Evening star., 1941-11-08
Gigantic Flying Boat
For Navy Launched
Al Middle River
Martin Reveals Plans
For Even Bigger Croft
At Mars Christening
BY CLAUDE A. MAHONEY,
Star Staff Correspondent.

MIDDLE RIVER, Md, Nov. g.
Mars, the Nays gigantic flying
boat, slid into the waters of this
Chesapeake Bay estuary today and
Glenn L. Martin. its builder, took
the official launching as an occasion
to reveal plans for a future flying
boat of 250,000 pounds. The ship
launched today, the largest of its
type in the world, is an experimental
model for the Navy.
Naval officials have not indicated
just what task 1t will be assigned
when it is flown and tested and
joins the air arm of the fleet, but
Mr.. Martin discussed its versatility
and the ease with which 1t will go
from one job to another. Overland
planes require large and vulners ole
shelters, he said, but this planes
natural base is indestructible, for
you cannot bomb a hole in the
water"
Mrs. ArtemuS Gates, wife of the
Assistant Secretary of the Navy for
Air. swung the bunting decked
champagne bottle and officially
christened the ship in the first
launching ceremony the Navy ever
has held for an airplane, Her hus-
band, Assistant Secretary Gates. re-
minded the crowds on the banks of
Middle River that United States
naval aviation is Just as old as the
modern battleship-33 years. He
cited the new flying boat as "a good
example OF aviation's spirit"
Slides Down Ramp.
There were rousing cheers as the
huge craft went down the same ramp
as its earlier sisters, the China and
Russian Chppers-ships that are
dWarfed by the Mars. Ropes and
pulleys allow the boat to slip into the
waters, where it settled quickly and
rested its balance on the port pom
toon.
If stood on end, the wings of the
Mars would be as tall as a 20-story
building. Its propellerS. driven by
four 2,000-horsepoWer motors, are
the largest ever built. It has a fuel
capacity of about a railroad tankcar
OF gasoline, and carries normal
crew of II. 1t is capable of flying to
Europe nonstop and return.
While Navy men and Martin Off
cialS have been reticent to discuss
the armor and the armament of the
ship, a model put up this week in
the Navy Department Building in
Washington shows the craft carrying
four huge torpedoes below her wings.
The cubic content of the hull is
equivalent to IA to Is room house.
the wing span is 200 feet and the
wings are large enough that crew
members may walk about inside
them and approach the engines from
behind for repairs or alterations in
flight.
Plane Looks Good"
While the craft has not been Of
hcially accepted by the Navy Rear
Admiral John H. T. Towers, chief of
the Bureau of Aviation, who spoke
briefly at the launching. said, ito my
unpracticed eve. it looks good and
when they look good they generally
are good
Among the guests were a large
number of Navy officials from Wash
ington. who were guests at a lunch
con given by the Glenn L. Martin
Co. and then attended the Navy
Notre Dame football game Among
the guests was the mother of the
builder, Mrs Minta Martin. who held
lamp to guide her son as he built
his first crude airplane in 1909 in an
abandoned church. Among other
persons participating in the program
were Joseph c. Harrison, executive
vice president of the Martin Co;
Gov. O'Conor. and William Kenneth
Ebel, test pilot who is in charge of
putting the huge ship through its
PAGES.
1--WE have checked and double
checked her" he said. She is sound.
We face the ordeal of the air with
confidence"