Martin Baker MB5 Super Monsoon F1

PR19_Kit · April 21, 2026, 02:54:20 PM

I got back from my old house today, but without the wings I was originally hoping to use for the Super Monsoon.

I did find a close relative though, even though they only come as the top halves, so here they are with the recommended bottom halves too.

The wings I found were for a Swift F2-4, and of course the lower halves are from an Airfix Swift FR5. Originally I wanted to use the wings for a Swift F1, which have straight tapered leading edges, and the F2-4 wings have a cranked LE, but that's nothing that a short session with a hefty file can't solve.

Then I have to mate them with the FR5 wings, saw out the centre section and join it all up with the MB5 fuselage, simples, eh?

Then I just have to figure out a sensibly shaped tailplane to match it, should be a doddle really................

Rick Lowe · April 21, 2026, 10:31:25 PM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on April 17, 2026, 11:00:28 PMt's looking about how I wanted it to look.

That's the main criteria, and a definite result.

The Wooksta! · April 22, 2026, 03:54:37 AM

DO NOT cut up that wing! I've a mould for Swift F1 wings using the Magna one as a master. It's not brilliant, but I'll cast a set and send them down. I might even have a set sitting in the bits box. I'll check later when I dig the mould out.

PR19_Kit · April 22, 2026, 03:59:53 AM

That'd be good, thanks Lee.

The Wooksta! · April 22, 2026, 10:20:44 AM

Managed to find the mould on the first look. I'll cast the wings overnight. They're not fantastic and will need some sanding, but probably better than cutting up a complete wing.

PR19_Kit · April 22, 2026, 11:04:36 AM

Magic, thanks so much Lee

I'd have had to have sanded the F2-4 wings a lot anyway, just t he same amount of work. I'll message you my new address as I don't think I've published it anywhere.

PR19_Kit · May 23, 2026, 09:44:03 AM

Thanks to the good offices of The Wooksta's resin moulding plant, I now have the wings for the Super Monsoon.

But NO thanks to the Post Office, who took nearly THREE WEEKS to get them from The Toon to Kettering! I could have WALKED them here in that time, let alone brought them on my bike!

After a bit of fettling, some drilling and attachment of a couple of pieces of brass wire as spars, the Super Monsoon now has its flying surfaces attached.

Yeah, I have noticed a socking great gap at the leading edge root, but that's what scrap styrene and PSR are for of course.

I stayed with the standard MB5 tailplanes eventually as they're pretty angular, and swept ones looked a tad OTT. (I tried the Swift ones, but nah...........)

PR19_Kit · May 23, 2026, 09:45:59 AM

Oh yes, the backstory says that the Allies captured an Me-262 in early 1945 and Martin Baker started a crash programme to 'update' the MB5 with similarly swept wings and the RR Eagle engine.

TomZ · May 23, 2026, 11:53:41 AM

Aren't the wings a little short?

TomZ

PR19_Kit · May 23, 2026, 12:23:05 PM

Yes, they are a bit. They're about 5 mm shorter than the standard MB5 wings, and they're not the highest aspect ratio you could think of either.

But needs must, they're the only sensible sized swept wings I could find that seemed to work.

jcf · May 23, 2026, 08:19:59 PM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on May 23, 2026, 09:45:59 AMOh yes, the backstory says that the Allies captured an Me-262 in early 1945 and Martin Baker started a crash programme to 'update' the MB5 with similarly swept wings and the RR Eagle engine.

The 262's partially swept wings had to do with CG location, it had nothing to do with speed.
The heavy Eagle would move the CG fwd. swept wings would be the last thing you'd want,
unless they were mounted well fwd. like the Grumman swept-wing proposals for the USN
swept-wing low-speed handling test program.

PR19_Kit · May 24, 2026, 01:25:50 AM

Look, this is MY WhiffWorld, and if I want the swept wing to do with speed, that's what it's for, OK?

I'm hardly going to UN-build the model now, am I?

NARSES2 · May 24, 2026, 05:22:58 AM

No idea why, but my brain thinks it should be a Focke Wulf project

The Wooksta! · May 24, 2026, 05:34:27 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on May 24, 2026, 05:22:58 AMNo idea why, but my brain thinks it should be a Focke Wulf project

There's times I've looked at the Firebrand and all I can see is a Ta 152H. The annular radiator Tempests have similar vibes for Fw 190Ds.

PR19_Kit · May 30, 2026, 01:27:09 PM

I've spent some time packing out the gaps in the Super Monsoon's forward wing roots, and that's gone OK, and then I PSR'd the whole thing to the max. The tailplanes had huge gaps that needed filling, specially as the MB5's elevators aren't full span of each tailplane half. I used GALLONS of putty on the wing roots of course, and that's not looking too bad after two sanding sessions.

I've built up a Wyvern prop for the Super Monsoon and I'm working on making it rotate freely, both halves of it.....