Martin Mariner A70-12 (RAAF) rear fuselage arrives at Museum

[Ewan]

Not your everyday section these days - a swap for surplus Cessna parts resulted in the rear section of Martin Mariner A70-12 arriving at the Moorabbin Air Museum last week. Goes well with our outer wings that are on display!

Originally US #Bu.6538 - history as follows:

Departed Norfolk 14/12/43.
Departed Alameda 22/12/43.
Arrived 28/12/44, callsign VHCPL.
Last letter of the construction number as an ID on the fuselage.
To 2 FBRD 28/12/43.
To 1 FBRD 30/12/44.
To 41 Sqn 13/02/44.
Detached to 3OTU 30/02/44.
To 1 FBMU 18/02/44.
To 41 Sqn 27/02/44.
Flown a total of 781 hours as of 21/03/44.
Aircraft in Cairns 02/07/44.
Aircraft holed below the water line on 25/11/44 at Port Moresby PNG.
To 114 ASRF 03/08/45.
To 1 FBMU 31/08/45.
To 114 ASRF 01/10/45.
To 40 Sqn 17/12/45.
To 1 FBRD 01/02/46.
Withdrawn from use 01/02/46 and stored at Lake Boga.
Offered for disposal.
Authorised for write off 19/11/46.
Passed to DAP 18/12/47.
Disposed of by DAP 25/03/48.

Attachments

[Zac Yates]

What excellent news!

[Chris Brame]

Great! Are you going to try to recover either of the forward fuselages in the SW Pacific?

[lucky52]

Clean it up, paint it, stencil the original Bu. No. on it, replace the glass/plastic on the tail.

[Mark Sampson]

The Mariner is an enormous aircraft. I've seen the one at Pima numerous times and I'm always impressed. It's fantastic that this piece of one has been saved- believe me, if you haven't seen one, it's much bigger than you think! It will make a great display.