Latest news with #MartinMars
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Philippine Mars lands at Lake Pleasant before it heads to Pima Air and Space Museum
The Brief The Philippine Mars, also known as the Martin Mars, is the last flying boat from World War II. It landed at Lake Pleasant in Arizona on Feb. 10 and underwent weeks of dismantling. The flying boat, piece by piece, will be taken to the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson where it'll be showcased. LAKE PLEASANT, Ariz. - A historic gem from World War II landed on Lake Pleasant on Feb. 10 and is being officially retired and showcased in an Arizona space museum. What we know The dismantling process took weeks as crews worked to transport the flying boat, piece by piece, to the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson. It flew 1,500 miles from Vancouver Island, Canada to Lake Pleasant. The plane, the Philippine Mars, was the last flying boat from World War II. It's also known as the Martin Mars. "This is a unique moment in history. You'll see 737, 767, 777, that are very large, but nothing like this capability," said Ramon Purcell of Boneyard Safari. Preserving warplanes is what Purcell and the Boneyard Safari team do, but this one is different. Purcell says there's nothing like it. The water bomber is not a boat and not a plane, but both. Sea-proof and sky-proof. "This is so different because it's designed to spend its life in its primary spot, which is the water," Purcell said. The backstory From tail to nose, built during World War II, it's the largest flying boat ever made. The double-decker craft has a hull like a ship, an anchor, latches, windows and doors. Beneath the wings is a water tanker capable of holding 6,000 gallons of water. Right below is the cockpit and a lockout hatch. "That's not just a plane window. That's a porthole. There are hatches. Each door is a hatch, and it's a watertight hatch," Purcell explained. The plane transported cargo and wounded troops during the war and was later used by Canada to fight fires. As you make your way upstairs, it transforms into an aircraft, with the same engineer flight deck from the 40s. "There are lots of nooks, there's little places. You start wondering what was it like, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 years ago, to be flying in this aircraft," Purcell said. The notes, nobs, headphones, and fuel abilities are just as they were decades ago. The plane is disassembled bolt by bolt and moved piece by piece down to Tuscon. The final flight will be forever memorialized. "Not only are you getting a time capsule from the 40s, but you're getting it from 2025, when it saw its last flight," Purcell said. Its wings span 200 feet, the flying boat can only land on water, which is why it landed at Lake Pleasant, and not at an airport. You can learn more about the plane and the Pima Air and Space Museum by clicking here.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Philippine Mars took its final flight. See photos of the flying-boat aircraft from WWII to its last 800-mile journey.
The last Martin Mars flying boat completed its final flight last week. Initially developed as a Navy patrol flying boat, the aircraft later served as cargo transport. The Philippine Mars will be displayed at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Arizona. The last Martin Mars flying boat made its final flight last week, marking the end for a World War II-era seaplane so hulking it had rockets to assist with take-off. Initially developed as maritime patrol flying boats for the US Navy, the Martin Mars fleet was later configured to operate as long-range transport aircraft. Some became water bombers to fight forest fires. The Philippine Mars made its final landing at Lake Pleasant, Arizona, on February 10, where it is set to be partially disassembled and trucked to the Pima Air and Space Museum for installation as a permanent exhibition. The Martin Mars fleet Founded by aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin, the Martin Company developed and produced the Mars flying boat fleet for the US Navy. Best known for its contributions to military and commercial aviation, the American aircraft manufacturer was also behind innovative military bombers like the B-26 and B-10, which were widely used in World War II. In the mid-1940s, seven Mars seaplanes were delivered to the Navy, scaled back from the 20 planes the sea service ordered following the end of WWII. The first Mars prototype, dubbed "the Old Lady," was delivered in 1943. It was followed by the cargo variant of the Hawaii Mars, the Philippine Mars, the Marianas Mars, the Marshall Mars, the firefighting variant of the Hawaii Mars, and the Caroline Mars. While most of the fleet has been scrapped, lost, or destroyed over the last eight decades, the second Hawaii Mars and the Philippine Mars survived to this day. The Hawaii Mars was donated to the British Columbia Aviation Museum in Canada, and the Philippine Mars will make its final home at the Pima Air and Space in Tucson, Arizona. The Navy's largest World War II-era aircraft The Mars flying boats were the world's largest operational seaplanes and the Navy's largest WWII-era aircraft. It measured nearly 120 feet in length and 200 feet in wingspan — roughly the size of a modern-day Boeing commercial airplane. After the flying boats were reconfigured from patrol boats to cargo planes, the massive flying boat had a max takeoff weight of over 85 tons — or about 165,000 pounds. It could accommodate a 32,000-pound payload, including up to seven military jeeps. Rocket-powered takeoffs Despite its hulking size, the four-engined flying boats had a maximum speed of over 200 mph. The aircraft had a service ceiling of up to 14,600 feet and a range of 4,900 nautical miles. The aircraft were propelled by small rockets known as jet-assisted take-off bottles equipped under the wings. These small rockets provided extra thrust to help them get airborne quicker or take off with heavier payloads. Setting world records The Mars seaplanes were operated by a crew of four comprising pilots, engineers, and ground crew. It also had accommodations for a relief team. The aircraft could also transport over 130 fully-equipped troops, or 84 litter patients and 25 attendants. In March 1949, the Caroline Mars, set a world record for airlifting passengers on a single flight, carrying 269 people from San Diego to San Francisco. But the youngest Mars flying boat didn't hold the title for very long — a little over two months later, the Marshall Mars broke the passenger load record by transporting 301 people from Alameda to San Diego. A versatile transport aircraft Though produced at the latter end of WWII, the Mars fleet supported US Navy operations by flying cargo between Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. The flying boats were later deployed as medical air transport lifts between Hawaii and California during the Korean War. After the Marshall Mars was damaged by an engine fire near Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the remaining four aircraft continued to transport cargo from San Francisco to Honolulu until 1956, when they were decommissioned and beached at the Naval Air Station Alameda. Aerial firefighter After retiring from military service, the remaining Mars fleet, which became known as "the Big Four," was sold to timber companies in British Columbia in the late 1950s, finding a new purpose as the world's largest water bombers to combat forest fires. The four flying boats were modified with large tanks that could carry more than 7,000 gallons of water and up to 600 gallons of foam concentrate, which was used to create a fire retardant to smother the flames. The Mars tankers could make a drop every 15 minutes, loaded with enough water or foam to douse an area of up to 4 acres at a time. Finding a final resting place The Marianas Mars crashed in 1961 during firefighting operations in Vancouver Island, and the Caroline Mars was damaged beyond repair by a typhoon the following year. The last surviving Mars flying boats — the Philippine Mars and the Hawaii Mars — were later acquired by Coulson Aviation in 2007 to "expand its firefighting capabilities," according to the company. The Coulson Group said the aircraft underwent several upgrades and renovations to make it a safer and more reliable aerial firefighter, but officials in British Columbia replaced it with newer aircraft, like the firefighting variants of the Lockheed C-130. But after sitting in storage for half a decade, the Coulson Group decided to retire the Philippine Mars in 2012, donating it to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Florida as a permanent exhibit. Its red-and-white paint scheme from its time as a water bomber was replaced with its original dark blue Navy colors, but the trade deal with the Navy was put on indefinite hold amid the 2016 presidential election. Last April, Coulson Aviation announced that the Philippine Mars would instead find its final landing at the Pima Air and Space Museum. As the aircraft's retirement approached, the Coulson Group offered experiences for aviation enthusiasts to get "up close and personal with their Martin Mars water bombers." The program, which had packages ranging from $1,000 to $15,000, featured tours of the planes and the opportunity to observe maintainers working on them. The top-tier experience, which included an opportunity to taxi the plane on the water, sold out in three days. End of an aviation era Over the last few months, multiple attempts have been made to get the Philippine Mars airborne to make the 800-mile flight from Vancouver Island to San Francisco to commemorate its service with the US Navy. After four engine and propeller changes with parts taken from the Hawaii Mars, the Philippine Mars successfully took off from Sproat Lake, making its final flight to San Francisco Bay on Sunday. The next day, it departed the Alameda Seaplane Base and flew to Lake Pleasant, Arizona, where the plane is expected to be de-watered, dismantled, and towed to the museum. "Against all odds, the team behind her has worked tirelessly to prepare her for this final journey to Arizona," Coulson wrote on social media. "She may be leaving the water, but her legacy will always ripple through history." Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Last Mars Flying Boat Just Made Its Final Flight
The last of the Martin Mars flying boats just made its final landing, arriving in Arizona, where its eternal resting place will be the Pima Air and Space Museum (PASM). It took off earlier today from San Francisco and touched down in Lake Pleasant, Arizona. From there the iconic aircraft will be partially disessmbled and trucked to PASM for display. It will be one of more than 400 aircraft calling the 80-acre PASM museum home. Originally developed for the U.S. Navy as a maritime patrol bomber and later reconfigured as a transport ferrying supplies between Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, the Mars family of flying boats found their niche as firefighting water bombers. Philippine Mars landed in San Francisco on Sunday, making a pit stop on its way to its final destination after leaving its lakeside home in Vancouver, British Columbia. The flying boat was moored alongside the USS Hornet overnight in San Francisco Bay. The retired aircraft carrier now converted into a museum. Always a beautiful day on the USS Hornet! Yesterday the legendary WWII water bomber, Philippine Mars made a landing near the ship on its way to its final home at Pima Air & Space Museum. A rare sight to see two legends of the second world war, side by side! — USS Hornet Museum (@HornetMuseum) February 10, 2025 Coulson's Aviation Philippine Mars docking at the historic ex-NAS Alameda after the first leg of it's Retirement Tour. — Patriotic Capybara (@USAcapybara) February 10, 2025 Historic visit of Philippine Mars at Alameda Naval Air Station after so many years, on its way to the Pima Air & Space Museum for permanent display. #coulsonaviation @CoulsonAviation — CTP Watcher (@WatcherCtp) February 10, 2025 The Philippine Mars is on the move! After departing Sproat Lake yesterday, the aircraft is set to leave San Francisco today between 11–12 PT, continuing its journey to Arizona. Stay tuned for updates as it makes its way to its final home! #philippinemars# — Coulson Aviation (@CoulsonAviation) February 10, 2025 Philippine Mars took off on its final flight around noon local time today, passing over the Golden Gate Bridge and then south along the California coast before a more overland route after reaching Monterey Bay according to the FlightRadar tracking site. For a good part of the day, it was the site's most closely followed aircraft. The legendary Philippine Mars is on her way to Arizona, and thanks to our partnership with SKYTRAC, you can track her journey in real time! #coulsonaviation#philippinemartinmars Track her progress here: — Coulson Aviation (@CoulsonAviation) February 9, 2025 And lift off your of Philippine Mars C-FLYK from Oakland, next stop Arizona. #philippinemars #martiamars #cflyk #flynavy #pimaairandspacemuseum #aviationsafari #aviationpreservation #boneyardsafari #aviationadventures — Boneyard Safari (@Boneyardsafari) February 10, 2025 In 2007 Coulson Aircrane Ltd. purchased Philippine Mars and its sister aircraft, Hawaii Mars 'to expand its firefighting capabilities, establishing itself as the only operator at the time operating both fixed wing and rotary wing firefighting aircraft,' according to the company. The Martin Mars flying boats were unique aircraft. With a wingspan of 200 feet and a length of more than 117 feet, the Mars — in its ultimate configuration — tipped the scales at 165,000 pounds at its maximum takeoff weight. It was powered by four Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone radial engines, each producing 2,500 horsepower. There were seven Martin Mars flying boats, all produced between 1942 and 1947, according to Coulson. 'The surviving fleet of four aircraft were sold in 1958 to a consortium of timber companies in British Columbia, Canada, and converted into the world's largest waterbombers carrying 7,200 U.S. gallons per drop,' according to Vintage Aviation News. 'The Mars fleet flew cargo between Hawaii and the Pacific Islands to support the U.S. Navy during World War II,' the company explained. 'After the war, they supported the Korean War with medical air transport lifts between Hawaii and California, later transitioning to cargo lift work between Hawaii and California before being decommissioned in 1956.' The surviving fleet of four aircraft was sold in 1958 'to a consortium of timber companies in British Columbia, Canada, and converted into the world's largest waterbombers carrying 7,200 U.S. gallons per drop.' Coulson purchased two of the aircraft, the Hawaii Mars and the Philippine Mars, in 2007, which marked the beginning of the company's fixed-wing air tanker operations for aerial wildfire support. The Mars water bombers 'served the Province of British Columbia from 1960-2015 and over the span of 55 years dropped over 50 million gallons each which is more water on fires than any other single firefighting aircraft in history anywhere in the world.' The aircraft were put up for sale nearly a decade ago, but nobody bought them. Eventually, they were fully retired as the cost to fly and maintain them grew. A deal was later worked out to send Philippine Mars to PASM. As we previously reported earlier this year, its sister ship, Hawaii Mars, made a two-hour flight to its new home at the B.C. Aviation Museum in Sidney on Vancouver Island. Now that Philippine Mars has arrived in Arizona, there will be no more majestic Mars flying boats to ever grace the skies again, marking the end of an aviation era. Contact the author: howard@
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
B.C.'s legendary Martin Mars water bomber makes final journey to its permanent home
The Philippine Mars water bomber, a legendary aircraft that fought wildfires in B.C. for nearly 50 years, has completed its final flight. The massive plane left its longtime base at Sproat Lake in Port Alberni, B.C., on Sunday, bidding farewell to B.C. After a brief stop in San Francisco, the aircraft landed in Arizona's Lake Pleasant on Monday evening. Wayne Coulson, CEO of Coulson Aviation, the company that has owned the water bomber for years, confirmed the aircraft will be dismantled before being trucked to its final resting place at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson. "We're pleased to find a new home for it where it can live for eternity," said Coulson, speaking to CBC News from Arizona as the aircraft sat moored behind him. The Philippine Mars was one of six prototypes produced by the U.S. Navy in the 1940s for large-scale transport between the West Coast and Hawaii. However, as aviation technology advanced, the planes were retired and put up for auction. In the 1950s, B.C.'s forest industry purchased four of the aircraft and repurposed them into wildfire-fighting machines. Coulson Aviation purchased two in 2007—the Hawaii Mars and the Philippine Mars. The Hawaii Mars was recently donated to the B.C. Aviation Museum in North Saanich. The Philippine Mars' final journey would have also come sooner, but the aircraft's departure from Sproat Lake was delayed several months due to mechanical issues, including an emergency landing in December. In recent weeks, Coulson Aviation says its team worked tirelessly to repair the plane, even using two engines from its sister plane, the Hawaii Mars, to get it airborne. "We felt that was a safer choice to move this particular airplane," Caulson said. WATCH | ome early footage of when the plane was first introduced to B.C.: Vancouver-based entrepreneur and aviation enthusiast Ian Bell, who first saw the Martin Mars in action at Sproat Lake about 50 years ago, recalls being awestruck by its size and power. "It was probably the most incredible thing I'd ever seen," Bell told CBC News. "Just the spectacle of seeing them do their thing is incredible." Bill also recalls the Martin Mars being a highlight at the Abbotsford Air Show for many years, where large crowds would watch in awe as the plane dropped its massive load of water between the runways. "I saw the Mars at the show every year for many, many years," he said. "I'm not sure when they stopped, but they always did the water drop demo. It was truly spectacular." He says the water bombers are beloved by many throughout the province, but as wildfire-fighting methods evolved, the aircraft's services became less needed. "The time has come for these planes to retire," Bell said. "They've found a dignified way to spend their final years." Coulson says the Philippine Mars will be available for viewing at the Pima Air and Space Museum in the next four to six weeks.
