Glenn L. Martin was the founder of The Martin Company. Born in Iowa in 1886, Martin was one of the pioneers of powered flight in the US. In 1912, Martin set the world record for an overwater flight, flying to Catalina Island just off the coast of Los Angeles and back.
Martin built his first plane inside a church in Santa Ana, near Los Angeles, and eventually moved to Cleveland and then to Baltimore. The factory that was built in Baltimore was home to the manufacturing of more than 11,000 planes. Throughout World War II (WWII), the Glenn L. Martin Company had more than 50,000 staff members.
The Martin
Company had a massive impact on the aviation industry. According to the Maryland Aviation Museum, the company employed several key figures in the industry:
- Donald Douglas, founder of Douglas Aircraft
- Lawrence Dale Bell, founded Bell Aircraft, which is now known as Bell Helicopter
- James S. McDonnell, founded McDonnell Aircraft
The company employed several other people, but Martin himself taught William Boeing to fly and even sold Boeing his first airplane.
Related
History: The 1998 Plane Crash Involving Leeds United Football Club
The aircraft involved suffered an engine fire shortly after lifting off.
1
First operator of the 202
Northwest Airlines
The first 202 was operated by Northwest Airlines, which eventually merged with Delta Air Lines. In the late 1940s, airlines were searching for replacements for the Douglas DC-3, and two of the most popular options were the Convair 240 and Martin 202. Martin had been working on a version of the 202, the 303, and Northwest Airlines wanted the 303.
Photo: RuthAS | Wikimedia Commons
Northwest signed a lease agreement for ten planes since the 303 would take some time to be available. After a disastrous manufacturing and purchase history of the 202, Northwest was one of three customers for the plane. Martin only sold 31 202s, 25 of which were for Northwest.
Related
Throwback: 5 Iconic Aircraft Types That Northwest Airlines Flew Over The Years
These are some of the most iconic aircraft operated by Northwest Airlines.
2
Fixed-wing and powered by piston engines
2,400 horsepower
The Martin 202 was powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 CA-18 Double Wasp piston engines. The R-800 CA-18 Double Wasps had eighteen cylinders, were air-cooled, and had twin-row radials with water injection. The two engines gave the 202 2,400 horsepower of take and a maximum cruising speed of 270 knots.
Some performance specifications are below:
- Engine: 2x Pratt & Whitney R-2800 CA-18 Double Wasp Piston
- Power: 2,400 horsepower
- Maximum cruising speed: 270 knots
- Approach speed: 66 knots
- Range: 522 nautical miles
- Service ceiling: 33,000 feet
- Rate of climb: 2,200 feet per minute
A structural problem with the wings led the 202s to be pulled from service and modified. At this time, the planes were renamed as the 202As.
3
The 404 was an upgraded 202
Cabin pressurization was added
The 404 had cabin pressurization and anti-icing systems, which allowed the aircraft to fly higher and farther and made the passenger experience more comfortable. The 404 could carry up to 40 passengers and was integral to Eastern Airlines’ and TransWorld Airways’ (TWA) fleets.
Eastern operated 60 404s, while TWA operated 40. Only 103 were ever built, and the United States Coast Guard and the Martin Company operated the remaining three. The first plane was delivered in 1951 and flew until the late 1960s.
In addition to pressurization and a larger passenger capacity, the 404’s range was also greater. The newer aircraft could fly over 800 nautical miles.
4
The final 202 is located in New Jersey
N93204
According to Metro Airport News, the last 202A is located at the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey. N93204, with the serial number 14074, was built in Baltimore in 1950. TWA was the first airline to operate this airframe in the 1950s before it passed on to Allegheny Airlines in the 1960s.
The museum acquired the plane in the 80s, and the interior was opened for public touring. Between 2015 and 2018, the museum retrofitted the cabin and restored the cockpit. At the time of the report, the plane needed a new paint job as the white coat it was given more than 30 years prior started to decay.
5
A Martin 202 was the first plane Japan Airlines used for scheduled operations
These operations were short-lived
In 1951, Japan Airlines
began scheduled operations after operating DC-3s on an invitational basis. When scheduled operations began, Japan Airlines used a Martin 202 from Northwest Airlines and hired a crew from the American carrier. The first cities the 202 was deployed to were Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Osaka.
Photo: Midway Airport (Pat B) | Flickr
The first Martin 202 operations marked the introduction of a new flight attendant uniform and the launch of inflight meals on domestic flights. At the time, the airline served sandwiches in paper boxes. The following year, one of the 202s flying from Osaka to Fukuoka crashed into Mt. Mihara, killing every soul onboard.
“Although the Japanese government aircraft accident investigation committee conducted a thorough investigation, it encountered some difficulty because of the rejection by the Occupation authorities of a request from the committee to provide a tape recording of instructions to the distressed aircraft from the Haneda Airport control tower. As a result, the accident investigation was closed with the aviation agency’s report that the probable cause was the pilot’s operational error.”
By the end of 1952, Japan Airlines had retired all the 202s and decided to exclusively operate DC-4s. The first DC-4 in the Japanese carrier’s fleet was also a former Northwest plane.