Evening star., 1941-02-22
Glenn Martin Plants
To Make NearIY2OO
WarpIanes a Month
Huge Expansion Program
Half Completed at
Baltimore and Omuhu
BY JOSEPH s. EDGERTON,
Star Aviation Editor.

BALTIMORE, Md, Feb. 22.-High-
performance twin-engine attack and
medium bombers and Navy patrol
flying boats will be produced at an
unoffcially estimated rate of nearly
200 per month on the completion Of
an enormous plant expansion pro-
gram now nearly half finished by
the Glenn l.. Martin Co. here at
Middle River and at Omaha, Nebr.
1t has been announced that the
Omaha plant, assembling Army BPS
bombers from parts and subaSsem-
blieS manufactured in automobile
and other factories, will produce 100
airplanes a month. The ultimate
capacity of the Middle River fac
tories has not been announced, but
it probably will not be less than
that of the Omaha branch.
The Martin Co. now is concentrat-
ing On mass production Of three
principal types Of military alrplanes
under the national defense and aid
to-Britain programs. They are the
new BPS medium bomber for the
Army, the PPM patrol bomber, a
| flying boat for the Navy and the 1877
Baltimore attack or medium bomber
for the British.
/ All three types now are in produC-
/ ton at the Middle River factory and,
in addition, the plant is completing
a large order for 167-B4, or Mary
/ land attack bOmbers for the Brit
| ish. This order will be completed
during April and the production IA
cilities for this airplane already are
being converted for production OF
/ the later models.
New Bomber Being Tested.
Upon completion of its present
plant construction program, the
Martin Co. will have two ma
jOr plants here at Middle River,
on opposite sides of an airport
larger than the splendid new Balti-
more Municipal Airport. Plant /,
including the original Martin fac
tory and several new buildings now
nearing completion, Will be devoted
to production Of the Navy patrol
boats and the British ships. Plant
/ 2, across the airport, nearly equal
in size to all the Plant l buildings
combined, will produce BPS bomb
. ers for the Army. The new Martin
/ plant at Omaha also will produce
| B-26 bOmbers exclusively.
The B-26. incidentally, has just
/ been released for mass production
! by the War Department following
tests which Army experts claim
/ eXultantly prove it to be one of
( the finest and fastest bombers of
any classification in the world today.
/ Every B-26 is put through three
hours of flight testing prior to de-
/ livery to the Army and the second
/ of these beautiful tWin-engined air.
/ planes to be completed was going
/ through its PAGES at the time of this
visit. Its performance is a care
fully guarded secret, but qualified
/ observers have estimated its speed
/ at better than $50 miles per hour.
Its range and load capacity are
/ said to be amazing for an airplane
/ Of its size and speed.
The British Baltimore bomber
to go into full production in April,
is a new type intermediate in size
between the B-26 and the smaller
MaTylander, which was developed
for the French prior to the German
bitzkreig and subsequently diverted
to Britain. The Baltimore bomber
/ is being produced under an arrange
ment with the British government
which calls for a fixed number of
airplanes but with a flexible clause
providing for deliveries of all the
company can produce.