The construction involved a simply, yet ingenious, method of a round section thin gauge steel tubing with a fabric covering. It was powered by a 160hp inline Napier Javelin engine which drove a fixed pitch wooden propeller. The tubular mounting was designed so that all the parts were accessible for easy maintenance and it was electrically started. The undercarriage was fixed, and it carried low pressure tyres with shock absorber struts.
Answering to Martin-Baker's simpleness-on-design philosophy, the prototype was very quick and easy to build and it was rapidly assembled by a group of just 12 semi-skilled workers. The wings were designed to be foldable backwards by just one person, in order to make it easier to storage and additional long triangular welded-aluminium fuel tanks were designed to be quickly detachable and were carried in the centre of each wing spar.
It was reported by a contemporary aeronautical magazine that the seats were very comfortable and the cockpit was totally enclosed with an oval transparent hood with a sharp vee-type with vertical front panes which shouldn't collect any rain or snow and should obviate any reflection from internal or external lightning.
The prototype was tested on 1st April 1935 by Cpt. Baker himself with the registration of G-ADS and reached a top speed of 125mph (201.15km/h). It had pleasant flying characteristics which later would set a millestone on Martin-Baker's later designs.
Unfortunately the sole prototype was destroyed in a fire at the works hangar in Denham, Uxbridge, in March 1938, however it inspired Martin-Baker's next project, the MB 2.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin-Baker_MB_1
2. http://www.martin-baker.com/about/mb1-mb5
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