Martin Baltimore
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The Martin 187 Baltimore was a light two-engined attack-bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company in the United States. To enable the aircraft to be supplied to the British under the Lend-Lease Act the USAAF designation A-30 was allocated. It was not used in combat by the US forces, but saw service with the British Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm, the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the South African Air Force.
The crew was four: pilot, navigator/bomb aimer, radio-operator and dorsal-gunner. The radio operator could also man a ventral gun position.
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[edit] History
The Model 187 was developed from the Martin 167 Maryland, it had a deeper fuselage and more powerfull engines. Originally designed for French to replace the Maryland, with the fall of France the RAF took over the order for 400 aircraft in May 1940. The RAF named the aircraft the Baltimore.
With the passing of the Lend-Lease Act two further batches of 575 and then 600 were provided to the British.
[edit] Production and Variants
- Baltimore I - 50 aircraft built
- Fitted with 1,600 hp Wright GR-2600-A5B radial piston engines. Armament was one O.030-inch (7.7-mm) Vickers K machine gun.
- Baltimore II - 100 aircraft built
- As with the Mk I; twin 0.030-inch (7.7-mm) Vickers K machine gun.
- Baltimore III - 250 aircraft built
- Modified Mk II design with a hydraulically-powered dorsal turret supplied by Boulton Paul in the UK with 4 Browning machine guns. .
- Baltimore IIIA - 281 aircraft built
- Ordered by USAAF and supplied under Lend-lease to the RAF, two 0.50-inch (12.7-mm) machine guns in a Martin-built electrically-powered dorsal turret. Designated A-30 by the USAAF.
- Baltimore IV - 294 aircraft built
- USAAF order, lend-lease to RAF. Four 0.303-inch (7.7-mm) Brownings machine guns in the wings. Designated A-30A by the USAAF.
- Baltimore V - 600 aircraft built
- USAAF order, Upgraded with two 1,700 hp Wright R-2600-29 radial piston engines. Wings fitted with 0.50-inch (12.7-mm) machine guns.
All 1575 built were for the RAF. Although a number were lost on delivery across the Atlantic Ocean when two ships carrying Baltimores were sunk.
[edit] Service
The first British aircraft were delivered in late 1941 to equip Operational Training Units. The RAF only used the Baltimores operationally in the Mediterranean area and North Africa.
The Baltimore saw limited Fleet Air Arm service with aircraft transferred from the RAF in the Mediterranean to equip a squadron in 1944. The RAF also transferred aircraft to other allies in the meditteranean area. After the capitulation of Italy in 1943 an Italian-manned squadron was equipped with ex-RAF Baltimores, becoming the co-belligerent Stormo Baltimore
[edit] Operators
- Australia, France, Greece, Italy, South Africa, United Kingdom (Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm), Turkey.
[edit] Specifications (Baltimore V)
Data from Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II[1].
General characteristics
- Crew: four (pilot, navigator/bomb-aimer, radio operator, gunner)
- Length: 48 ft 6 in (14.8 m)
- Wingspan: 61 ft 4 in (18.7 m)
- Height: 14 ft 2 in (4.32 m)
- Wing area: 538.5 ft² (50 m²)
- Empty weight: lb (kg)
- Loaded weight: 24,000 lb (10,900 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Wright GR-2600-A5B geared radial engines, 1,700 hp (1,270 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 305 mph at 11,600 ft (488 km/h at 3,540 m)
- Range: mi (km)
- Service ceiling: ft (m)
- Rate of climb: ft/min (m/s)
- Wing loading: lb/ft² (kg/m²)
- Power/mass: hp/lb (kW/kg)
Armament
- 7× .50 cal machine guns
- 2,000 lb (908 kg) of bombs carried internally
[edit] References
- ^ Bridgman, Leonard, ed. “The Martin Model 187 Baltimore.” Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London: Studio, 1946. 246. ISBN 1-85170-493-0.
[edit] Related content
Designation sequence
A-27 - A-28 - A-29 - A-30 - A-31 - A-32 - A-33
