Martin-Baker Tankbuster

[Jeffry Fontaine]

What a beast! 


Peter Burstow's Unicraft 1/72 Martin-Baker Tankbuster with a twist at Modeling Madness :)

Unfortunately the Martin-Baker web page does not have any further information on this strange aircraft and the Unicraft Models web page has zip as well.  So what images and drawings that are available on-line are to be found using your favourite search engine.  A plan view and profile view of the M-B Tank Buster are available at this link: World of Warplanes European official forum  > Martin-Baker Prototype & Concept Aircraft, Photo Archiveand the source of the following information on the Martin-Baker Tank Buster: 

Type: Single-engined fighter for ground attack tank busting.  Wings: Low-wing monoplane with parallel loading and trailing edges and square tips.  Fuselage: All-metal, housing engine, nose gun, ammunition and fuel tanks, covered in 1/2 in armour plate weighing approximately 4,900 lb.  Radiator and oil tanks were installed inside the fuselage in front of the engine and covered by off-set ducts, armour plated internally to prevent bullets from being deflected inside duct.  Tail unit: All-metal, twin booms with fixed incidence tailplane and elevator.  Landing gear: Tricycle undercarriage, each leg and wheel covered with aerodynamic fairing.  Power plant:    Rear-mounted Rolls-Royce Griffon II engine producing 1,760 hp and 10 ft 6 in airscrew.  Accommodation: Single-seat cockpit with tear drop-shaped canopy, with trap door in bottom of fuselage to ensure pilot fell clear of the tailplane and airscrew during emergency bail-out. Armament: Six-pounder (57mm) anti-tank gun with 30 shell automatic feed in the nose. Gun installation was arranged on horizontal axis of centre of gravity to ensure aircraft would not pitch during firing.    Wing span: 48 ft Length overall: 40 ft 10 in Wing loading: 25.5 lb/sq ft Weight: 12,000 lbs Max level speed: 270 mph Stalling speed - no flap: 85 mph Stalling speed - with flaps: 76 mph Max rate of climb: 2,250 ft/min Take-off run (still air): 360 yards

[GTX_Admin]

That just screams to be nicknamed the Skeeter!

[finsrin]

 

[kitnut617]

There's a paragraph about it in Tony Buttler's BSP-Fighters & Bombers, 1935-1950 (pages 72-73).  Apparently most of the fuselage was covered in 1/2" (12.7mm) armour and the radiator duct had deflecting armour plates set down through it

[Chris]

It's also one of Unicraft's more buildable models, whence you see a few at UK shows

One of the modelling magazines built it as "ship buster" when it first came out, complete with invasion stripes.

[Queeg]

Ugly but whoa I agree it'd look awesome in a late scheme with invasion stripes!!