| JRM Mars | |
| Image Border: | yes |
| Type: | Flying boat |
| National Origin: | United States |
| Manufacturer: | Glenn L. Martin Company |
| First Flight: | 23 June 1942 |
| Introduction: | 30 November 1943 |
| Retired: | 1956 (USN)2024 (Civilian) |
| Status: | Retired |
| Primary User: | United States Navy (historical) |
| More Users: |
|
| Produced: | 1945–1948 |
| Number Built: | 7 |
| Developed Into: | Martin 193 |
The Martin JRM Mars is a large, four-engined cargo transport flying boat designed and built by the Martin Company 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 United States Navy contracted the development of the XPB2M-1 Mars in 1938 as a long-range ocean patrol flying boat, which later entered production as the JRM Mars long-range transport.
Four of the surviving aircraft were later converted for civilian use to firefighting water bombers. Two of the aircraft remained based at Sproat Lake just outside of Port Alberni, British Columbia, with one, the "Hawaii Mars", remaining in operation until 2016. On March 28, 2024, the British Columbia Aviation Museum announced it acquired the aeroplane from Coulson Aviation. It flew on its last flight to Victoria on August 11, 2024. On the evening of Wednesday, August 21, 2024, just after 9:00 pm, the "Hawaii Mars" was on a 360-degree rotating trailer as it crept across the active taxiways of Victoria Airport towards the British Columbia Aviation Museum. It will become part of a permanent display there, taking the museum's "Crown Jewel" title. [1]
On April 25, 2024, it was announced that "Philippine Mars" will be acquired by the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona to be put on permanent display there.[2] It is due to be flown there later in the year. It entered the Sproat Lake water for powered testing November 04, 2024. [3]
The Glenn L. Martin Company scaled up their PBM Mariner patrol bomber design to produce the prototype XPB2M-1 Mars.[4] The XPB2M-1 was announced on 8 November 1941. Delayed by an engine fire during ground runs, the aircraft first flew on 23 June 1942. After flight tests with the XPB2M between 1942 and 1943, she was passed on to the Navy. The original patrol bomber concept was considered obsolete by this time, 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.[4] 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.[5] 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, and 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.[6] The last production airplane (the Caroline Mars) was designated JRM-2, powered by 3000hp 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.[7] 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 "Big Four" flew record amounts of Naval cargo on the San Francisco-Honolulu route efficiently until 1956, when they were beached at NAS Alameda.[4]
In 1959, the remaining Mars aircraft were to be sold for scrap, but a Canadian company, Forest Industries Flying Tankers (FIFT), was formed and bid for the four aircraft and a large spares inventory. The company represented a consortium of British Columbia forest companies, and the bid was accepted and the sale completed in December 1959. The four aircraft were flown to Fairey Aviation at Victoria, British Columbia, for conversion into water bombers. The conversion involved the installation of a plywood tank in the cargo bay with retractable pick-up scoops to allow uploading of water while the aircraft was taxiing. The scoops allowed 27t of water to be taken on board in 22 seconds. Later some of the hull fuel tanks were replaced with water tanks.[8]
The Marianas Mars crashed near Northwest Bay, British Columbia, on 23 June 1961 during firefighting operations; all four crew members were lost. Just over a year later, on 12 October 1962 while parked onshore at the Victoria airport, the Caroline Mars was damaged beyond repair by Typhoon Freda when she was blown 200 metres/yards, breaking her back.[9] The Hawaii Mars and Philippine Mars had their conversion into water bombers advanced and entered service in 1963.[4] They appeared at local airshows, demonstrating their water-dropping ability. Flying Tankers Inc. flew the water bombers to hot spots around the province when a need developed, such as in August 2003, when a large forest fire threatened the outskirts of Kelowna, British Columbia.
On 10 November 2006, TimberWest Forest Ltd. announced they were looking for buyers of the Mars. A condition of sale was that the purchaser would have to donate one plane back to Port Alberni when they were retired, as a historic attraction.[10] The Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum and British Columbia Aviation Council initiated a joint effort to preserve the aircraft, one for display in Maryland and the other at the current location in Canada.[11] On 13 April 2007, TimberWest announced the sale of both aircraft to Coulson Forest Products, a local forestry company in Port Alberni, British Columbia. The two surviving tankers are presently operated by Coulson Flying Tankers and are based and maintained at Sproat Lake near Port Alberni. On 25 October 2007, the Hawaii Mars ("Redtail") arrived at Lake Elsinore in southern California, on a private contract, to assist with firefighting efforts at the California wildfires of October 2007. Meanwhile, the Philippine Mars had been undergoing "extensive maintenance and renovation" and was expected to be ready to fly again by 2010.[12], the Hawaii Mars was in service fighting the La Brea Fire east of Santa Maria in Southern California.
The aircraft can carry of water and each deployment can cover an area of up to 4 acres (1.6 hectares). The aircraft can also carry up to of foam concentrate for gelling the load drop.[13] They are mainly used to fight fires along the coast of British Columbia and sometimes in the interior. As of July 29, 2010, the Martin Mars was being used to fight the Mason Lake/Bonaparte Lake fire north of Kamloops.[14]
On 23 August 2012, the Coulson Group announced that the Philippine Mars, due to its lack of use for five years, would be retired and flown to the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida to become a static exhibit. The aircraft was repainted to its original U.S. Navy colors and was to have been delivered to the museum in November 2012.[15] After many delays, the trade deal of transferring the aircraft to the museum was put on hold by the Navy in June 2016, pending the outcome of the 2016 US Presidential election.[16]
On 10 May 2013, the B.C. provincial government announced that the Hawaii Mars would no longer be placed on contract after the 2013 season, due to not having been used to fight any B.C. fires for two years and the operation of newer and more versatile aircraft by the Coulson group including a Lockheed C-130 Hercules converted to firefighting use. Although Coulson has stated that the Hawaii Mars has been under numerous recent upgrades to make it safer and more reliable,[17] no buyers have come forward to purchase the aircraft. Coulson also cautioned against any plans to open the aircraft as a tourist attraction, citing the 2013 closure of the Flying Tankers Bomber Base Museum from poor attendance.[18]
In May 2015, the Hawaii Mars received a small contract to be used briefly for training Chinese pilots. This was done using the Martin Mars to evaluate against civil certification regulations by the International Test Pilots School on how to handle such a large amphibious aircraft. The pilots would be involved with the Chinese state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China as they got ready to launch their forthcoming AVIC AG600 airplane.[19] Subsequently, in July 2015, the airplane was put back in service after public outcry, being awarded a 30-day contract from the BC Government to help with a particularly bad fire season.[20]
In 2016, the Hawaii Mars made its first appearance at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in hopes of being sold or leased to a new home or business.[21] One of the pilots on the way to Oshkosh was well-known Kermit Weeks.
In January 2022, the Hawaii Mars was the subject of multiple news articles when it was placed on sale by the company Platinum Fighter Sales for over $5 million.[22] [23] In June 2023, plans were being finalized for the transfer of the Hawaii Mars to the British Columbia Aviation Museum.[24]
On April 1, 2024, Coulson Aviation released a formal statement, publicly announcing that Hawaii Mars would be donated to the British Columbia Aviation Museum, located at the Victoria International Airport in North Saanich, BC. [25] Since this announcement, preparations have been underway onsite at the Sproat Lake Bomber Base in Port Alberni. On March 28, 2024, the province of British Columbia provided a $250,000 grant to "protect and preserve" the plane that had been instrumental in protecting the forests of the West Coast.[26]
On April 25, 2024, Coulson Aviation released a formal statement, publicly announcing that Philippine Mars would be donated to the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona. Coulson Aviation plans to have both remaining Martin JRM Mars aircraft delivered to their museums by the end of 2024.[27] This development was foreshadowed by Coulson's donation of Hawaii Mars to the British Columbia Aviation Museum, announced just weeks before. On June 4, 2024, Coulson Aviation announced that they would offer two tiers of "VIP Experience Packages" to paying customers wishing "to get up close and personal with their Martin Mars water bombers."[28] These packages were described in $5,000 and $15,000 USD tiers. After realizing local demand and popularity, Coulson added a $1,000 CAD "Alberni Residents" tier, which required proof of address to purchase.The VIP Experience Packages included a base "Water Taxi" package. "This experience will consist of a detailed walk around the airplane and participation in the daily inspection with the maintenance team." The top tier was the "Pilot Recurrency" Package. "This is for our hardcore aviation enthusiasts who dream of getting behind the controls of a, behemoth." The VIP Experience Program sold out in 3 days.[29]
On August 1, 2024, Hawaii Mars took flight for the first time since 2016,[30] making further preparation for the ferry flight to Patricia Bay on August 11, 2024.[31] The aircraft flew for a short period after experiencing a technical issue shortly after departure that required the in-flight shutdown and feathering of the number-four engine. After repairs, the aircraft performed multiple other test flights coinciding with its "VIP Experience" program.On August 10, 2024, Hawaii Mars was flown around the Beaufort Range and Comox Glacier accompanied by a Short Skyvan photo ship. On board were photographers tasked with capturing Hawaii Mars prior to her retirement for various magazines and news media outlets including Skies Magazine. [32]
On August 11, 2024, the Hawaii Mars embarked on what would be its final flight before retiring to the British Columbia Aviation Museum in North Saanich BC. The aircraft was piloted by Peter Killin (captain) and Rick Matthews (first officer). Because of safety concerns for the departure and flight sequences, very limited details were made available to the public leading to the fight. Hawaii Mars departed Sproat Lake for the final time slightly behind schedule at around 3:40pm local time. The aircaft made low passes of the Sproat Lake Bomber Base, Port Alberni Harbour Quay, and the city, before embarking on its journey around multiple communities "with a flight path from Port Alberni to Campbell River, Powell River, then back to Comox and down the coast to Victoria." Hawaii Mars was accompanied by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds during the closing segments of the final flight to Patricia Bay in North Saanich. The arrival of Hawaii Mars at Patricia Bay was live streamed on YouTube. [33]
On August 14, 2024, Hawaii Mars was carefully maneuvered past breakwaters at the Patricia Bay Coast Guard station. [34] In the following days, the aircraft was carefully jacked onto a custom-built 360-degree swivelling trailer by Nickel Brothers, in preparation for an overnight move onto airport land to her parking spot at the British Columbia Aviation Museum.
On August 21, 2024, Hawaii Mars was transported from the Patricia Bay Coast Guard Station to her parking spot at British Columbia Aviation Museum by crews at Nickel Bros, a company known for moving large structures without requiring disassembly. [35] The move was completed successfully at approximately 9:15pm local time. [36] At present, the aircraft is viewable from a distance, and is scheduled for its official ribbon cutting ceremony on September 28, 2024.[37]