Martin 202
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| Martin Executive | |
|---|---|
| Type | airliner |
| Manufacturer | Glenn L. Martin Company |
| Maiden flight | November, 1946 |
| Introduced | August, 1947 |
| Retired | about 1975 |
| Status | retired, 1 left in a museum |
| Primary users | Northwest Orient Airlines TWA LAN (Chile) United Airlines Eastern Airlines California Central Ailines Pioneer Airlines Allegheny Airlines |
| Number built | 56 |
The Martin 202 was one of the first of the modern airliners. The twin-engined piston aircraft was designed and built by the by Glenn L. Martin Company. Glenn Martin, president of the company, intended that the Model 202 would be a replacement for the DC-3. It was also known as the "Martin Executive".
The first flight of the Model 2-0-2 was in November 1946. Full civilian certification was gained in August 1947. This was several months before competing aircraft types. The total production of 202's and 202a's (the commercial designations) was about 50 aircraft.
The Martin Company designated the following quantities for the airlines (though not all were built), listed by Martin Model number:
- 202 - twin engine prototype: 3, in 1946
- 202FL - twin engine commercial transport, Chile: 4, in 1947
- 202NW - twin engine commercial transport, Northwest Airlines: 25, in 1947
- 202LAV - twin engine commercial transport, Venezuela: 2, in 1947
- 202A - twin engine commercial transport, Trans World Airlines: 21, in 1947
- 202E - twin engine commercial transport, Eastern Airlines: 25, in 1947
The aircraft had a top speed of 275 miles per hour, was designed to carry 40 passengers and a flight crew of 3 (pilot, copilot/navigator/radio operator and flight steward). Its maximum range was 1,550 miles.
The aircraft was non-pressurized but was considered a long range airliner. A fatal crash in 1948 revealed a serious structural problem in the wings. Strucutal metal fatigue was the problem in a major wing spar. Alloy 7075-T6 was used, which is susceptible to stress-corrosion cracking and low toughness. The airliner was grounded and modifications were made. The wing components were redesigned and the engines replaced. The changed type was designated the Martin 202A.
[edit] Specifications
The aircraft's maximum speed was 280 miles per hour with a cruising speed was 254 miles per hour. Stall speed was 100 knots (clean) and 90 knots (full flaps). The aircraft was powered by two 2,000 HP Pratt & Whitney R-2800 double Wasps. Hamilton Standard propellors were used on the aircraft.
The aircraft was 74 feet 7 inches in length, 28 feet 5 inches high and had a wingspan of 93 feet 3 inches. The wing area was 864 square feet.
The empty weight was 22,500 pounds; 36,500 pounds fully loaded. The payload was 8,000 to 9,500 pounds with a useful load of 14,000 pounds.
[edit] Airlines
TWA and Northwest eventually sold their Martin 202A's, to California Central and Pioneer Airlines. Later, Allegheny Airlines aquired many of the 202's as part of the company's expansion plans, beginning June 1, 1955. Eventually they acquired a total of 18 aircraft.
Only one of this type of aircraft is known to survive, at the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey.
This airliner type was eventually developed into the Martin 4-0-4, which was far more successful.
