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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 0570.PDF
a FLIGHT Thirty-eighth of the Latest Recognition Series Aircraft Types and MARTIN MARS ORIGINALLY intended as a "flying battleship," theMartin 170, Mars, which is the biggest flying boatin the world and has the U.S. Navy designation XPB2M-1, was recently announced to be undergoing con- version into a transport. According to Glenn L. Martin, it is being stripped of its "tactical equipnaent " to make room for bulky and heavy freight. Launched in November, 1941, the Mars came very much in the limelight when that high-speed builder of surface ships, Henry J. Kaiser, voiced his desire to produce the type in large quantities by turning over nine of his ship- yards to aircraft production. There were many in America's aircraft industry who openly questioned 'Kaiser's ability to repeat his shipbuilding "miracle" in terms of flying boats. Kaiser, however, went straight to the fountain head at Washington, with the ultimate result that he was given an order to build 100 Mars-type cargo flying boats. The order, however, was later cancelled, and Glenn Martin him- self said that the Mars was not really up to date now. Kaiser, therefore, transferred his energies to another even larger type, and is reported to be tackling a monster craft with seven engines. So far, of course, the Mars is the sole experimental example of the Martin 170, and, as such, its performance and other vital data are' a military secret. A certain amount of information about its construction is, nevertheless, available for the benefit of the recognition student. • Powered by four Wright Duplex Cyclone engines of 2,000 h.p. each, it has tapered, high aspect-ratio wings of no less than 200ft. span, a deep, slab-sided hull, and is very much like a scaled-up Mariner, of which it is is a de- velopment. The slightly tapered dihedral tailplarie of moderate aspect-ratio is mounted across the top of the hull's rear extremity, and carries inclined twin "end- plate " fins and rudders symmetrically oval in shape. Fixed stabilising floats are attached beneath the wings by "V" struts about 20ft. inboard from the rounded tips. Of all-metal construction with stressed-skin covering, the tail end of the hull, which tapers to the dimensions of a gun-turret, is upswept on its top surface as well as from the second step. The weight of the Mars is 70 tons. No performance figures released) SMALL ROUNDED TIPSMODERATETAPER DIHEDRAL TAlLPLANt CANTED FINS AND RUDDERSSMALL NACELLES DEEP AND NARROW DIMENSIONS OF MARS Span .. 200ft Length .. , 117ft Height 36ft Wing area .. (approx.) 2,350 sq. ft
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