Martin JRM Mars - wikipedia Martin JRM Mars JRM Mars JRM - 2 Mars `` Caroline Mars '' in US Navy service Role Flying boat National origin United States Manufacturer Glenn L. Martin Company First flight 23 June 1942 Introduction 30 November 1943 Retired 1956 ( USN ) Status Limited use Primary users United States Navy Coulson Flying Tankers Inc. Produced 1945 -- 1948 Number built 7 Developed into Martin 193 The Martin JRM Mars is a large, four - engined cargo transport seaplane originally designed and built in limited numbers for the U.S. Navy during the World War II era. It was the largest Allied flying boat to enter production, although only seven were built. The United States Navy contracted the development of the XPB2M - 1 Mars in 1938 as a long range ocean patrol flying boat, which later entered production as the JRM Mars long range transport. Four of the surviving aircraft were later converted for civilian use to firefighting water bombers. One example of the aircraft still remains in limited service based out of Sproat Lake just outside of Port Alberni, British Columbia. Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operational history 2.1 U.S. Navy service 2.2 Civilian use 3 Variants 3.1 Aircraft 4 Specifications ( JRM - 3 Mars ) 5 See also 6 References 6.1 Notes 6.2 Bibliography 7 External links Design and development The prototype XPB2M - 1 Mars, 1942 The Glenn L. Martin Company scaled up their PBM Mariner patrol bomber design to produce the prototype XPB2M - 1 Mars. The XPB2M - 1 was launched on 8 November 1941. After a delay caused by an engine fire during ground runs, the aircraft first flew on 23 June 1942. After flight tests with the XPB2M between 1942 and 1943, she was passed on to the Navy. The original patrol bomber concept was considered obsolete by this time, and the Mars was converted into a transport aircraft designated the XPB2M - 1R. The Navy was satisfied with the performance, and ordered 20 of the modified JRM - 1 Mars. The first, named Hawaii Mars, was delivered in June 1945, but with the end of World War II the Navy scaled back their order, buying only the five aircraft which were then on the production line. Though the original Hawaii Mars was lost in an accident on Chesapeake Bay a few weeks after it first flew, the other five Mars were completed, and the last delivered in 1947. Operational history U.S. Navy service JRM - 1 BuNo 76820, Philippine Mars taking off from San Francisco Bay, 1946 Named the Marianas Mars, Philippine Mars, Marshall Mars, Caroline Mars, and a second Hawaii Mars, the five production Mars aircraft entered service ferrying cargo to Hawaii and the Pacific Islands on 23 January 1944. The last production airplane ( the Caroline Mars ) was designated JRM - 2, powered by 3,000 hp ( 2,200 kW ) Pratt & Whitney R - 4360 engines, and featured a higher maximum weight and other improvements. On 4 March 1949, the Caroline Mars set a new world passenger load record by carrying 269 people from San Diego to Alameda, CA. On 5 April 1950, the Marshall Mars was lost near Hawaii when an engine fire consumed the airplane after her crew had evacuated. The remaining `` Big Four '' flew record amounts of Naval cargo on the San Francisco - Honolulu route efficiently until 1956, when they were beached at NAS Alameda. Civilian use Moored on Sproat Lake, Vancouver Island. October 2006 Undergoing winter maintenance in 2008 with Philippine Mars in the background Martin JRM Mars C - FLYL, Hawaii Mars In 1959, the remaining Mars aircraft were to be sold for scrap, but a Canadian company, Forest Industries Flying Tankers ( FIFT ), was formed and bid for the four aircraft and a large spares inventory. The company represented a consortium of British Columbia forest companies, and the bid was accepted and the sale completed in December 1959. The four aircraft were flown to Fairey Aviation at Victoria, British Columbia, for conversion into water bombers. The conversion involved the installation of a tank in the cargo bay and retractable pick - up scoops to allow uploading of water while the aircraft was taxiing. The scoops allowed 30 tons of water to be taken on board in 22 seconds. Later some of the hull fuel tanks were replaced with water tanks. The Marianas Mars crashed near Northwest Bay, British Columbia, on 23 June 1961 during firefighting operations ; all four crew members were lost. Just over a year later, on 12 October 1962 while parked onshore at the Victoria airport, the Caroline Mars was damaged beyond repair by Typhoon Freda when she was blown 200 yards, breaking her back. The Hawaii Mars and Philippine Mars had their conversion into water bombers advanced and entered service in 1963. They appeared at local airshows, demonstrating their water - dropping ability. Flying Tankers Inc. flew the water bombers to hot spots around the province when a need developed, such as in August 2003, when a large forest fire threatened the outskirts of Kelowna, British Columbia. On 10 November 2006, TimberWest Forest Ltd. announced they were looking for buyers of the Mars. A condition of sale was that the purchaser would have to donate one plane back to Port Alberni when they were retired, as a historic attraction. The Maryland Aviation Museum and British Columbia Aviation Council initiated a joint effort to preserve the aircraft, one for display in Maryland and the other at the current location in Canada. On 13 April 2007, TimberWest announced the sale of both aircraft to Coulson Forest Products, a local forestry company in Port Alberni, British Columbia. The two surviving tankers are presently operated by Coulson Flying Tankers and are based and maintained at Sproat Lake near Port Alberni. On 25 October 2007, the Hawaii Mars ( `` Redtail '' ) arrived at Lake Elsinore in southern California, on a private contract, to assist with firefighting efforts at the California wildfires of October 2007. Meanwhile, the Philippine Mars had been undergoing `` extensive maintenance and renovation '' and was expected to be ready to fly again by 2010. As of 13 August 2009, the Hawaii Mars was in service fighting the La Brea fire east of Santa Maria in Southern California. The interior of Philippine Mars, August 2008. The large tanks hold Fire retardant, that is mixed with the water load The aircraft can carry 7,200 U.S. gallons ( 27,276 litres ) of water and each drop can cover an area of up to 4 acres ( 1.6 hectares ). The aircraft can also carry up to 600 U.S. gallons ( 2,270 litres ) of foam concentrate for gelling the load drop. They are mainly used to fight fires along the coast of British Columbia and sometimes in the interior. As of July 29, 2010, the Martin Mars was being used to fight the Mason Lake / Bonaparte Lake fire north of Kamloops. On 23 August 2012, the Coulson Group announced that the Philippine Mars, due to its lack of use for five years, would be retired and flown to the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida to become a static exhibit. The aircraft was repainted to its original U.S. Navy colors and was to have been delivered to the museum in November 2012. After many delays, the trade deal of transferring the aircraft to the museum was put on hold by the navy in June 2016, pending the outcome of the 2016 US Presidential election. Hawaii Mars and Philippine Mars at Sproat Lake, 2014 On 10 May 2013, the B.C. provincial government announced that the Hawaii Mars would no longer be placed on contract after the 2013 season, due to not having been used to fight any B.C. fires for two years and the operation of newer and more versatile aircraft by the Coulson group including a Lockheed C - 130 Hercules converted to firefighting use. Although Coulson stated that the Hawaii Mars has been under numerous recent upgrades to make it safer and more reliable, no buyers have come forward to purchase the aircraft. Coulson also cautioned against any plans to open the aircraft as a tourist attraction because of the 2013 closure of the Flying Tankers Bomber Base Museum from poor attendance. In May 2015, the Hawaii Mars received a small contract to be used briefly for training Chinese pilots. This was done using the Martin Mars to evaluate against civil certification regulations by The International Test Pilot School, on how to handle such a large amphibious aircraft. These pilots will be involved with the Chinese state owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China as they get ready to launch their forthcoming AVIC TA - 600 airplane. Subsequently, in July 2015, the airplane was put back in service after public outcry, being awarded a 30 - day contract from the BC Government to help with a particularly bad fire season. In 2016, the Hawaii Mars made its first appearance at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in hopes of being sold or leased to a new home or business. According to the Smithsonian Channel episode of Mighty Planes Martin Mars, only one Martin Mars is now flying. Variants XPB2M - 1 Model 170 prototype long - range patrol flying boat powered by four Wright R - 3350 - 8 piston engines, one built, converted to XPB2M - 1R. XPB2M - 1R Prototype converted in December 1943 as a prototype transport version, armament removed, installation of additional cargo hatches and cargo loading equipment, existing hatches were enlarged and the decking was reinforced. JRM - 1 Model 170A, production long range transport variant, originally 20 aircraft ordered later reduced to six. Single - tail design, and having a longer hull with fewer bulkheads and a larger maximum take - off weight. It had also been fitted with equipment for overhead cargo handling and was powered by four Wright R - 3350 - 24WA Cyclone engines with 4 - bladed propellers, five built, surviving four converted to JRM - 3. JRM - 2 The last JRM - 1 on order was completed as the JRM - 2 with the engines changed to 3,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R4360 - 4T engines with 4 - blade, 16 ft, 8 in diameter Curtiss Electric propellers. Gross weight increased by 20,000 lb. JRM - 3 Model 170B, conversion of the remaining four JRM - 1s re-engined with 2,400 hp Wright R3350 - 24WA engines turning 16 ft, 8 in Curtiss - Electric props, of which the inboard two engines were fitted with reversible - pitch devices. Aircraft JRM - 1 Marshall Mars burning near Honolulu, Hawaii, 5 April 1950 The nose of Marshall Mars, photographed by a joint NOAA, University of Hawaii, National Park Service survey in 2004. JRM - 2 Caroline Mars in the St. Johns River at NAS Jacksonville, Florida in 1949 The Old Lady -- Bureau Number ( BuNo ) 1520. Ordered on 23 August 1938 and completed as the prototype long - range patrol XPB2M - 1, it was first flown on 3 July 1942 and converted in December 1943 to transport variant and designated XPB2M - 1R. Assigned initially to VR - 8 at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland for crew training, it was later transferred to VR - 2 at NAS Alameda, California and scrapped in 1945. Hawaii Mars I -- JRM - 1 BuNo 76819 first flown on 21 July 1945 and delivered to the United States Navy. It sank on 5 August 1945 in the Chesapeake Bay and was disposed as scrap. Philippine Mars -- JRM - 1 BuNo 76820, delivered to the USN on 26 June 1946 and assigned to VR - 2 at NAS Alameda, California. Converted and re-designated JRM - 3. Withdrawn from service on 22 August 1956 and sold in 1959, it was converted to forest fire fighting aircraft and registered CF - LYK ( later C - FLYK ). The aircraft continued to fly with Flying Tankers Incorporated until she and the Hawaii Mars were purchased in 2007 by the Coulson Group. The Philippine Mars has not flown on fires since the summer of 2006 and was recently repainted to original U.S. Navy markings in preparation for transfer to be a museum display at the National Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola, Florida. The current plans of ferrying her to the museum in April or May 2016 have been put on hold. Marianas Mars -- JRM - 1 BuNo 76821, delivered to the USN on 26 February 1946 and assigned to VR - 2 at NAS Alameda. Converted and re-designated JRM - 3, it was withdrawn from service on 22 August 1956 and sold in 1959. Converted to forest fire fighting aircraft and registered CF - LYJ, the aircraft crashed into Mount Moriarty near Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, on 23 June 1961, when the water drop mechanism failed, leaving the aircraft unable to climb quickly enough to clear a mountain. In the ensuing crash, the crew of four were killed. Marshall Mars - JRM - 1 BuNo 76822, delivered to the USN, converted and re-designated JRM - 3. It was destroyed by an engine fire and sank on 5 April 1950 off Diamond Head, Oahu, Hawaii. Hawaii Mars II -- JRM - 1 BuNo 76823, delivered to the USN on 23 April 1946 and assigned to VR - 2 at NAS Alameda. Converted and redesignated JRM - 3, it was withdrawn from service on 22 August 1956 and sold in 1959. Converted to forest fire fighting aircraft and registered CF - LYL ( later C - FLYL ), it remains the only aircraft of this type in service and flew with FIFT ( Forest Industries Flying Tankers ), FTI ( Flying Tankers Inc ) and the Coulson Group at Sproat Lake, British Columbia, Canada until 2013 and briefly in 2015. Caroline Mars -- JRM - 2 BuNo 76824, delivered to the USN on 10 May 1948 and assigned to VR - 2 at NAS Alameda. It was sold in 1959 and converted to forest fire fighting aircraft by Forest Industry Flying Tankers. Registered CF - LYM. the aircraft was damaged beyond repair during Typhoon Freda at Victoria, Canada on 12 October 1962. Specifications ( JRM - 3 Mars ) Data from Jane 's Fighting Aircraft of World War II General characteristics Crew : four ( with accommodations for a second relief crew ) Capacity : JRM Mars - 133 troops, or 84 litter patients and 25 attendants or 32,000 lb ( 15,000 kg ) payload, including up to seven Willys MB jeeps Water / foam load : Mars waterbomber - 60,000 lb ( 27,000 kg ) Length : 117 ft 3 in ( 35.74 m ) Wingspan : 200 ft 0 in ( 60.96 m ) Width : 13 ft 6 in ( 4.11 m ) Hull beam Height : 38 ft 5 in ( 11.71 m ) afloat, 48 ft ( 15 m ) beached Hull draught : 5 ft 6 in ( 1.68 m ) Wing area : 3,686 sq ft ( 342.4 m ) Empty weight : 75,573 lb ( 34,279 kg ) Gross weight : 90,000 lb ( 40,823 kg ) Max takeoff weight : 165,000 lb ( 74,843 kg ) Fuel capacity : Hawaii Mars : 6,485 US gal ( 24,550 l ; 5,400 imp gal ) Philippine Mars : 13,200 US gal ( 50,000 l ; 11,000 imp gal ) Powerplant : 4 × Wright R - 3350 Duplex - Cyclone 18 - cylinder radial engines, 2,500 hp ( 1,900 kW ) each Propellers : 4 - bladed Curtiss Electric, 15 ft 2 in ( 4.62 m ) diameter variable - pitch propellers Performance Maximum speed : 221 mph ( 356 km / h ; 192 kn ) Cruise speed : 190 mph ( 306 km / h ; 165 kn ) Range : 4,948 mi ; 7,964 km ( 4,300 nmi ) Service ceiling : 14,600 ft ( 4,500 m ) Drop speed : 138 mph ( 120 kn ; 222 km / h ) Landing approach speed : 115 mph ( 100 kn ; 185 km / h ) Touchdown speed : 92 mph ( 80 kn ; 148 km / h ) Fuel consumption ( cruise ) : 420 US gal ( 1,600 l ; 350 imp gal ) per hour Fuel consumption ( operations ) : 780 US gal ( 3,000 l ; 650 imp gal ) per hour Operations duration ( normal ) : 5 1 / 2 hours Area covered, single drop : 3 to 4 acres ( 1.2 to 1.6 ha ) Drop height : 150 to 200 ft ( 46 to 61 m ) Full water tank load : 7,200 US gal ( 27,000 l ; 6,000 imp gal ) See also Related development Martin PBM Mariner Martin 193 Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era Blohm & Voss BV 222 Blohm & Voss BV 238 Kawanishi H8K Saunders - Roe Princess Short Shetland Related lists List of aircraft of World War II List of seaplanes and amphibious aircraft References Notes ^ Jump up to : Goebel, Greg. `` The Martin Mariner, Mars, & Marlin Flying Boats. '' Air Vectors, 6 May 2006. Retrieved : 13 November 2010. ^ Jump up to : Bridgeman 1946, pp. 244 -- 245. Jump up ^ Associated Press, `` Aerial Box Car Sent To Nimitz '', The Spokesman - Review, Spokane, Washington, Monday 24 January 1944, Volume 61, Number 255, page 1. Jump up ^ Hills, Warring. `` Caroline Mars Sets World Record 1949. '' cv10navalaviator.wordpress.com, 25 February 2011. Jump up ^ http://www.fhabc.org/newsletter-archive/2002/66.pdf pg6 Jump up ^ `` TimberWest Seeks Buyers For Martin Mars Water Bombers. '' TimberWest Forest Ltd., 12 November 2006. Jump up ^ `` Canadian Aviation Organization and U.S. Museum Create Alliance. '' Archived 2007 - 09 - 28 at the Wayback Machine. Maryland Aviation Museum, 12 November 2006. Jump up ^ Hansen, Darah. `` Fires fought without super-soakers. '' Vancouver Sun, 6 August 2009. Retrieved : 6 August 2009. Jump up ^ `` Aircraft Fleet. '' Flying Tankers Inc., 6 May 2006. Jump up ^ `` Kamloops fire. '' bclocalnews.com. Retrieved : 13 November 2010. Jump up ^ McCulloch, Sandra. `` Water bomber retires to US. '' Archived 2012 - 12 - 02 at WebCite Alberni Valley Times, 23 August 2012. Retrieved : 27 August 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Philippine Mars museum deal grounded ''. Alberni Valley News. June 23, 2016. Archived from the original on June 27, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016. Jump up ^ McCulloch, Sandra. `` Last summer for Port Alberni Mars water bomber as province cuts contract. '' Times Colonist, 10 May 2013. Retrieved : 12 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Mars bomber future now up in air ''. Alberni Valley Times. April 14, 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014. Jump up ^ Slepian, Katya. `` Test pilot school a success for Martin Mars - Alberni Valley News ''. Alberni Valley News. Archived from the original on 2016 - 03 - 04. Retrieved 2016 - 02 - 27. Jump up ^ Bell, Jeff. `` Martin Mars ' firefighting season likely over ''. Times Colonist. Retrieved 2016 - 02 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Owner looking for new home for Martin Mars water bomber ''. Times Colonist. May 10, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` JRM - 2 76824. '' Gauthier Memorial Collection. Retrieved : 13 November 2010. Jump up ^ `` MARS IS FOUND IN SEAFLOOR SURVEY AROUND JAPANESE MINI-SUBMARINE NOAA and Partners Survey `` Flying Boat '' Crash Sites ``. NOAA Magazine. December 14, 2004. Retrieved 31 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Philippine bomber in WWII colours - Alberni Valley Times ''. Alberni Valley Times. Retrieved 2016 - 02 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Naval Aviation and Deep Water Discoveries : Pearl Harbor 2004. '' National Marine Sanctuaries. Retrieved : 28 December 2010. Jump up ^ Gorell, Fred. `` Mars is found in seafloor survey around Japanese mini-submarine. NOAA and Partners Survey `` Flying Boat '' Crash Sites. '' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Department of Commerce via NOAA Magazine. Retrieved : 28 December 2010. Jump up ^ `` Specifications '' ( PDF ). www.martinmars.com. Coulson Flying Tankers. Retrieved 7 August 2014. Bibliography Bridgeman, Leonard. `` The Martin Model 170 Mars. '' Jane 's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London : Studio, 1946. ISBN 1 - 85170 - 493 - 0. Coulson, Wayne and Steve Ginter. The Mighty Martin Mars : From 1945 US Navy Transport to 21st Century, Initial Attack Firefighting. Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada : Half Moon Bay Publications, 2009. ISBN 978 - 0 - 9812987 - 0 - 2 Ginter, Steve. Martin Mars XPB2M - 1R & JRM Flying Boats ( Naval Fighters 29 ). Simi Valley, California, USA : Ginter Books, 1995. ISBN 0 - 942612 - 29 - 9. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Martin Mars. Martin Mars - Speedvision Documentary `` The Mars Makes Good '', Popular Science, April 1944 article `` Life Line Of The Fleet, '' Popular Mechanics, June 1944, pp. 69, 70 photos Flying Tankers, Inc. Martin Mars Page of the Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum Museum - Canadian Mars Alliance Created Martin Mars Page including a detailed production list of all seven aircraft built `` Memo To : Overocean Airlines RE : the Martin Mars '', a 1945 Flight advertisement for the Mars Life photos by George Strock of the prototype Mars rollout 1941 ; Marauders in background Martin Mars photos old and recent on the Nanaimo site Saluting the Martin Mars - History 1946 to 2014 Glenn L. Martin Company and Martin Marietta aircraft Model numbers 57 60 66 67 70 71 73 74 75 117 118 119 120 122 123 125 129 130 139 145 146 156 162 166 167 170 179 182 187 189 190 193 202 205 210 219 223 234 237 247 259 270 272 290 303 307 313 316 317 321 327 Airliners M - 130 202 303 404 Attack aircraft A-15 A-22 A-23 A-30 A-45 AM Bombers B - 10 B - 12 XB - 13 XB - 14 XB - 16 B - 26 XB - 27 B - 33 B - 48 XB - 51 B - 57 XB - 68 BM MB Maritime patrol PBM XP2M P3M P4M P5M P6M P7M Military transports C - 3 JRM RM Military trainers T / TT N2M Scout / Torpedo bombers MS TM T2M T3M T4M T5M T6M Reconnaissance aircraft RB - 57D RB - 57F Martin Marietta 845 SV - 5J X-23 X-24A / B USN / USMC patrol aircraft designations 1923 -- 1962 Patrol Boeing XPB PB P2B P3B Douglas PD P2D P3D Grumman PF Hall PH P2H General Aviation PJ Keystone PK Martin PM P2M P3M P4M P5M P6M P7M Naval Aircraft Factory PN P2N P3N P4N Lockheed PO Sikorsky PS P2S Lockheed PV P2V P3V Consolidated PY P2Y P3Y P4Y - 1 P4Y - 2 P5Y P6Y Patrol Bomber Boeing PBB PB2B North American PBJ Martin PBM PB2M Naval Aircraft Factory PBN Lockheed PBO Sikorsky PBS Canadian Vickers PBV Consolidated PBY PB2Y PB3Y PB4Y - 1 PB4Y - 2 Patrol Torpedo Bomber Hall PTBH Not assigned USN / USMC utility aircraft designations 1935 -- 1955 Utility Fokker JA Noorduyn JA Beechcraft JB Curtiss - Wright JC Douglas JD Bellanca JE Grumman JF J2F J3F J4F Stearman - Hammond JH Fairchild JK J2K Columbia JL Martin JM Lockheed JO Fairchild JQ J2Q Ford JR Waco JW J2W Utility transport Beechcraft JRB Cessna JRC Grumman JRF JR2F Nash - Kelvinator JRK Martin JRM JR2M Sikorsky JRS JR2S Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Martin_JRM_Mars&oldid=805372876 '' Categories : United States military transport aircraft 1940 -- 1949 Flying boats Martin aircraft Four - engined tractor aircraft High - wing aircraft Aerial firefighting aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1942 Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from June 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Webarchive template webcite links Articles containing potentially dated statements from August 2009 All articles containing potentially dated statements Talk Variants Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch Español فارسی Français Italiano עברית 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Slovenščina Tiếng Việt Edit links This page was last edited on 14 October 2017, at 23 : 11. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: how much water does the mars bomber hold
Answer: 7,200 U.S. gallons (27,276 litres)