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'Mighty Martin' WWII flying boats to fight fires (new life for old aircraft)
The Daily Breeze (LA area news) ^ | 06/22/2009 | wire service reports

Posted on 06/23/2009 11:19:06 AM PDT by SERKIT

One of the last two Flying Boats from World War II -- a 747-sized airplane that can only land on water -- will be floating on Lake Elsinore this summer, ready to dump tons of water on Southern California wildfires.

The 'Mighty Martins'

One of the last two Flying Boats from World War II -- a 747-sized airplane that can only land on water -- will be floating on Lake Elsinore this summer, ready to dump tons of water on Southern California wildfires, it was reported today.

A Martin Mars JRM-3 flying boat -- with a wingspan greater than a Boeing 747 -- is scheduled to arrive in Southern California this week, according to the Press-Enterprise newspaper of Riverside.

Operated by Coulson Flying Tankers of British Columbia, Canada, the lumbering World War II-vintage aircraft will be rented to the U.S. Forest Service for its capacity to drop tons of water or slurry on wildfires.

The private company that owns the plane says it has failed to reach a rental agreement with Cal Fire, meaning the large fire apparatus may remain docked at a Lake Elsinore campground during some fires, Lake Elsinore Fire chief Jerry Hendershot told his city council recently, the Press-Enterprise reported.

Jason Kirshner, a spokesman for the Forest Service, indicated the plane could be available if any of the federal agency's partners in firefighting request it, the paper said.

Use of the Martin Mars tanker would be considered on a fire-to-fire basis by an incident commander, Cal Fire-Riverside County Capt. Fernando Herrera told the Press-Enterprise.

"It's a very large aircraft," Herrera said. "It may not be able to fly in some of the canyons."

Lake Elsinore signed an agreement in early June with the Forest Service to temporarily base the WW2-era Navy troop and cargo carrier on the lake, the Press-Enterprise reported. It is expected to arrive after an airworthiness inspection.

The plane is one of the two flying specimens left of what was supposed to be a fleet of U.S. Navy Flying Boats designed during World War II. Only seven were built before the war ended, and the squadron spent 10 years on San Francisco Bay before being decommissioned in 1955.

Most were scrapped, but two Flying Boats were purchased by a Canadian company and used to scoop up water from lakes and bays to fight fires in British Columbia. They have been sold to a new company, which tried but failed to win a government contract to fight fires in California last year.

The Martin Mars tankers use a crew of four. Portions of Lake Elsinore will be closed to boating if the plane will need to scoop up 7,200 gallons of water per pass.


TOPICS: History; Military/Veterans; Miscellaneous; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: firefighting; flyingboat; navair; wildlandfire
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Cool looking ship.
1 posted on 06/23/2009 11:19:09 AM PDT by SERKIT
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To: SERKIT

Brings to mind the old urban myth about the body of a scuba diver found in the ashes of a forest fire...


2 posted on 06/23/2009 11:22:00 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: SERKIT

That is cool!


3 posted on 06/23/2009 11:25:20 AM PDT by caver (Obama's first goals: allow more killing of innocents and allow the killers of innocents to go free.)
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To: SERKIT

It looks like a flying apartment building.


4 posted on 06/23/2009 11:28:01 AM PDT by SeeSharp
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To: SERKIT
The Martin Mars tankers use a crew of four. Portions of Lake Elsinore will be closed to boating if the plane will need to scoop up 7,200 gallons of water per pass.

What if it only needs to pick up 6,800 gallons of water per pass?

5 posted on 06/23/2009 11:28:29 AM PDT by xjcsa (Currently shouting "I told you so" about Michael Steele on my profile page.)
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To: SeeSharp
It probably taxis like an apartment building.

/johnny

6 posted on 06/23/2009 11:29:47 AM PDT by JRandomFreeper (God Bless us all, each, and every one.)
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To: SERKIT
http://www.martinmars.com/
7 posted on 06/23/2009 11:30:35 AM PDT by Pistolshot (The Soap-box, The Ballot-box, The Jury-box, And The Cartridge-Box ...we are past 2 of them.)
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To: SERKIT

Great, now I am going to be rooting for wildfires in the Central Sierras, in hopes of seeing this lumbering behemoth in action.


8 posted on 06/23/2009 11:33:21 AM PDT by Plutarch
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To: SERKIT

Ditto, thanks for posting.


9 posted on 06/23/2009 11:34:22 AM PDT by ASOC (Who IS that fat lady, and why is she singing?????)
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To: xjcsa

Is there that much water in Lake Elsinore?


10 posted on 06/23/2009 11:35:35 AM PDT by D_Idaho ("For we wrestle not against flesh and blood...")
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To: SERKIT

I wonder what happened to all the P-5Ms the Navy retired back in the 70’s. They were a smaller, two engined version of the Mars that might be able to work in areas too small for this monster. If sea planes make good water bombers because they can reload from any standing body of water then I’d think the Mariners would make good candidates.


11 posted on 06/23/2009 11:36:46 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: Non-Sequitur

Mythbusted.


12 posted on 06/23/2009 11:43:13 AM PDT by naturalized
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To: Non-Sequitur

I think thats the Martin Mariner. The last one is parked out here at the Pima Air Museum.


13 posted on 06/23/2009 11:46:21 AM PDT by Old Flat Toad (Pima County, home of the single vehicle accident with 40 victims.)
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To: Non-Sequitur
Be careful if you're ever fishing on Lake Elsinore...
14 posted on 06/23/2009 11:51:47 AM PDT by Hatteras
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To: D_Idaho
Is there that much water in Lake Elsinore?

That's what I was wondering. I was hired once by a RE developer to study Lake Elsinore (Lake "Hell, senor") to see what would be needed to make it attractive lake front property. After a week, I went to him and said "Well, first, we need to find 20 billion gallons of water". That was the end of that job.

15 posted on 06/23/2009 11:52:47 AM PDT by lafroste (gravity is not a force. See my profile to read my novel absolutely free (I know, beyond shameless))
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To: SERKIT

7,200 gallons of water x 7 lbs/gal = 50,400 lbs.

50,400 lbs = 25.2 tons

It just “scoops down” to pick up 25 tons? Holy cow!


16 posted on 06/23/2009 11:54:16 AM PDT by 2111USMC
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To: SERKIT
Ok so the goobermint in it's infinite wisdom never struck a deal with Evergreen International to put the 747 Supertanker on contract but we pay a Canadian company to fly a less capable aircraft.
17 posted on 06/23/2009 11:56:48 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$ (Nemo me impune lacessit)
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To: lafroste
Used to be a pretty decent bass lake...back in the day.

But...yeah it's shallow.

I remember when that area was in the sticks.....and all Elsinore was really known for was the motorcycle race.

My older sister lived not far from there in the early 80's at Canyon Lake.......

18 posted on 06/23/2009 12:08:18 PM PDT by Osage Orange (There ought to be one day-- just one-- when there is open season on senators. - Will Rogers)
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To: SERKIT
I just donated extra original photos and prints (duplicates) of this incredible seaplane and other Martin WWII era planes and flying boats to the Martin Museum in Baltimore, Md (actually Essex at the old Martin Airport). My Mother worked for Glenn L. Martin during and after WW II and left me a bunch of Martin collectables.
19 posted on 06/23/2009 12:13:58 PM PDT by OrioleFan (Republicans believe every day is the 4th of July, democrats believe every day is April 15)
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To: SERKIT

Bombardier makes a cool one like that


20 posted on 06/23/2009 12:17:15 PM PDT by junta (I am the son of Yacub, who for one welcomes my new overlord Obama.)
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