Martin-Baker M.B.6N “Sea Ferret” NF.1, !789 NAS, HMS Implacable 1945 -

[Leading Observer]

Martin-Baker M.B.6N "Sea Ferret" NF.1, !789 NAS, HMS Implacable 1945
The Martin-Baker MB.6 was a 2 seat development of the MB.5 fighter, designed to be either an All Weather or Night fighter, with the "N" variant being a carrier version ordered by the Fleet Air Arm in late 1944, as it's performance was markedly better than that of the early Fairey Fireflies then equipping FAA night fighter squadrons.
The first Squadron to be equipped with the MB.6 was 1789 Naval Air Squadron formed at RNAS Burscough (HMS Ringtail), Lancashire, England, on 1 January 1945, as a night fighter squadron. It was initially equipped with Fairey Firefly I, but these were replaced with the MB.6 NF.1 during May.
Around the end of May / beginning of June the squadron was embarked in the Ruler-class escort carrier HMS Puncher for deck landing practice[2] and later it embarked in the Nairana-class escort carrier HMS Vindex for passage to Australia. It arrived in Australia disembarking for RNAS Schofields (HMS Nabstock), New South Wales, on 13 August 1945.[5]
In September, as preparations for Operation Downfall began to ramp up, 1789 Naval Air Squadron departed RNAS Schofields and embarked on HMS Implacable, replacing the Fairey Firefly equipped 1771 Naval Air Squadron, the Squadron working up its operational efficiency whilst the Carrier sailed to rejoin the British Pacific Fleet off the coast of the main Japanese Home Islands.
The Sea Ferret proved popular with its crews, who particularly liked the contra-prop, as the lack of a "swing" made take-off from and landing on the Carrier deck much easier than had been the case with the Firefly.
1789 were tasked with dusk/night patrols in areas around suspected Japanese airfields, as the enemy were known to move aircraft to temporary airfields at night to escape the daytime bombing. These patrols were highly dangerous due to the intense anti-aircraft fire around any airfield. 1789 suffered several losses due to this, and aircraft often returned bearing the scars picked up on patrol. However the construction of the MB6 made it reasonably easy to repair. Despite these difficulties, on occasion the crews got lucky, and were able to intercept enemy aircraft either returning late to their home airfield, or taking off to transfer elsewhere during the hours of darkness, and it was one of these lucky nights when aircraft TZ600 flown by Lt Cmdr Maurice Jackman-Law [Pilot] and S/Lt Charles Walsh [Observer] were able to intercept and shoot down a strange looking jet aircraft as it was attempting to land at an airfield on the outskirts of Tokyo. It was later confirmed that this was the first shooting down of Japans latest jet fighter, the Kyushu J7W2.

[George the Cat]

Very nice.

[Old Wombat]

You squeezed two people into that cockpit? 

Yikes! 

It's a MB fighter, what's not to like?   

[NARSES2]

That's come out well   

[PR19_Kit]

The kit comes like that, with a 2-seater interior and a longer canopy, but you also get the single seater canopy AND fuselage as well.