Martin JRM Mars

The Martin JRM Mars is a large, four-engined cargo transport flying boat built for the United States Navy during World War II. It was the largest Allied flying boat to enter production, although only seven were built.

The Glenn L. Martin Company scaled up their PBM Mariner patrol bomber design to produce the prototype XPB2M-1 Mars. Delayed by an engine fire during ground runs, the aircraft first flew on 23 June 1942. After flight tests between 1942 and 1943, she was passed on to the Navy. By now the original patrol bomber concept was considered obsolete, 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 the Chesapeake Bay a few weeks after it first flew, the other five Mars were completed, with the last delivered in 1947.

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 San Francisco, 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 aircraft flew Naval cargo on the San Francisco-Honolulu route until 1956, when they were beached at NAS Alameda.

The four surviving aircraft were later converted to civilian firefighting water bombers. Two of the aircraft still remain based at Sproat Lake just outside of Port Alberni, British Columbia, although neither is operational.

The Old Lady 1520

The XPB2M-1 prototype long-range patrol was ordered on 23 August 1938 and first flown on 3 July 1942. When the need for the patrol bomber was no longer required, it was converted to the transport variant and designated XPB2M-1R in December 1943. Initially 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. It was dubbed “The Old Lady” by its crews.

Martin XPB2M-1 Mars "The Old Lady" — Martin XPB2M-1 Mars “The Old Lady” 1942

Hawaii Mars I 76819

Martin JRM-1 Mars BuNo 76819 named Hawaii Mars I first flew on 21 July 1945. After an accident, on 5 August 1945 it sank in Chesapeake Bay and was disposed of as scrap.

Philippine Mars 76820

Martin JRM-1 Mars BuNo 76820 named Philippine Mars –was delivered to the US Navy on 26 June 1946 and assigned to VR-2 at NAS Alameda, California. The aircraft was later converted and re-designated JRM-3.

Withdrawn from service on 22 August 1956, it was sold in 1959 to a Canadian company, Forest Industries Flying Tankers (FIFT), and converted to a 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 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 plan to ferry her to the museum in April or May 2016 was put on hold. As of September 2020, the Philippine Mars remains stored at the Sproat Lake base alongside the Hawaii Mars.

Marianas Mars 76821 CF-LYJ

Martin JRM-1 Mars BuNo 76821 named Marianas Mars was delivered to the USN on 26 February 1946 and assigned to VR-2 at NAS Alameda. It was later converted and re-designated JRM-3.

Withdrawn from service on 22 August 1956 it was sold to a Canadian company, Forest Industries Flying Tankers (FIFT), and converted to a forest fire fighting aircraft and registered and 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 76822

Martin JRM-1 Mars BuNo 76822 named Marshall Mars was delivered to the USN in February 1946. After delivery, it was converted and re-designated JRM-3. Assigned to squadron VR-2 and based at Naval Air Station Alameda in California, the Marshall Mars set a new world record for payload lifted on her second flight, carrying 27,427 pounds from California to Hawaii.

It was destroyed by an engine fire and sank on 5 April 1950 off Diamond Head, Oahu, Hawaii.

Hawaii Mars II 76823 CF-LYL

Martin JRM-1 Mars II BuNo 76823 named Hawaii Mars II was delivered to the USN on 23 April 1946 and assigned to VR-2 at NAS Alameda. Later converted and redesignated JRM-3, it was withdrawn from service on 22 August 1956.

In 1959 it was sold to a Canadian company, Forest Industries Flying Tankers (FIFT), and converted to a 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 76824

Martin JRM-2 Mars BuNo 76824 named Caroline Mars was delivered to the USN on 10 May 1948 and assigned to VR-2 at NAS Alameda.

In 1959 it was sold to a Canadian company, Forest Industries Flying Tankers (FIFT), and converted to a forest fire fighting aircraft and registered CF-LYM. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair during Typhoon Freda at Victoria, Canada on 12 October 1962.