International Trade Consultants
"Overlooking Runway 25 - Right, at Los Angeles International Airport"
On The Scene at Lake Elsinore, California
Feature Date: Oct. 24-29, 2007
Event Date: Dec. 16, 2007
From 1941 - The Lifesaving Cargo Is Water
The Air & Ocean Logistics- Customs Broker Attorneys
International Trade Consultants
"Overlooking Runway 25 - Right, at Los Angeles International Airport"
On The Scene -- At Lake Elsinore, California
A 2007 Countryman & McDaniel
Cargo Nightmare Prize Contender
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"Fighting
Fires On Mars" On The Scene
At Lake Elsinore,
California From 1941 - The
Lifesaving Cargo Is Water
The Date: Oct. 24-29, 2007
The Time: Daily Express
The Place: Lake Elsinore, California
The
World War II Martin Mars Flying Boat -- A Long Range Naval
Bomber Her Type
Destined 62 Years Later To "Bomb" Southern
California Martin JRM Hawaii
Mars Flight Crew:
4 (pilot, co-pilot & 2 flight engineers) Overall
length - 120 ft. (Compare to: Boeing 737 at 137 feet)
Wing
Span: 200 ft. (Compare to: Boeing 747 winngspan at 195
feet) Wing area:
3,686 square feet Height -
48 ft. Emply
Weight: 45,573 lbs. Max Loaded
Weight: 165,000 lbs. Range
(WWII): 4,945 miles Martin JRM Hawaii
Mars Operating Data Engines -
4 Wright Cyclone R335 50?24WA engines @ 2500 h.p. each
Engine
thrust - 4-blade propellers with a blade diameter of 15
ft. 2 in. Water/Foam
Drop Load: 7,200 US gallons (60,000 lbs.) Payload:
Water & suppressant (polymer with freshwater or foam
with sea water) Water Doors
- 22 for covering an area the size of four football
fields with water or foam Cruising
Speed to Fire: 190 mph Drop Speed:
138 mph PROLOG
>>During
World War II, the Glenn
L. Martin Co.
developed two flying boats, the
"Mariner"
and the giant "Mars",
and after the war the company would develop the last
large flying boat in US service, the
"Marlin". The
Martin
Mars
was originally designated as a long range naval bomber.
The U.S.
Navy
took delivery of 5 of the flying boats between 1945 &
1947. Stationed at U.S.
Naval Air Station
Alameda
(San Francisco), the Mars carried troops between
California & Hawaii. The
last remaining planes --
Mars
Hawaii
& Mars
Phillipines
were acquired by Coulson Aircrane, Ltd
(Coulson
Flying Tankers)
in 1961. Coulson
converted the venerable warriors to high volume water
tankers which now are an effective tool in fighting
woodland fires. Mars
Hawaii
& Mars
Phillipines
arw now permanently based on Vancouver Island, British
Columbia, Canada -- from which they can be dispatched to
fight wildfires throughout North America. When
wildfires threatened Orange County & San Diego
County, California in Oct. 2007 --
Mars
Hawaii
& Mars
Phillipines
were summoned to combat by
CAL
Fire
& the San
Diego Fire Dept.
to set up a firefighting base at
Lake
Elsinire,
the largest natural lake in Southern California.
The
only other big tanker in Southern California this fire
season was the modern
DC-10 Supertanker.
Quite a show to watch te the
DC-10
Supertanker from
near the homes of Michael
McDaniel
& Byron
Countryman
of the Countryman
& McDaniel
law firm in the hills near
Malibu,
California
during the fires this Oct. 2007. The
DC-10
Supertanker dumps
a whole load of fire retardant, but then has to land and
get recharged. The process takes at least an hour. It is
not capable of hitting fires repeatedly in an hour, nor
is it capable of dealing with multiple fires like we have
here now. Plus, it needs a guide plane. In contrast,
Mars
Hawaii
can reload from a lake and drop agan within as little as
7 minutes. This is 1930's technology versus 1970's
technology. Who could have guessed? During
The Southern California Fire: Oct. 26 - One drop on
the Harris
Fire - 4,950
gallons Oct. 27 - Two drops
on the Witch
Fire - 8,975
gallons Oct. 28 - One drop on
the Poomacha
Fire - 5, 200
gallons Oct. 29 - Four drops
on the Poomacha
Fire - 24,013
gallons We thought you would
enjoy the breathtaking views
(below)
of Mars
Hawaii
helping to protect our Southern
California
ennvironment. Unlike our usual disaster
Cargo
Law
photo feature -- Mars
Hawaii does
not suffer a disaster, but uses her life saving cargo of
water to help prevent one. This elegant old girl still
shows all the "piss
& vinegar"
she demonstrated in World War II. Quite
amazing. 1941 -
2007
Oct. 24 - The
Hawaii
Mars arrives
at the largest natural lake in So. Calif. -
Lake
Elsinore
Michael
S. McDaniel
- Your Editor
The
"Old
Lady" -- The First
Mars
-- 1941
U.S. Navy interest in a very large flying boat, or "flying dreadnought", to be used for long-range ocean patrol, began in 1935, and resulted in a contract awarded to Martin Aircraft on 23 August 1938. The new aircraft was designated the "XPB2M-1 Mars". The XPB2M-1 was rolled out from the hangar at Martin's Middle River, Maryland, plant in September 1941.The "Old Lady", as it would come to be known, was a monster, something along the lines of a scaled-up Mariner with a wingspan of 61 meters (200 feet), a length of 36 meters (117 feet), and an empty weight of 34.3 tonnes (75,573 pounds). The aircraft was powered by four Wright 18-cylinder R-3350-18 Duplex Cyclone radial engines, each providing 1,492 kW (2,000 HP), driving three-bladed Schwarz wooden propellers with a diameter of 5.18 meters (17 feet).
The XPB2M-1 was unarmed, but had provisions for tail and nose turrets, a retractable top turret, and flexible gun positions on each side of the rear fuselage and under the rear hull. Each turret or gun position would mount a single 7.62 millimeter (0.30 caliber) Browning machine gun. The aircraft had a bombbay in the fuselage, with the doors in the wingroots.
The Old Lady nearly came to grief during tests on 5 Dec. 1941, when one of the engines caught fire. Fortunately, the engine burned off its mounts and fell into the water, preventing the destruction of the entire aircraft. The Old Lady made its first flight on 23 June 1942 (some sources claim 3 July 1942), after the engines had been replaced with uprated Duplex Cyclones with 1,640 kW (2,200 HP) each and driving three-bladed Hamilton Standard propellers with a diameter of 5 meters (16.5 feet).
Martin continued test flights on the aircraft until Nov. 1943, when the Old Lady was passed on to the U.S. Navy. By this time the U.S. Navy had decided that big lumbering easy-kill patrol bombers were not such a good idea after all, and the flying boat was converted to a cargo aircraft before it was handed over. The provisions for turrets and guns, bomb bays, and armor plate were removed, cargo-loading hatches and cargo-loading equipment were installed, and the decking was reinforced. The modified aircraft given the designation "XPB2M-1R".
The XPB2M-1R operated in a training role out of the Naval Air Station (NAS) at Patuxent River, Maryland, until January 1944, when it was transferred to the U.S. Naval Air Station at Almeda, California. It made 78 round trips between San Francisco, and Honolulu until being retired in March 1945. The Old Lady was then overhauled and used by Martin for training.
The U.S. Navy was pleased enough with the Old Lady in its transport configuration that they decided to order 20 of a purpose-built transport version for the specific purpose of proving airlift services between Alameda and Honolulu. The new version was given the designation "JRM-1".
The first JRM-1, named the Hawaii Mars, was completed in June 1945. The Hawaii Mars had the same wing & float structure as the Old Lady, but was otherwise extensively redesigned. The powerplants were upgraded to 1,790 kW (2,400 HP) Wright R-3350-8 Duplex Cyclone engines; the twin-tail was replaced by a tall single vertical tail; the fuselage was extended by 1.82 meters (6 feet); large cargo doors with electric hoists were installed under the wings with smaller cargo doors placed farther aft; and the internal layout was optimized for cargo and transport operations, with fewer internal bulkheads.
The JRM-1's maximum cargo capacity was almost 16 tons (35,000 pounds). The aircraft could be configured to carry 133 troops, or 84 litters (with 25 seats) for the medical evacuation ("medevac") role, on its two decks. Unfortunately, the Hawaii Mars was lost in an accident in Chesapeake Bay on 5 August 1945.
A few days later the war was over, and the U.S. Navy decided they didn't need 20 JRM-1's after all. Five more Mars flying boats were completed instead: the Philippine Mars, the Marianas Mars, the Marshall Mars, a second Hawaii Mars, and the single JRM-2 Caroline Mars, delivered in July 1947 and equipped with 2,238 kW (3,000 HP) P&W R-4360-4T Wasp Major 28-cylinder four-row "corncob" radial engines.
World War II -- Plus 62 years -- World's Largest Operational Flying Boat Prepares For Combat Coulson Flying Tankers - Martin JRM C-FLYL Hawaii Mars Purchased By Coulson in 1960 Alomg With Mars Phillipines
These Last Two Martin Mars Were Converted To Heavy Water Tankers
Mars Hawaii - Oct. 2007
The Largest Operational Flying Boat In History Brushes Bushes Onto Lake Elsinore, California
Photo Courtesy: Jim Mumaw - Lancaster, CA
Mars Hawaii Approaches The Water Scoop At 190mph Photo Courtesy: Jim Mumaw - Lancaster, CA
Mars Hawaii Is 62 Years Old And Protecting Southern California Photo Courtesy: Jim Mumaw - Lancaster, CA
60,000 Lbs. of Lake Elsinore About To Load Onto Mars Hawaii Photo Courtesy: Jim Mumaw - Lancaster, CA
Mars Hawaii Will Scoop Her 72,000 gallon Load And Return To The Fire In 7 Minutes
Photo Courtesy: Jim Mumaw - Lancaster, CA
Mars Hawaii Is Your Grandfather's Aerial Fire Bomber!
1941 -
2007 Mars
Hawaii
Mars Hawaii Still Is A Potent Warrior
Thank You Coulson Flying Tankers From The People of Southern California
The Cargo Letter Update - 19 June 2009:My name is Jim Mumaw and I noticed my shots of the Coulson Martin Mars coming in low for a landing at Lake Elsinore on your site. If not a lot of trouble, I'd sure appreciate it if you'd give me credit for the photos.I don't have any web site to link to but I sure do appreciate the thought. Mars Hawaii was scheduled to come in to Lake Elsinore this past Saturday, but after a 190-mile trip, I found it was put off until mid week. You win some, you lose some and some just get rained out! LOL
Jim Mumaw - Lancaster, CAEditor Note:
Jim, these are stunning, professional photos. Thank you for providing these for our readers.McD
Shippers Must Have Quality Marine Cargo Insurance ........ Because......... "Ship Happens! ©"
If We Have Ever Provided A Cautionary Tale In Support of Cargo Insurance -- This Is It!
Shipping Domestic & International Air Cargo Is A Risky Business -- Anything Can Happen
To Repeat -- No Matter How Careful You Are -- Or Who You Hire ....... "Ship Happens! ©"
"Ship Happens! ©"
The Dedication of This Feature Is Simple: To The Fire Crews of California-- And To Their Families. There is No Harder Or More Dangerous Job.
SPECIAL NOTE: The historic dangers of carriage by air & sea continue to be quite real. Shippers must be encouraged to purchase high quality marine cargo insurance from their freight forwarder or customs broker. It's dangerous out there.
INDEX TO OUR "Fighting Fires On Mars" PAGE SPECIAL FEATURES:READERS NOTE: This Section Not Yet Completed Due To TimeFlying Clippers Pan American's Fabulous Flying ShipsFlying Boats - the history
Martin AviationBring Home The Martin Mars!Mars Hawaii Operations At Lake Elsinore Movie - Oct.2007
Martin Mars NewsreelsThe Flying Tankers MovieFlying Tanker Movie - Performs At Air Show
Flying Tankers Movie - Tour of The Base
Mars Hawaii Operations At Lake Elsinore Movie - Oct.2007
#2
Our Daily Vessel Casualties - stay informed
Other Features From The Cargo Letter- these are just examples
The Cargo Letter Photo Gallery of Transport Loss - For All The Air & Ocean Features - a few examples below"The One That Almost Got Away" - M/V Jeppesen Maersk
"Steeplechase"- A340 - Nov. 2007
"Explorer Ship Down" - M/V Explorer - Nov. 2007
"Kwanyang Crane Kaboom" - Nov. 2007
"Den Den Done" - M/V Denden - Sept. 2007
"For The "L" of It" - M/V Action Alpha - August 2007
"Stack Attack!" - M/V Ital Florida - July 2007
"Riding Down The Marquis" - M/V Rickmars Dalian - June 2007
"Carrying Coal To Newcastle" - M/V Pasha Bulker - June 2007
"Between A Yacht & A Hard Place" - M/V Madame Butterfly - May 2007
"Boxing Up The Rhine" - M/V Excelsior - April 2007
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BestWorst Laid Plans?" - M/V Republica di Genoa - March 2007"Crack'n On The Sidmouth" - M/V MSC Napoli - Jan. 2007
"Operation Jumbo Drop" - M/V Jumbo Challenger - March 2007
"Wrong Way Agulhas?" - M/V Safmarine Agulhas - Jan. 2007
"Full Speed Ahead" - M/V Alva Star - Nov. 2006
"Where The Trade Winds Blew" - Oct. 2006
"Maersk Montevideo Melee!" - M/V Leda Maersk - Oct. 2006
"Laying Down On The Job" - M/V Cargo Ace - Aug. 2006 The Marty Johnson Project Continues
"A Day A The Beach - M/V APL Panama - Jan. 2006
"Great Misfortune"- M/V Hyundai Fortune - March 2006
"Unstacked - Overboard With Dr. Beach" - Oct. 2004
"Columbia River Round Up" - June 2003
"Halifax Hash"--M/V Maersk Carolina - Jan. 2003
"Piñata" - breaking the box - Jan. 2003
"T-E-U Bar-Be-Cue" - aftermath of the M/V Pennsylvania Loss - Nov. 2002
"Container Pool" - a mystery - May 2002
"Dropping In On The Trucker" -happened again - April 2002
"Meals: Ready To Explode" - Navy Barbecue at Guam June 2001
"M/V Ville D' Orion" - Bad L.A. Stack Disaster! April 2001 -- UPDATED - May 2002
"Pier Review" - Sept. 2001
"Singles Only" - visit our individual moments of transport crisis for more.
The Greatest Container Losses Of All Time - these are the grand fathers -
M/V OOCL America......... The Above Disasters Are Just A Start ......The Cargo Letter Photo Gallery of Transport Loss - For All The Air & Ocean Features
SPECIAL NOTE: The historic dangers of carriage by sea continue to be quite real. Shippers must be encouraged to purchase high quality marine cargo insurance from their freight forwarder or customs broker.It's very dangerous out there.
Thanks To Our Contributors For The"Fighting Fires On Mars" Feature
Our Contributors for this feature are:Our Doc - anonymous expert who supplies glue to this WebsiteStephanie Warren - Chairman of The Board, Calabasas Chamber of Commerce - Calabasas, California
Jim Mumaw - Lancaster, CA
The Cargo Letter appreciates the continuing efforts of these valued contributors. Thanks Pals!
NOTE: Please Provide Us With Your Additional Information For This Loss.
EDITOR'S NOTE FOR SURVEYORS, ATTORNEYS & MARINE ADJUSTERS: The Internet edition effort of The Cargo Letter now celebrates it's 8th Year of Service -- making us quite senior in this segment of the industry. We once estimated container underway losses at about 1,500 per year. Lloyd's put that figure at about 10,000 earlier this year. Quite obviously, the reporting mechanism for these massive losses is not supported by the lines. News of these events is not posted to the maritime community. Our new project is to call upon you -- those handling the claims -- to let us know of each container loss at sea-- in confidentiality. Many of you survey on behalf of cargo interests with no need for confidentiality. Others work for the lines & need to be protected. As a respected Int'l publication, The Cargo Letter enjoys full press privileges & cannot be forced to disclose our sources of information. No successful attempt has ever been made. If a personal notation for your report is desired -- each contributor will be given a "hot link" to your company Website in each & every report. Please take moment & report your "overside" containers to us. If you do not wish attribution, your entry will be "anonymous." This will will benefit our industry -- for obvious reasons! McD
* NOTE: The Cargo Letter wants you to know that by keeping the identity of our contributors 100% Confidential, you are able to view our continuing series of "Cargo Disasters." Our friends send us materials which benefit the industry. The materials are provided to our news publication with complete and enforceable confidentiality for the sender. In turn, we provide these materials to you.
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