanks for covering this. Keep up the good work Rex!

Thank you for this video! I personally am aquainted with the two brothers that built the replica in Nevada: one had owned a P-51 for many years, but passed away before the replica was flying (I think). Their last name is Marlin, and I met them through a gentleman that was good friends with them, by the name of Fred Sebby, who had a love for warbirds, and flew the one brothers' P'51 often. Unfortunately, Fred also passed away, back in the '90's. He had a bad habit of sunning himself in front of his hangar, in an old easy chair and he used a mirror, and sadly, it killed him: he developed skin cancer, and it entered his brain via a tear duct. He was quite the character, and I still miss that guy.

This shows why near enough can be better that perfect. Near enough would have given use a fantastic aircraft at a time when it was needed instead of when it was no longer needed.

I remember someone talking to me about the MB5 when I was a kid (I am 67). He suggested that it would equally have rivalled the Spitfire as one of the best planes of ww2, if they had had more time for R and D. I suppose we will never know now.

Ah, what a great way to start my Saturday! Great video as always!

On the end you made excellent teaser for the second part of Martin-Baker company story 😉. When can we expect history of the most important invention in aviation since the appearance of the parachute?

As always, a splendid video, a well-researched exploration of a might-have-been fighter plane.

The MB.5 shares the fate of the DH Hornet - it was the last hurrah of the piston-engined fighter even as the first jets were entering service. The Hornet went to sea for a bit until the Navy worked out how to launch and land jets but after that it was all over.

Finally 😁 one of my favorites. Dug up alot of info on this aircraft, so much so I worked for Martin-Baker

It is somewhat ironic that Martin-Baker operates those Meteor aircraft as it was their introduction into service that may have been the most significant reason for the MB.5 not being ordered by the Air Ministry. As is so often the case, in life, timing is a crucial element.

Very happy to see this channel, deservedly, blowing up with views, keep up the good work

Thanks for another interesting video. Keeping me nearly sane on my laundry day.

Muito interessante! Gratidão pelo vídeo e pelas informações!🌟

Another fascinating and fantastic video!

Thanks very much for your outstanding review of the Martin Baker MB5. As you mention in your final comment, Martin Baker is the Western Power's default ejection seat to date.

Thank you for the clear reporting and for bringing this story out into the open. Had never heard of this aircraft before.... Subscribed !

According to a book by William Green, as well as flying like a dream, pilots also thought that the cockpit and instrumentation was very well laid out, and should be made as standard for all succeeding aircraft, though whether this includes jet aircraft is not known. Oh, and a very good video. I'd heard of the MB4, but I knew nothing about it.

Great video as always, really enjoy your channel Rex, thanks! Nice to hear at the end they put the statue up at the gold course where Baker crashed.👍

I would love to see a video one day about the plane in the upper left at 14:40, the Dornier Do 335 Pfeil which should be one of the fastest or even the fastest piston driven plane of WW2. Well at least the single seater version.

Another grand video, Rex. Thanks and kudos.

Great job as always, keep'em comin'!

The UK basically had enough high performance aircraft types in mid 1944. The Spitfire and Mosquito were still going strong, the Tempest managed to get over the shortcomings of the Typhoon, the (Sea)Fury and (Sea)Hornet were already on the way and the Spiteful and Meteor were on the horizon. All made by companies that had proven they were capable of getting an aircraft ready for service and actually mass produce it. And UK knew they would get access to thousands of American fighters immediatelly if there ever was a gap to stop.

Lovely stuff, as always.

Your spot on about that MB5 Rex, another goodie m8!

This was excellent. Very well produced. I'm definitely subscribing.

Excellent video, thoroughly enjoyed that.

I always look forward to your videos

Subscribed. Enjoyed this video very much. You have a talent for presenting and providing facts. Keep up the good work!

Good video man! thoroughly enjoyed this!

Id love to see you look into the Bugatti racing plane, such an interesting plane imo

I love this aircraft! Wonderful video

Babe wake up new rex's hangar video dropped

Excellent video.

Very interesting video, thanks!

The Gloster Meteor jet fighter entered squadron service in July 44, the last thing the RAF needed was yet another super prop. I think Martin Baker knew that but viewed the MB 5 as a demonstrator of the company's technical capabilities.

Great Video! Thanks for sharing this info with us… Cheers!

Brilliant mate.

Thanks.. this is an excellent presentation.

After reading about this aircraft long ago, I thought is was unfortunate it was not produced for service in WWII. Thanks for your work on this.

Excellent!

Great presentation.

Great job and outstanding information.

Seemingly a terrific plane !

Great video! Thanks!

What an amazing channel and video. Well done Sir. 👍

Excellent

Makes you wonder how things might have been different if the prototype hadn't have crashed and Baker wasn't killed. Might the company have been a bit less perfectionist in it's design philosophy with it if Baker were still around to reign Martin in a little? If so, maybe the plane gets finished soon enough for the RAF to be able to put it into production.... but then the company might not have gone on to make ejector seats, thus potentially costing thousands their lives. Definitely a very interesting divergence point for sure.

Well well well. I never knew that. Thank you. I am very aware of MB ejector seats but didn't know why MB came to make them rather than aircraft. Fascinating.

Very impressive! Cheers!

Nicely done!!

Looks like a Spitstang , or a Mustfire

Nice job! Thanks for sharing! ;)

MB.5 has always been a favorite. Now you tell me I can never see one. Nonetheless, thanks for making these videos lol. Always love them

Always loved this plane

Excellent original content, well done! Subscribed.

Good job on this one especially.

Thank You. Great video Cheers

The pinnacle of piston-engined fighter designs.

Awesome thanks 👍

Well done, thank you...

👁💗 this channel because there's NO MUSIC. Thank you Rex.

I mentioned this fighter in the comments section a while back. Half of the story was that the death of Baker in a testing accident affected James Martin’s resolve to produce aircraft prototypes, and instead focused on pilot escape methods. I did a lot of archival research on MB and came away with the opinion that the company knew they were only ever producing experimental designs to satisfy ministry requests to advance aspects of engineering during wartime. I know Martin was more adept at solving specific problems through mechanical ingenuity, such as the very successful wing mounted cable cutter.

Nice video on one of my favourite aircraft.

Thank you for a very interesting video.

These videos are amazing .

Great video

Quelle triste histoire. Merci de nous l'avoir conté. Vous êtes passionnant!

Great backstory had no idea this plane was built by the same company known for ejection seats. just clicked! Your engineering histories behind the planes are the best.

Thanks!

Great Video. 👍

This is without doubt my favourite fighter 'might have been' of WW2

This plane is the complete reverse of "If it doesn't look right, it probably won't fly right." I mean it's such a beauty of a aircraft

And since everyone is pointing out the Do-335, maybe someday, when Rex is feeling he has too much sanity, he'll take us down the rabbit hole that are the "Luft 46" designs in greater detail (like the Ta-183 Huckebein).