Martin Mars Water Bomber

[dogsbodymk1]

Coulson's Mars is flying out of a local lake, helping with all the forest fires in the region. I managed to get a little video the other day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... -_MlIzZaZw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_VruJgY ... detailpage

[The Inspector]

Sounds better than the Boston Pops on July 4th

THANX!!

[dogsbodymk1]

Yeah, that does sound nice. Glad I got there in time to take this video. The lake is 40km. away, on the other side of town and traffic was heavier than I thought it would be.

[sgt hawk]

Coulson has two of those monsters. How many more are out there?

[CAPFlyer]

Coulson's Hawaii Mars and Philippine Mars are it. There were originally 5. The Marshall Mars was lost in Honolulu bay in 1950 after an engine fire was unable to be extinguished, Marianas Mars crashed during firefighting operations in 1960, and Caroline Mars was destroyed by Typhoon Freda (the plane was parked onshore when the Typhoon hit) in 1962.

[Dan K]

Coulson's Hawaii Mars and Philippine Mars are it. There were originally 5. The Marshall Mars was lost in Honolulu bay in 1950 after an engine fire was unable to be extinguished, Marianas Mars crashed during firefighting operations in 1960, and Caroline Mars was destroyed by Typhoon Freda (the plane was parked onshore when the Typhoon hit) in 1962.

For the sake of accuracy, weren't there actually seven Mars?

The prototype: BuNo 1520

And the production models: BuNos 76819-76824

[warbird_patrick]

Thanks for sharing. Great aircraft.

[CAPFlyer]

Coulson's Hawaii Mars and Philippine Mars are it. There were originally 5. The Marshall Mars was lost in Honolulu bay in 1950 after an engine fire was unable to be extinguished, Marianas Mars crashed during firefighting operations in 1960, and Caroline Mars was destroyed by Typhoon Freda (the plane was parked onshore when the Typhoon hit) in 1962.

For the sake of accuracy, weren't there actually seven Mars?

The prototype: BuNo 1520

And the production models: BuNos 76819-76824

Technically, the prototype wasn't a JRM. It was a XPB2M-1 later converted to the XPB2M-1R when converted to a transport prototype. However, it never gained the advanced planing hull nor the single tail that the production JRM's received, making it more of a "one-off" technology demonstrator like the 367-80 than a true prototype like 747-100 RA001 (quickest comparison I could come up with ).

But yes, I did forget about the first JRM Hawaii Mars(1) that was a real prototype for the Mars and sank after an engine fire in 1945.

[whistlingdeath77]

[WallyB]

For the sake of accuracy, weren't there actually seven Mars?

Seven and a bit. Number 8 was not completed but parts still exist; see http://www.oldwings.nl/content/mars/mars_a.htm and check out the photos here: http://www.vibrantvictoria.ca/forum/sho ... php?t=3236 .