McDonnell F2H-2 Banshee

Even if the previous F2H-1 was accepted into service, it was this model that was more widely used thanks to its higher capabilities. It was powered by the newer version of the Westinghouse jet engines, the Westinghouse J34-WE-34 which had a power of 3250lbf (14.5Kn) of thrust and significally better performance. The wing was strengthened and had provisions for 200gal (760L) wingtip fuel tanks, unlike the contemporary Grumman F9F Panther, those fuel tanks were detachable. It had also two pylons under each wings to carry a load of 1580lb (454kg) and the "kneeling" nose gear was omitted from this model on.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_F2H_Banshee
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

McDonnell F2H Banshee - Part One

The McDonnell F2H Banshee single-seat carrier-based jet fighter that served with the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps from 1948 until 1961.
It served in the Korean war and was the only jet fighter that served with the Royal Canadian Navy, where it served from 1955 until 1962.
The Banshee was a development of the previous FH-1 Phantom and its origins can be traced back to April 1945 when a mock-up, originally designated XF2D-1 was completed but it wasn't until late 1946 that the first three prototypes were completed. It made its maiden flight under the designation of XF2H-1 on 11th January 1947 in Lambert Field, St. Louis, Missouri.
As the first version, named F2H-1 was similar enough to the FH-1 Phantom, they were completed in August 1948, just three months after the last FH-1 Phantom rolled out from the factory. It differed from the prototype from being longer and from having bigger fuel capacity. It had different redesigned empennage with reduced vertical tailplane fairing and without dihedral from the horizontal stabilizers. WIngs and tail-thickness ratio were also reduced to increase the critical mach number and it was retrofitted with 3150lbf (14Kn) Westinghouse J34 turbojet engines as they were available.
The F2H-1 wasn't used in combat.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_F2H_Banshee
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

McDonnell FH-1 Phantom

The McDonnell FH-1 Phantom was the first shipborne pure jet aircraft. It's roots can be traced back to the 7th January 1943 when a letter of intent was issued by the bureau of aeronautics for two prototypes designated XFD-1.
The basic design wasn't completed until early 1944 and it was expected to be powered by two Westinghouse WE-19XB-2B but only one of them was ready for the installation at the beginning of 1945, and the first brief test being performed on 2nd January with a single engine and later, on 26th January it made its full flight tests with both engines fitted. It wasn't until 19th July 1946 that it was tested aboard a carrier, the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt and prior to that, on 7th March 1945 one-hundred of them had been ordered. Later, that contract was reduced to 60 which were delivered with the designation of FH-1 and the nickname of Phantom.
It was powered by two 1600lb (726kgp) Westinghouse J30-WE-20 turbojet engines and it was armed with four 0.5in machine guns placed in the upper section of the nose. It flew officially for the first time on 28th October 1946 and served both with United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps until being retired in 1950.

Sources:
1. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_FH_Phantom

McDonnell XP-67 Bat

On 29th July 1941, McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, formed on 6th July 1939 received a contract of two prototypes for its Model 23 long-range single-seat fighter that was designated XP-67 by the United States Army Air Corps and nicknamed "Bat" or "Moonbat".
It was a very innovative design which attempted to maintain true aerofoil sections throughout the entire fuselage. In fact, the centre fuselage and the rear portion of the engine nacelles were merged to give the fighter its unique appearance.
It was powered by two 1350hp Continental XI-1430 12-cylinder inverted vee engines with General Electric D-23 turbo-superchargers with exhaust thrust augmentation. The cabin was pressurised and it was going to be armed with six 37mm M4 cannons, but they never were installed in the prototype that flew for the first time on 6th January 1944 and trials were continued until 6th September 1944 when it suffered an irreparable fire damage.
That accident and the too innovative of the design, led to the abandonment of the project. It was trully a fighter ahead of its time.

Sources:
1. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_XP-67

MÁVAG Héja II

The MÁVAG Héja II (Goshawk II) was an Hungarian fighter from the World War 2 that was based on the Italian Reggiane Re.2000.
Unlike the Héja I, which was a license-built Re.2000, the Héja II was entirely made in Hungary with locally produced airframes, engines and armament.
Unlike the Re.2000, it was armed with two 12,7mm Gebauer machine guns placed in the upper nose and was powered by a single Manfred-Weiss built Gnome-Rhône 14kfs air-cooled piston radial engine which delivered 1030hp of power. The first Héja II flew for the first time on 30th October 1942 and in total 203 of them were built for the Magyar Királyi Honvéd Légiero (Royal Hungarian Air Force). The production continued until 1st August 1944 when it ceased.
It served primarily as a fighter trainer as the type was already obsolete against more modern Soviet and allied fighters. Their last operational action took place on 2nd April 1944 when an USAAF raid targeted Danube Aviation Works in Budapest and the Héja II from 1/1 squadron, together with Messerschmitt Me.210 and various Messerschmitt Bf.109G battled against American fighters and bombers.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MÁVAG_Héja
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Martinsyde A.D.C. 1, Martinsyde A.D.C. Nimbus & Martinsyde F.4A

The Martinsyde A.D.C.1 was a development of the Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard made by the Aircraft Disposal Company that bought Martinsyde's stores when it went into bankruptcy in 1922.
John Kenworthy decided to fit an Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engine delivering 380hp of power into the airframe of a regular Buzzard and retaining the original armament of two 0.303in Vicker Machine guns in the front. The first prototype flown for the first time on 11th October 1924 and it took part in the 1925 and 1926 King's Cup Races. It attracted some foreign interest when Latvia's Air Force ordered eight airplanes in 1926 that were delivered the same year. At least two of them were still active in 1938.
The Martinsyde F.4A was a two-seater conversion of the Buzzard that most of them served with the Spanish Aeronáutica Naval and Aeronáutica Naval Republicana (Naval Aeronautics and Republican Naval Aeronauticrespectively). They were bought in 1921 and assigned to the El Prat pilots school, in Barcelona and later, they were assigned to the San Javier aeronaval base, in south-eastern Spain. They were in active trainer role until 1936 when the Spanish Civil War started.
The Martinsyde A.D.C. Nimbus was a further development of the A.D.C.1 made by John

The Martinsyde ADC Nimbus

Kenworthy using a 330hp Nimbus six-inline water-cooled engine. It was basically the same airframe of the Buzzard with a modified vertical tail, a horn-balanced rudder and revised aft fuselage decking. It was going to be armed with the typical pair of 0.303in Vickers Machine guns but they never were installed. Two prototypes were completed in 1926 which took part in the King's Cup race of that same year and, one year later the first prototype was modified with faired undercarriage legs and cylinder head fairings. It didn't attract any interest and therefore no orders were placed. As we couldn't find any side drawings of blueprints of this airplane, we left it undrawn.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinsyde_Buzzard
2. http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/martinsyde_adc-1.php
3. http://www.aviationcorner.net/gallery.asp?pg=45&fp=37&airline=Espa%F1a%20-%20Arma%20A%E9rea%20Armada&sort_order=votes&set_lang=true (translated)
4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard - Part three

The Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard was a British fighter designed in 1918 that was planned to enter service in the Great War. It was powered by a 300hp Hispano-Suiza 8Fb inline engine and was armed with two 0.303 Vickers machine guns placed in the front of the fuselage.
The type was expected to equip the French Aéronautique Militaire, the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Service with more than 1500 airplanes ordered.
They served with the Spanish Aeronáutica Militar from 1922 when  10 or 12 were bought. Eight of them were sent to the African city of Melilla, while the rest were used to train pilots in Los Alcázares aerodrome, in the south of Spain. Those serving in Melilla formed the "Escuadrilla Martinsyde" until they were replaced by the Nieuport-Delage NiD.29 in 1924. After being retired from service they were used as trainers serving with the training squadron in Cuatro Vientos, in Madrid. They served there until 1931 when the Spanish Republic was declared and, as they were really outdated, they passed on to the Republican Aeronáutica Naval were they served in the base of San Javier, at the southern of Spain until the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in 1936.
Apparently one-hundred of them also served with the Soviet Workers' and Peasants' Air Fleet in 1919 until some date in the mid-late 1920s when they were retired from service.
The type also served with the Uruguayan Escuela Militar de Aeronáutica (which was the name of the predecessor of the Uruguayan Air Force) in 1925.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinsyde_Buzzard
2.http://www.ejercitodelaire.mde.es/stweb/ea/ficheros/pdf/229800650173ACD6C1257C99003F6930.pdf (translated)
3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters.

Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard - Part two

The Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard was exported after the war to various countries as the RAF rejected it for service.
Ireland was one of those buyer countries as the Irish Government bought one (out of just four in the world) Martinsyde Type A Mk.II which was a transport variant of the Buzzard, to escape from the Anglo-Irish negotiations in case they failed. It was written off on 11th October 1927.
The Buzzard served also with the Irish Air Corps as at least four of them (this time in their fighter variant). They were bought from the Aircraft Disposal Company in  1922 which was the company that bought most of the Buzzards after Martinsyde went bankrupt. They served with the No.1 "The Humming Bird" Squadron based at the Baldonnel Aerodrome. Most of them were written off from 1925 until 1929.
It seems that the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service bought one airplane with testing purposes in the early 1920s from the Aircraft Disposal Company. Apparently they weren't impressed and didn't buy more of them. As we couldn't find graphical evidence of the Buzzard under Japanese command, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
The Karinės Oro Pajėgos (Lithuanian Air Force) bought two Buzzards in 1922 from the Aircraft Disposal Company where they served under the denomination of "Amerikietis" and "Amerikiete".
Under the command of the Wojska Lotnicze (Polish Air Force) it was bought in January 1921 and it served as a fighter until June 1923 when it was assigned to the Experimental section of the Military Aviation Research Centre. One year later, in winter 1924 it was repaired and repainted in white and red horizontal stripes to be the personal airplane of the Polish Air Force Commander who kept the airplane as his personal one until March 1926. 
The Buzzard was also gifted to Portugal in October 1919 and was assigned to the Arma de Aeronáutica Militar (Military Aeronautics Arm) where it served with the Grupo de Esquadrilhas de Aviaçao República (Republican Aviation Flight Group) formed in Amadora and later they were transferred to the Esquadrilha Mista de Depósito in the city of Tancos. A second batch of Buzzards arrived in 1923 and they were also assigned to the Esquadrilha Mista de Depósito which existed until 1926 when it disbanded and replaced by the Esquadrilha de Caça Nº1 (Fighter Squadron No.1) and served together with the Spad S.VII. They served until 1933. 

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinsyde_Buzzard
2. http://www.ipmsireland.com/forms-downloads/aercorpsaircraft1922-1997.doc
3. http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2428
4. http://www.samolotypolskie.pl/samoloty/1807/126/Martinsyde-F-4-Buzzard (translated)
5. https://altimagem.blogspot.com.es/2012/04/16-martinsyde-f-4-buzzard.html (translated)
6. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard - Part one

The Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard was a powerful and fast biplane fighter that was developed for the Royal Air Force, but as the World War I ended, its mass production was cancelled. No more than 400 of them were produced and most of them were exported.
After the Great War, Belgium bought at least two of them to equip their Aviation Militaire (Military Aviation). They tested it at the Evere airfield but it was rejected for service.
The airplane was among of the few that founded the Bolivian Cuerpo de Aviación (Bolivian Aviation Corps) as nine of them served there from 1925 until 1929 when they were replaced by more modern types, most probably the Curtiss Hawk IA.
With its native users, only 57 of them were put into service with the Royal Air Force, but they weren't put into operational use. In the inmediate postwar, two of them were used as high speed transports during the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 and some others served in the Central Flying School. As the post-war RAF didn't want the type, it never served as a fighter.
The Finnish Ilmavoimat (Finnish Air Corps) bought a single airplane for testing purposes in April 1923 with 14 more of them being purchased in 1927. They initally served in the Maalentsoskadeer Ut until 1929 and since they served as trainers in the Kauhava School of Aviation until 1939. Nowadays, the Aviation Museum of Central Finland has the only remaining one in exhibition.

Sources:
1. http://www.belgian-wings.be/Webpages/Navigator/Belgian_Aviation_History/BAFAircraft/Bafallaircraft_1919_1945.htm
2. http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/americas/bolivia/Bolivia-af-CMA.htm
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinsyde_Buzzard
4. https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinsyde_F.4_Buzzard (translated)

Martinsyde F.3

The Martinsyde F.3 is considered as the inmediate predecessor of the widely known Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard which is regarded as one of the best (if not the best) fighters of the World War I.
It started its life as a private venture from designer G.H. Handasyde who designed the F.3 as a single-bay staggered biplane made out of conventional wood with fabric skinning and was powered by a 285hp Rolls-Royce Falcon III engine.
It was completed in autumn of 1917 and was officially tested on 3rd October. Six more prototypes were ordered and an agreement was signed to start manufacturing it.
As it was powered by the Falcon engine and the Bristol F.2 fighter had priority for the supplies of those engines, the decission of refitting it with an Hispano-Suiza engine was taken, which led to the creation of the Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard and therefore the F.3 was abandoned.

Sources:
1. http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/SmithGaryL/12236.htm
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Martinsyde F.2

Today we have another rare airplane that, unfortunately, we couldn't find any blueprints or profile drawings.
The Martinsyde F.2 was both designed and built in parallel to the F.1 and it was tested two months before the F.1, in May 1917. It was powered by a 200hp Hispano-Suiza 8Bd eight-cylinder water-cooled engine and was armed with one fixed 0.303in synchronised Vickers machine gun plus a Lewis gun mounted on a scarff ring for the observer as it was a two-seater.
When it was officialy tested, many shortcomings were revealed which ruled out any official production order. After that any further development was cancelled and it served as a testbed for the Sunbeam Arab engine.

The only known pic of the Martinsyde F.2

Sources:
1. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
2. http://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft30048.htm

Martinsyde F.1

Unfortunately we don't have any drawings to show you today because everything we could find about this airplane was a single photo.
The F.1 was designed in late 1915 as a two-seat tractor fighter biplane where the gunner sat in the forward cockpit and stood upright to fire a 0.303 Lewis on a mount built into the upper wing central section.
It was powered by a 250hp Rolls-Royce Mk.III engine (which later was known as the Rolls-Royce Eagle III). It suffered from many development delays and, when it was officialy tested in July 1917, it was already obsolete although it showed good handling capabilites but the rare crew arrangement was criticised. As expected, it wasn't ordered into production and only one prototype, of two expected, was built. It served as a model and was used in Farnborough (where Martinsyde's headquarters were) until the end of the war as a testbed for another models, mainly the famous F.4 Buzzard.

The only known pic of the Martinsyde F.1

Sources:
1. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinsyde_F.1

Martinsyde RG

The Martinsyde RG started its life as a derivation of the Elephant with an experimental single-bay configuration. It was also designed by A.A. Fletcher and it looked kinda like its predecessor, the Elephant. It flew for the first time in late 1916 powered by a 190hp Rolls-Royce Falcon I 12 Cylinder water-cooled engine and it was armed with a single Vickers 0.303in fixed machine gun on the port upper longeron, outside the cabane struts plus a Lewis gun on the starboard of the cockpit.
It was officially tested in February 1917 and then it was revised to correct some aspects. The cockpit was moved aft and the centre section cut-out was enlarged. Lower wing's span was reduced and rear top decking was raised. The armament was replaced by two 0.303in Vickers placed in front of the cockpit, and the engine was replaced by a 275hp Falcon III. That way, the RG had a performance "far and away better than any other machine manufactured", according to the official testing report. However, development was abandoned in favour of the superior Martinsyde F.3.

Source:
1. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
2.  British and Allied Aicraft Manufacturers of the First World War.

Martinsyde G.100 & G.102

The Martinsyde G.100 and G.102 were two British fighter/bomber airplanes from the early World War I that gained the nickname of "Elephant" due to their big size and lack of maneouvrability.
It was a design that, for the time, was very big, specially for a single-seater. It was a two bay equal span staggered biplane that was designed by A.A. Fletcher and manufactured by the Martinsyde Company. The first prototype made it to the skies in autumn 1915 powered by a 120hp Austro-Daimler engine.
The initial production version, however, was powered by a 120hp six-cylinder Beardmore engine and was armed with a single Lewis 0.303in mounted on the upper wings. Later an additional Lewis was added mounted in brackets to the port side of the fuselage in order to keep the tail of the airplane defended.
It was gradually replaced by the G.102 that was similar in design but it was powered by a 160hp Beardmore engine.
Initially it was intended to serve as a single-seat escort fighter, but due to its size it was reclassified as a day bomber. It was delivered to the Royal Flying Corps in mid 1916 with a total of 270 machines serving there. They served in France and the Middle East, however only one squadron, the No. 27 RFC was fully equipped with the G.100.
It wasn't very successful as a fighter due to its poor maneouvrability, however, it proved to be useful in the bomber role as it could carry a load of 260lb (120kg) of bombs under the main fuselage. It successfully performed that role from the mid 1916 until late 1917, specially in the Middle East Campaign where it also was used as a reconnaissance airplane given its stability and endurance (it could perform flights of five-and-a-half-hours)

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinsyde_G.100
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Martin-Baker MB 4 & MB 5

Today we bring you two fighters for the price of one, being one of them a never-built one.
The Martin-Baker MB 4 was an unbuilt project of refitting a Bristol Centaurus engine into the fuselage of an MB 3, while the MB 5 was the ultimate development of the MB fighter series. Unfortunately not much is known about the MB 4.
Martin-Baker designed the MB 5 to compete in the Air Ministry's F.18/39 specification for an agile and sturdy fighter that could go faster than 400mph (643km/h).
After the crashing of the second prototype of the MB 3, Martin Baker decided to go with a completely new design that used wings similar to those of the MB 3 but had a completely new steel tube fuselage. It was powered by a 2340hp Rolls-Royce Griffon engine that drove two three-bladed contra-rotating propellers. It was armed with four 20mm cannons placed in the wings, just outboard of the retractable landing gear. It was, as every Martin Baker design, very easy to maintain and repair.
The prototype flew for the first time on 23rd May 1944 and both its performance and general instruments layouts were praised by the test pilots and it was considered way better than the Spitfire, in fact, it was expected to enter service during the last weeks of the World War II over Germany. However the Royal Air Force centered their attention in the jet powered fighters (namely the Gloster Meteor or the De Havilland Vampire) maybe because the Griffon engine failed when the airplane was being demonstrated to Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, the Chief of Air Staff and another VIPs. Sadly enough, the prototype ended its days as a target in a gunnery range, so it was destroyed.

Sources:
1. http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,7053.msg60590.html
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin-Baker_MB_5
3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Macchi C.204

Today we bring you another never-built Italian fighter from the World War 2.
The Macchi C.204 was another design from engineer Mario Castaldi that never materialized. It was basically the fuselage of the C.202 Folgore prototype attached to an Isotta-Fraschini Asso L121 RC.40 that could deliver between 900 to 1000hp of power. However, in the previous studies that engine was deemed unappropiated  for an interceptor.
The fuselage was identical to the prototype of the C.202 except for the nose which was modified to host the Italian engine instead of the Daimler Benz which powered the original C.202 prototype. The expected armament was a pair of 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns placed in the nose, and, apparently initally it was expected to have a four-bladed propeller, however it was considered excessive for the ordinary power of the engine, that couldn't pass from the 1000hp of power.

Sources:
1. Ali Antiche Magazine - 106 (translated)

Macchi C.206 & C.207

The Macchi C.206 was an Italian World War II fighter designed by Mario Castoldi and built by Macchi.
Only one prototype was built, in order to cope with the major flaw of the previous Macchies, the lack of heavy weaponry. It was powered by a single Daimler Benz DB 603 delivering 1750hp of power and was armed with two 12,7mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns plus three 20mm cannons. However, the only built prototype was destroyed in an Allied air raid on the factory in 1943, together with the another prototype, the Macchi C.207 which was similar to the C.206 but it was armed with four 20mm guns placed in the wings.

Sources:
1. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macchi_M.C.206 (translated)
2. http://forum.worldofwarplanes.com/index.php?/topic/1852-aermacchi-c207/

Martin Maryland - Free France users

When France signed the armistice with Germany, many Frenchmen refused to accept it and crossed the Strait of Dover and joined General De Gaulle's troops. Among them, there were many pilots that fled with their Martin 167F and formed the embryo of the Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres (Free France's Air Force) which were notably used against U-Boats on the waters of the North Sea. That's why some of them were adapted with depth charges and even torpedoes.
The Free France Air Force kept their Martins 167F until 1945 when they were replaced by the Martin B-26 Marauder.
They served practically in every front where Free France was involved. From the early East African campaign, to the Mediterranean and European campaign passing through the Syrian campaign.

Sources:
1. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_167 (translated)
2. http://aerostories2.free.fr/acrobat/AA/aden.pdf (translated)

Martin 167F - Vichy French users

After the Franco-German armistice, l'Armée de l'Air de Vichy (Vichy France's Air Force) had some squadrons equiped with the Martin 167F, serving mainly in the reconnaissance role.
Those airplanes were notably used against the allies in the North African campaign, at the strait of Gibraltar. When Operation Torch was launched, some aerial combat against the Martin 167F equipped units took place, mainly against the Grumman Martlet (the name that the Fleet Air Arm gave to the Grumman F4F Wildcat). However the French bombers were outnumbered by the Allied's air forces and they suffered heavy casualties as they were easy targets thanks to their identification red-yellow stripes. Some of them served with the Aéronavale, the French Navy's air arm.

Sources:
1. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_167 (translated)
2. AJ-Press - Monografie Lotnicze 96 - Martin 167 Maryland (translated)

Martin 167F - French Army Users

After a weekend off, we're back, dealing with the French users of this American bomber.
The Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) ordered various types of American airplanes during the late 1930s, among them 200 Martin 167F (which was a version designed specifically for France with for instance metric equipment or the 0,30 FN built Browning machine gun. It entered service with the Armée de l'Air in early 1940 (when they were originally expected to be delivered in early 1939) due to the American arms embargo on weapons export that held the airplanes for various months.
By the time of the German invasion of France, there were only four Groupes de bombardement (Bomber squadrons) equipped with the 167F and they were sent to the battlefield where they served quite well with their speed and maneouvrability with just a 4% loss rate.
Just before the French Armistice of June 1940, those squadrons equipped with the 167F were sent to the French North Africa to make them escape and avoid being taken by the Germans. Apparently one of them landed in Spain were it was interned and tested by the Spanish regime and another one landed in Gibraltar where it was repainted with Royal Air Force's colours.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Maryland
2. AJ-Press - Monografie Lotnicze 96 - Martin 167 Maryland (translated)

Martin Maryland - British users

Just before the fall of France in June 1940, a pact was signed to hand over the remaining 75 planes that were intended to be delivered to France to the United Kingdom, so from those seventy-five, thirty two of them were already completed and, after being handed over, they were converted to British standards having converted their engines from Wright R-1280 Cyclone 9 to the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp as well as the changement in defensive weaponry. The other forty three were finished in British standards and received the designation of Martin Maryland Mk.I. One hundred and fifty more of them were ordered by the British with a two-speed superchargers on their twin-wasp engines and were designated Martin Maryland Mk.II.
They were delivered mainly to the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations, mostly in Egypt and Malta in 1941 just in time to take part in the fighting there. As they were faster than the Bristol Blenheim, the Royal Air Force, employed them mainly in the photo reconnaissance. In fact it was a Maryland that photographed the Italian Fleet at the port of Taranto before and after the devastating raid of 11th November 1940.
Only three of them served with the Fleet Air Arm, and were used mainly for target towing. However, on 22nd May 1941 a Maryland of 771 Naval Air Squadron based at Hatston in the Orkney islands, reported that the German battleship Bismarck had left the Norwegian port of Bergen and started what would become, her last raid into the Atlantic ocean.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Maryland
2. http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/aircraft/maryland.htm

Martin Maryland - South African users

Today it's the time for a fine American light bomber that was used by many countries during World War 2, except for the USA itself.
It was named Maryland by the British and it served mainly in the African Theatre of operations both with the Royal Air Force and the South African Air Force. Those serving with the RAF or any Commonwealth country, were equipped with the Vickers K gun.
It fullfiled both reconnaissance and light bomber role, oftenly by the same squadrons. However, generally, the British squadrons used them for recon duties while the South African ones employed them in the light bomber ones.
The SAAF had three Maryland Squadrons, No.16, No. 21 and No. 24.
The Marylands of the No.16 Squadron SAAF saw combat first during the Operation Ironclad, the successful invasion of Madagascar in 1942 and it was disbanded the next year after the Italian capitulation. Those of the No.21 Squadron SAAF served in the East African Campaign against Italian forces in Ethiopia and later in the North African Theatre of operations until November 1943 when they were replaced by the more modern Martin Baltimore.
They also saw service briefly with the No.24 Squadron SAAF as they were formed in March 1941 and took part in the North African campaign alongside with airplanes of the No.39 Squadron RAF performing tactical raids, until, approximately one year later, they were replaced by the Douglas Boston.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Maryland
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16_Squadron_SAAF
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21_Squadron_SAAF
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_Squadron_SAAF

Martin-Baker MB 3

The Martin-Baker MB3 was a British fighter project that was designed by James Martin and Captain Valentine Baker using the experience learned from the previous MB1 and MB2. It was powered by a 2000hp Napier Sabre engine with a variable pitch three bladed propeller.
It was designed to meet one of the Air Ministry's specifications and was armed with six 20mm (0.79in) cannons in the wings, three per each wing, making it one of the most armed fighters of the World War II if it had been produced and, following Martin-Baker's tradition, they were easily accessible and maintaineable. Retaining the characteristics of the previous designs, it introduced many new features, as the fuselage was still made in round steel tube but metal place replaced the wood and fabric on earlier models. The wing construction integrated torsion-box construction and a laminated steel spar, giving it that way a strong and stiff structure with minimum flexing. It had also a very effective, simple, sturdy and reliable pneumatically-controlled undercarriage.
It was tested and flew for the first time on 31st August 1942, and it revealed to be highly maneouvrable and easy to handle, however, on 12th September, the engine failed soon after taking off and it crashed unfortunately killing the pilot, Captain Valentine Baker. This leaded to various delays and late deliveries, making the project uninteresting for the Air Ministry.
There were, however, plans to redesign it as an Mk.II version with a bubble canopy and powered by either a Napier Sabre, or a Rolls-Royce Vulture engine. Those versions apparently weren't the MB4 but some developed variants of the MB3. Trully a good looking fighter.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin-Baker_MB_3
2. https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=7053.0
3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Macchi M.C.99

The Macchi M.C.99 was an Italian torpedo-bomber flying-boat prototype of the 1930s that was designed by Mario Castaldi and produced by Macchi.
It was a military flying boat that was heavily based on the previous civilian flying-boat airliner Macchi M.C.94 and, just like that one, it was a wooden twin engined shoulder wing-cantilever monoplane made almost entirely out of wood.
It had a crew of five, two pilots, and three gunners/observers. An enclosed cockpit and three defensive posts in the bow, amidships and the tail, with two 7,7mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns mounted inside a turret in the bow with the machine guns placed one above the other. It had another turret in the amidship with another 7,7mm Breda-SAFAT and another one in the tail under the vertical stabilizer. It was powered by two 1190hp Isotta-Fraschini engines mounted in struts above the wings.
There was only one airplane made in 1937 and it served with the 170º Squadriglia (170th flight) of the Aviazione Ausiliaria per la Marina (Navy's Auxiliary Aviation), under direct command of the Navy's Command for Sicily, until the airplane was dismantled in Augusta, Sicily.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macchi_M.C.99
2. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macchi_M.C.99 (translated)