Martin, James (1893–1981)

Northern Irish aeronautical engineer who designed and manufactured ejection seats. At the time of his death about 35,000 ejection seats were in service with the air forces and navies of 50 countries. Knighted 1965.

Martin was born in Crossgar, County Down. In his early 20s he designed a three-wheeled car, and then set up a business in London. In the early 1930s he built a two-seater monoplane made of round-section, thin-gauge steel tubing. The design of this machine, Martin-Baker MB-1, marked the start of a partnership between Martin and Captain Valentine Henry Baker, the company's chief test pilot. During the next ten years to 1944, Martin designed three fighter aircraft that performed well and could be produced cheaply, but he received no orders.

Before World War II, Martin designed a barrage-balloon cable cutter, which was employed by most RAF Bomber Command aircraft.

The ejection seat was invented during World War II to improve the Spitfire pilot's chances of escape by parachute. Martin-Baker seats were fitted in new British military jet aircraft from 1947. Martin continued to develop the ejection seat for use at higher speeds, greater altitudes, vertical takeoff, multiple crew escape, and underwater ejection.