America's Biggest WW2 Plane - The Martin Mars
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- Опубликовано: 18 мар 2021
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Dr. Mark Felton is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fe...
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Footage Credit: Dan von Raesfeld
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Ok
I love you, still a shitty game and your fastened voice mean it
Yep, great vids!
The game (bad or not) is a good fit for you channel but if you get any bigger will you get turned by the Dark side (Raid Shadow Legends)?
Great video but that add... NO THANKS.
At least it wasn’t Raid Shadow Legends
My mom built these during ww2, she was a Rosie. She passed 8/19 bless her and her memory
@Ron Neff, God Bless your Mum and I thank her for the sacrifices and hardships that she endured, in those days it was called "just doing your part" and everyone was in the same boat, working hard to defeat the enemy. I personally understand it as I'm a disabled British war pensioner, Iraq and Afghanistan. When I was my sons age, I had been to five continents, was married, had a mortgage, had him and had fought in Op Granby (desert storm,) he's more interested in drinking and playing computer games! God Bless your Mum, she's in my thoughts and prayers. 👍🇬🇧🙏👍
Wow. You must be old as me then.
My mom was a WAC during WWII and was part of a unit that ferried B-17's from here in Everett, Wa to So Calif for deployment to the Pacific. She got to fire the 50 cal's and she once horked out the bomb bay! To her last breath, she absolutely loved her B-17's!! RIP 🙏 ♥ Mom!
Utmost respect, thx for sharing.
True hero
It's still incredible watching these planes collect water on the go in forest fire season here in BC. Truly massive even today
We really appreciate you keeping them. Thanks!
I was fortunate to watch one of these collect water at Waterton Lake in Southern Alberta (mere kilometres over the provincial border from B.C.).
It was a sight to behold.
Incredible to still know they’re in service.
@@thEannoyingE They are sadly not in service any more they have not been used for over three years now
@@raymondharper9294 They cost too much to fly. And rebuilding those huge ancient radial piston engines is a nightmare
Seeing the Empire in a flying boat must have been a experience
Especially being British and of considerable means.
@@JS-el3zm Or if you are a civil servant and have been given positions in the Empire
An experience. The Empire demands good diction. Please provide it. Good evening.
You can see the empire now with a quick boat trip around Britain.
@@SirAntoniousBlock Hahaha!
when the world need him most, our history teacher is back.
He never left!
Indeed
@@QuantumMechanic_88 Pardon?
And he doesn’t even set us homework.
I think the videos are good, short and precise.
During WWII my father was a US Marine that flew in Consolidated PBY Catalina’s. He said they smelled of gasoline and that every crew member was required to search each other for matches or lighters before a flight to prevent someone from lightning a cigarette in flight and blowing up the plane.
Oh my gosh
My dear Grandad flew Catalinas as a navigator in RAF Coastal Command, out of Scotland. Loads of stories, one being flying nonstop from the Arctic Circle to Gibraltar, IN AUGUST! The oldest member of the crew was just 27. Incredible feats performed by brave young men.
@@stuartliddle7228 The younger you are the more apt to think your invincible...I was in the military young and I was tough...now I'm older and it's a little different now.
@@wirelessone2986 Oh yeah, i totally agree.
That’s the first time I heard that about the Catalinas, but I have heard that one definitely about the mariner , it’s the reason believed why the one that was looking for the lost flight of avengers in 1945 which was in the Bermuda Triangle disappeared.
In the early '50's Phillipine Mars visited NAS Squantum, where Dad did his Navy Reserve duty. He took me on a very memorable tour. Thanks, Dad. And thank YOU,Mark for this vid!
Interesting point as I live in massachusetts and sometimes volunteer at a mass air and space museum and NAS squantum is always mentioned
God, that's like having a building fly over you. Incredible that they are still in service.
That historic takeoff footage with the audio was phenomenal.
That was like being at an Airshow!
I know,, RIGHT
Definitely a testament to the incredible engineering of these planes when theyre still being used 75+ years later. Not only did i get to learn about a float plane i wasnt very familiar with, but i got to see a modern day clip of it as well. Hopefully they succceed in preserving them for more years to come.
I live in Port Alberni , Vancouver Island B.C. Canada , The Mars are stationed here on Sprout Lake just outside of town,They have tours for the public.I've been lucky enough to fly in both of them.
@@ihategoogle4310 Oh now that sounds like a "barrel" roll of fun right there. Thats so cool they give tours in them.
It's incredible how many planes are that old and still flying
@@TheRumbles13 They were certainly built tough back then.
Probably only the B-52 is close to such longevity in the type of service for which originally designed (as opposed to airshow relics or P-51 racing).
Sitting here with a cold beer and and steak outside listening to Mark Felton around the fire. top notch my good Sir
Seems like you're living your best life ;)
That sounds nice
Just up with coffee to a very wet and flooded east coast of AU.
That's an uncommon breakfast, but good on you.
lautoka63 beats my bag of Doritos and water bottle full of whole milk as I sit here on a folding beach chair in my bedroom lol.
I live in Port Alberni, BC, Canada. Home of the Martin Mars water bombers. They are mothballed now but I saw them fly. The Pride of the Alberni Valley. Coulson's Flying Tankers at Sproat Lake.
Yes, they're out at Sproat lake. Very impressive planes!
It's a bunch of crap their mothballed I've seen what they can do in California fires that no little plane can do I don't care what they say
@@dougc190 It's all about money. They are old and parts are impossible to find. They may fly as museum pieces but as an everyday work horse, probably not. Especially when brand new (but much smaller, I agree) planes can be had for firefighting where parts and maintenance cost much less and parts are readily available. Like the song says, "to everything there is a season". These old girls have had their hayday...it's time for sitting out on the porch!
@@dougc190 They had to retire one of them years ago, and then used it it for spare parts to keep the last one running 'til it was no longer feasible.
only reason it was no longer feasible cuz the government wouldn't give him a contract anymore for BS reasons I read up all on it. BC should be a shame to themselves
5:33 Good Lord! The bloody thing has given birth to a baby flying boat
and the spruce goose gave birth to this thing!
The genetic test determined Martin is not the father
Just doing their part to win the war!
@@12what34the What’s up with the lie detector this episode?
Birthed or hatched?
Just a heads up, the Philippine mars has long since been retired, it resides now in the national museum of naval aviation in Pensacola, Florida
Thanks - I read there was some legal dispute holding up its movement to a museum.
@@MarkFeltonProductions No problem, if I recall correctly they even do guided tours onto the the plane for private tour groups, they also repainted it in what I believe to be its original livery
@@MarkFeltonProductions I read that the owners, Coulson Aviation, were denied an export permit for the plane. For some strange reason the Canadian government thought the Mars', being used for so many years as water bombers in British Columbia, were a part of Canadian heritage even thought they were designed, built and used by the US military in WW2.
@@MarkFeltonProductions it was indeed a blocked sale she was repainted into us navy colours and now resides at her home base of Coulson Airbase in Port Alberni, BC along with her sister in her red and white fire fighting livery. These planes are only 20 kms from my residence and they are a beloved aircraft here in BC. As a wildland firefighter I was lucky enough to work with it the final year it was deployed some 8 years ago now. Due to costs and politics they have since sat idle.
They both require extensive work. The Hawaii Mars could not fly safely to Tofino let alone the US. They had plans to retrofit only the Hawaii, the Philipine Mars may be at its resting place at Sprout Lake
Great to see this! I had my first plane trip on the Philippine Mars as a baby when my family returned Stateside from Hawaii in late '52 or early '53 when my dad was reassigned to San Francisco by the Navy. So I have great affection for the aircraft. I need to get out to BC and get a look at the survivors.
They are stationed here in Port Alberni, B.C. Vancouver island, on Sprout Lake , they have tours for the public, growing up my best friend's father was one of the CEO's
@@ihategoogle4310 Well, if travel resumes between our two nations, I'll have to stop by.
And I flew in Hawaii Mars as a toddler with my Navy family SF to Honolulu in 1949. I only wish I could remember the trip!
During the Berlin Airlift the Sunderlands flew from near Hamburg to the Berlin Lakes with supplies and ferried exports, mail and passengers out including children that needed either hospital treatment or recuperation.
I love the look of the Sunderland, I really am a huge fan of all flying boats, even the widgeon.
As I recall, flying boats were used to fly salt into Berlin, as it was too corrosive to use any other type of aircraft.
@@andrewmcalister3462 the Brussels Air Museum have a RUclips video on the Sunderland flying into and out of Berlin. It’s a lot longer than the usual ones, sadly it’s soundtrack is not in English but anyone with a smattering of French will understand it and of course a picture tells a story.
The scenes of small children on the Sunderlands reception launch on the Elbe is in my opinion on of the best scenes on RUclips.
Cool!
The Sunderlands were also used for transporting salt to Berlin. Salt could have a corrosive effect on the rudder-lines of other aircraft but since these were placed high in the Sunderland this was less of an issue.
Anyone else find something oddly satisfying about military flying boats?
Amazing machines. I love using them in War Thunder, even though I hate bombing.
The Japanese navy still uses 4 engine turboprop seaplanes, the Sin Maywa US-2. They aren't Martin Mars big, but they are big enough to impress you if see one operating up close.
I've always loved the PBY Catalinas, especially the "black cats". Not a pretty airplane from any angle, but deadly against Japanese shipping. The original "stealth bomber".
Lol on war thunder i swear, just for fun i will fly the sunderland in RB, get the bombs off and then just do as lany aerobatics as i can, i actually managed to pull off a full loop only 1,000 foot off the runway it was amazing
Well the satisfaction of having a chance to land in water if trouble appear.
I grew up on Vancouver Island late 70-80’s. Got to see them fly many times, they were awesome to watch!
I've seen this aircraft fighting a fire, what a sight, amazing. Thank you Mr. Felton.
I saw one over lake Elsinore in southern calif maybe 10 years ago.
Earlier this month [May 2024] My big sister took my Dad and I on a tour of the HM, around it and inside when the mechanics were on lunch hour. Got to sit in the captain's seat and make plane engine noises. What a joy to see this plane. Standing at the tail, looking up at the size of it is jaw dropping. Thanks to Coulson for letting us see the HM before she's takes off.
In 1992 on a flight to Canada I watched an inflight film about these planes and made it a mission to find them while I was there. I found them at Sproat Lake on Vancouver Island and even though I had no invitation, the people there were really welcoming and gladly showed me around. Absolutely amazing craft. Back then they had only 18 new engines left to keep these beasts in the air. Great memories. Thanks for reminding me.
I never want this channel to end! I got to see a Mars water bomber in action during the 2003 Okanagan Park Mountain Fire, they are awesome to see
Thanks for the Blohm & Voss, BV 238 mention!
Yes, but he could have shown the (still very big) BV 222 which saw service instead :)
I take it you know......
Voss?
@@insideoutsideupsidedown2218 Somewhat...
I had the chance, back in the 90's, to bird dog the Hawaii Mars over a large fire near Peerless Lake along with a pair of CL 215's. It was so cool to use the Mars to lay about a mile of line along a cutline with one drop and then use the relatively tiny and more maneuverable 215's to touch up hot spots. What a privilege!
I like how he’s got almost 800 likes only 20 minutes after releasing an 8:45 video! Keep up the good work Mark!
My favorite history professor of all time is Dr. Mark Felton!
This helps me understand Howard Hughes' obsession with the Spruce Goose. My mom told me about seeing it's not so successful test flight as a kid. Seeing how big the Mars is, I can only imagine how big the Goose looked to a little girl.
Its called the Hercules, and it will fly god dammit!
My uncle was actually the chief water bomber pilot for the Mars when they were operated out of British Columbia, Canada.
Howard Hughes built a bigger flying boat. Because of a falling out he couldn't get the aluminum he needed from the Government during WWII because of rationing, so he stubbornly hired cabinet makers and made his out of wood. He was able to ingenuously come up with a process by which he could bend laminated wood at 90° angles to get the different shapes he needed for construction. Another monumental achievement from that era.
Yet, for all that, it was never more than expensive curiosity.
@@owenshebbeare2999 Was it for curiosity? Or to show intemperance to achieve something great and prove success to those who claimed that it couldn't be done. I guess you'll never know.
Thanks for posting this, Mark! I had the pleasure of seeing these two aircraft in flight at Sproat Lake where they are based. I remember as a teenager boating out to these giants and being in awe of their sheer size. Thanks for bringing back those wonderful memories! And thanks for doing what you do!
I got to see one of the Martin Mars in action. Taking off from Lake Elsinore, California to fight a fire only a couple Kilometers away. Very impressive.
As a child in San Diego in the 1950's I remember seeing the very large Consolidated Aircraft (e.g. Convair) flying boat with the swinging nose that allowed vehicles to drive out of the nose onto a beach. One of my first model aircraft was the PBY Catalina. Great memories. Thank you.
i was fortunate enough to sit in between the pilot and co-pilot just 4 years ago and fly around the Port Alberni valley twice, it was one of the last times this plane flew...
I've actually seen these start up and idle. It's an amazing sight.
I love that you see these machines as beautiful objects too. They really are heroic achievements and it is wonderful to see it still being used. Some things we have created take on a life of their own and must be remembered. Great work Mark!
During wildfire season here in Southern California several years ago, I was outdoors and had the pleasure of seeing one of the converted Martin Mars on its approach to its destination to its next firefighting assignment near Los Angeles. Even though the craft was at least a good 15 kilometers away, you could easily spot it thanks to clear skies that day. And it was absolutely massive to behold as it kept getting larger and larger as it drew closer to where I was standing - in total awe, by the way. Just as impressive was the fact that you could definitely hear it coming until it was roaring overhead. Even at an altitude of about 2000 feet, most aircraft look small, even commercial airliners. But not the Mars; it literally filled the sky with its presence and the sound of its four engines filled my head. At over 70 years old each, time certainly isn't on the side of these two remaining beauties. Hopefully they will be treated with the honor and respect they deserve when they land for the final time. Well done as always, Mark. :)
This reminds me of Howard Hughes' Hercules (the 'Spruce Goose'). It was the largest flying plane of it's type and due to war rationing Hughes was only given access to wood (spruce) to build the plane. As each piece of same sized wood has a slightly different weight, it was a mathematical achievement in building such a plane, as Hughes had no formal education in engineering. He managed to solve many problems with the use of hydraulics for the rudder and other such difficulties. By the time the plane was finally completed the war was over and the government had no use for it. Despite this (and an investigation into Hughes' war time spending of government's money) it actually did fly for one mile at a height of 100 metres. The fact that Hughes was denied much needed war time materials and funding is incredible in what he was eventually able to accomplish. By far the most incredible aspect is that Hughes suffered from undiagnosed OCD at the time (which I also also suffer from) and despite this, managed to accomplish so much in aeronautics and other adventures. Thanks for sharing Dr Felton.
Mark, you should have mentioned the Howard Hughes H-4 Hercules (The Spruce Goose) flying boat. Built during WWII but not flown until 1947 it had a 320 ft wingspan. Now on display at Evergreen Air & Space Museum. Had 8 engines, could carry 750 fully equipped troops.
"We're gonna need a bigger flying boat."
I take it your fishing for sharks
50 year old reference, still cool.
The irony is this has nothing on the Spruce Goose, which is almost twice as big and over twice the weight of the Mars
@@opairsoft8100 Yeah, but the Goose never entered service.
@@opairsoft8100 And arguably never truly flew, depending on whether the ground-effect argument holds, and certainly never entered service.
When the plane is big enough to be it's own museum.
:- ]
I saw them scoping water from the harbour in Nanaimo, British Columbia, then flew over our house. A sight I will never forget. The airport in Nanaimo also had a couple of Catalinas, I figure i was blessed just being able to see all of these amazing flying boats.
As a child growing up on Vancouver Island in the 1980s, I had several opportunities to see the Mars in action. One flying overhead made the ground shake.
Both my Grandfathers were in the US Army Air Corps during WWII... one in the South Pacific... one in N. Africa/Europe... I wonder if either one of them ever saw one of these planes, or maybe even rode on them... excellent video!
The US Army Air Corps did not exist during World War 2. It was redesignated US Army Air Force in early 1941, before the attack on Pearl Harbor and the US entry into the war.
This is incorrect. My grandfather was a B-29 Capt in the Army Air Corps in WWII. He was KIA in 1945
@@earussell1114
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical rift developed between more traditional ground-based army personnel and those who felt that aircraft were being underutilized and that air operations were being stifled for political reasons unrelated to their effectiveness. The USAAC was renamed from the earlier United States Army Air Service on 2 July 1926, and was part of the larger United States Army. The Air Corps became the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 20 June 1941, giving it greater autonomy from the Army's middle-level command structure.
No, it's not incorrect, you are simply misinformed.
@@earussell1114 The air corps after this point was the name of the training arm of the US Army Air Force. So, unless he was killed in training stateside, he wasn't KIA in the Air Corps. And if he was, he was still a member of the US Army Air Force assigned to the training corps.
On 20 June 1941, the Army Air Corps' existence as the primary air arm of the U.S. Army changed to that of solely being the training and logistics elements of the then-new United States Army Air Forces, which embraced the formerly-named General Headquarters Air Force under the new Air Force Combat Command organization for front-line combat operations; this new element, along with the Air Corps, comprised the USAAF.[2]
These are the facts, I mean no disrespect. My purpose is to enlighten.
Dad flew the Mars and the PBM Mariner. He flew a PBM from Guantánamo Bay Cuba to Leyte Gulf in the Philippines (with fueling stops) in 1944. No GPS or other navigation aids back then which, as a pilot, I find pretty amazing.
My brother (RIP) when he was fighting a forest fire here in BC Canada was saved by those two water bombers. In the crews when they heard those plans over head they described not just hearing them but feeling a "rumble" in their chest. I saw them later on in my life at the Abbotsford annual airshow on two separate occasions. They were retired here in BC form service due to high costs of engineered maintenance vs a fleet of much smaller aircraft that could utilize much smaller lakes for sources of water. If you get a chance to see one of them at an airshow please do go. You won't forget what you see and feel.
On a different note, I used to see Consolidated PBY Catalinas take off from John Wayne Airport in Long Beach, CA, painted blood red, as fire bombers, back in the late 90's, early 2000's. I wonder if they are still being used today.
Thank you Mr. Weeks for keeping history alive!
I thought of the video by Kermit when they flew the Hawaii Mars to Oshkosh. Love seeing these things in action.
Kermit never fails to surprise me.
Mark Felton also does. (Sidenote,
Lance Geiger, The History Guy does
as well.)
steve
I don't think anything modern will every truly compare to the grace of these old flying boats. Relics on a bygone era that we all wish we could have experienced.
I have fond memories of the Mars water bombers. When I lived on Vancouver Island my family camped in the front yard of friends on Sproat Lake, where the two remaining Mars are based. One day one of them taxied up the lake, far our of sight on what I later learned was a training exercise. Once the beast had slowly motored up the lake it seemed that many of the locals on both sides of the lake had gotten their boats ready and were waiting. Our host said, "Wait for it." About 20 or so minutes later the Mars came blasting down the lake - never taking off but probably just off the step. As soon as it passed all the small boats took to the lake to surf the enormous wake this thing left. Later that night I got a treat - friend and I took a boat down the lake to where they moored the things. We slowly circled the plane and got close enough to pass under the wings. What a monster! A year or so later I was out gardening in my yard in Nanaimo, BC and heard a most peculiar sound. It turned out there was a fire in a protected marshland a few kilometers south of us and they called in one of the Mars bombers to deal with it. Listening to the sound of these planes on a RUclips video is nothing like feeling that throaty roar in your bones. I looked up as I heard the noise approaching and didn't see the plane until it cleared the trees in the neighbourhood and it was right overhead. I was stunned - here was this behemoth flying at about 600 -800 feet right over my head. It was taking a starboard turn and from my vantage point it looked like it was flying sideways and about to stall on top of me. Streams of residual water were still pouring from the belly of the beast. I will never forget the sound - that deep note getting lower as it dopplered past - nor the deep visceral impression that I was watching the impossible as this enormous and beautiful aircraft seemed to magically claw its way through the sky. Sadly, the two remaining Mars planes are no longer working - the provincial government has declined to contract them through their owners. I hope at least one will be preserved, and I am grateful to have had the limited experience with them that I have had. They are a true BC icon.
Great stories!
It is to be hoped that the one Martin Mars in British Columbia designated for the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL can eventually make it there for public display.
If there ever was an Aircraft that urgently needed preservation it's one of these two. If possible, Preserving both would be ideal too.
@@Kamina1703 My understanding it that the last two are in British Columbia, Canada, They're no longer operational dropping water on forest fires, but apparently still flyable. One's slated to be preserved in B.C. and the other at the Museum of Naval Aviation at Pensacola, Florida.
6:09 Passenger: "What's the other guy for?"
Engineer: "So I can reach everything on my control panel".
Hilarious!!
Was the Mars bigger than the Spur Goos?
@@johnvanriesen2017 Spruce Goose is larger but didn't fly until 1947, so technically not a WW2 plane
The after-war and pre-war service of the big flying boats was much more interesting than this short video could possible cover. I read a book about the big flying boats - including the two versions of the beautiful jet-powered Martin P6M SeaMaster. Despite an almost unique ability to hit Mach .9 near wave-top height, there were expensive problems still to be solved, and the Navy halted the program due to cost. It turned out to be Martin's last aircraft. As each of the several types of big flying boats were put out of service for one reason or another, the writer made it clear this was the passing of an era that may never be seen again.
Once around 2005 while photographing airplanes coming and going at a rural airport in AZ I had the good fortune to see a modern day fire-fighting aircraft land. It was a not a flying boat, just a medium size land-based plane able to drop a belly-full of fire retardant powder or liquid on demand. The spillover from the reddish-colored fire retardant colored the rear bottom of the aircraft.
Quite a remarkable aircraft and quite something to see. I watched the two remaining Mars fly overhead once as they worked together to fight a nearby forest fire. They have a distinctive sound! Many years ago, while at a dinner party with friends, I struck up a conversation with a fellow there. I explained that I had an odd hobby of researching old airplane wreck sites and then hiking into them. He let me know his father was killed in the Marianas Mars crash and asked if I had been to that site. I had! We arranged for me to drive him there and allow him time to see the location his father had passed. It was quite a memorable trip through the back woods. There was very very little metal left at the site and the area had been logged. I would imagine the spot would be largely overgrown today. The views up to Mt. Moriarty were beautiful and the spot on the hillside was quiet and serene. While there a large black bear came rumbling up the road, unaware that we were there. It seemed fitting, somehow, to see. It is amazing how many people have had a connection to these aircraft over the years.
What a mesmerizing engine sound and also a beautiful sight. Mark just delivered another awe-inspiring piece of jelewry of past aviation.
Not only is this entertaining, but serves a purpose to preserve WW2 history.
My father was Flight Radio Officer for Pan Am aboard these leviathans. He answered an AD in a local Boston newspaper that offered Radio Officer "tryouts". He passed and was invited to attend their school WPB, FL. He graduated in 1943. He was 19. He told a few stories of his adventures. He said his mother would faint if she knew the hazards of securing the hawser while standing between those roaring engines. Although WWII was raging, he flew the Orient/Asia with Pan Am then TWA. I have his passports, vaccination cards and even his uniforms.1944 found him on Liberty SS Arthur Sewell (hull 3006) as SRO 2nd Class. The Sewell was torpedoed in the Channel (with 5 lost), 5 9 miles SW of Plymouth, and towed to Weymouth. He was among the last aboard in 1945 when it was scuttled in the North Sea. I have his logs and the Ships' Placard if anyone is interested. (Reader beware: I'm casually referred to as "The Inaccurate Historian. So I'll check the facts and report back in!)
About 20 years ago there was a terrible forest fire outside of Salmon Arm BC. Water bombers and choppers were flying and refilling their tanks on Shuswap lake. There was a constant drone of aircraft and we spent a few evenings watching the planes refill and dump their loads just outside of town. Then the Martin Mars arrived. The sheer size of the craft was jaw dropping, and the radial engine sound of pure horsepower from a bygone era.
I met a lovely lady from Salmon Arm once, I like your handshake! Haha
Mark. Thank you for telling me about these stories. I never knew them so thank you!
Thank you Mark, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate and look forward to your content
Love the sound of big propeller aircraft and my gaze is always and has been drawn towards the sky to see since a kid growing up in the sixties.
My brother in-laws father flew missions in the Sunderland and other aircraft. He was a navigator and waist gunner. He went down on three occasions. He had some great stories.
Looks like I am learning about planes today; thanks Dr. Felton!
That intro music means I’m always in for a fascinating 10-15 minutes. Often I’m in for more as my interest is piqued and I search for more information about the subject.
I grew up near Middle River, MD. Martin's was right down the road from us. My sister-in-law's Mom worked for Martin until her retirement.
Saw these at Sproat Lake, BC in 2011. It's unbelievable how big they are! Love that sound of the R-3350s.
Look into the Spruce Goose, it weighed twice as much as a Mars and had 120 foot long wingspan. Makes the Mars look like a normal heavy bomber
@@opairsoft8100 320' wingspan for the HK-1.
Great vid Mark! I live in British Columbia I have watched the Mars fly overhead. Thank you for explaining the history of this truly amazing aircraft.
Keep up the good work. Best history channel on RUclips.
One of the unsung heros of ww2. The flying boat, regardless of who built it.
Update: Hawaii Mars is going to be donated to the BC Aviation Museum. It’s final ferry flight will be end of 2024. Philippine Mars, which did not get sold, is still in its wartime colors and is still at the Coulson facility at Sproat Lake.
It may not be Good Friday, but it is a good Friday when Mark's videos drop. Awww yeah
My friend was flight engineer on one of the two Mars water bombers when they were based on Sproat Lake Vancouver Island.
One day while waiting for the fog to clear before a flight out of San Diego bay, I was chatting with my plane commander (and VP-40 squadron commander) and was surprised to learn that he had flown the Martin Mars in his early days. At the time VP-40 (along with VP-48 & 50) were flying another Martin aircraft, the SP-5B Marlin. My last P-5 flight was in October just before VP-40 closed out Navy seaplane operations on 7 Nov 1967.
VP-40 recently earned the honor of completing the last Lockheed P-3 deployment before transitioning to the Boeing P-8. Good going VP-40!
VP-40 NFO, Jan 66 to Dec 67
these flew over my dad's house in 1995 and shook the windows. There was a forest fire up the hill from him and these were tasked with putting it out. One of my earliest memories.
And then they became Firefighters. This kept getting better and better!
Keep the content coming your getting me through this lockdown! Thank you Dr Felton!
A friend of mine father was a pararescue swimmer on a USAAF Catalina during WW2. He told me his father - who passed away some years ago - always had interesting stories to tell about his experiences on being a Catalina crew member.
Good story Mark - you,re a veritable bloodhound sniffing out those interesting WW2 histories!
I had two short sightseeing trips in a Catalina PBY5A in the late '90s. I even sat in one of the blisters. Takeoffs and landings were on a runway, the "A" designation is for "A"mphibian, which means "on land and on water".
That flight to Alameda was to the Alameda Naval Air Station. There is to this day a large Seaplane Lagoon on the west side of the base. Alameda is an island next to Oakland, California. The Seaplane Lagoon has ramps leading down in San Francisco Bay, on the shore there are large service and warehouse facilities. The base is now decommissioned and being redeveloped. The USS Hornet museum ship is there, you can tour it for a price.
A Martin Mariner was also lost searching for the lost Flight 47 in the Bermuda Triangle.
My college roommate's father was a USN Mars pilot. He flew out of NAS Alameda. What an experience to be at controls of that aircraft!
Flight 19, correction.
Where my parents got married when dad returned from the Pacific in 1945.
My father worked on this aircraft as a draftsman department of Glen L. Martin
I lived in Corona, CA about 12 years ago. We had wildfires raging often and once I got to see one of those birds. I was outside in my yard watching the aircraft dropping water and retardants on the surrounding hills. I heard a large piston aircraft approaching and sure enough a Mars flew directly over my house less than 1000ft. It was magnificent! The sound of those engines and the sheer massiveness of the aircraft was amazing. Once in a lifetime experience for sure!
Thanks for another outstanding video!
It’s great news now that both Hawaii Mars and Phillipine Mars have been donated to museum’s for preservation. Hawaii to the BC aviation museum on Vancouver Island and Phillipine to the Pima airspace museum in Arizona.👌
"could fly to Europe and back nonstop" damn I didn’t realize we had anything that could do that. Impressive.
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I remember them at NAS Alameda in the early or mid 1950s. I was born in 1949. The seaplane lagoon is still there.
I grew up down the road from the Mars bomber base. These planes would taxi down the lake past our house and then fly back overtop of it. I remember watching them from the side of the Tofino highway as they tag-teamed a fire for hours on end without stopping. Truly incredible at fighting fires and the fact that we had TWO of them was unmatchable.
A family friend of ours was a mechanic and flight engineer on the Philippine Mars and would tour us around the base and boat us out to the bomber so we could go inside. I remember walking back and forth end to end up on the wings, watching the floats touch down into the lake. Later in my early twenties I got to fly on the Hawaii Mars during a test flight. We did two dumps, one out of Sproat Lake, the second we picked up from out in the Alberni inlet. It was a surreal experience and I still can't believe I got to do it. The feeling you get when that massive plane lets all that water go and instantly feels lighter than air as it drifts upwards. There is nothing quite like it. I was obsessed with those planes growing up so it was a dream come true.
That plane saved my house from a forest fire and many others
nothing like lounging on a beach in the summer and seeing one of these bad boys come out of no where and pick up water 100 meter in front of the beach
I'm not big on mobile games, but if it supports this channel, I'll give Warpath a try.
If they support Dr. Felton, that’s good enough for me!
I remember seeing the two Mars Martins sitting in Sproat Lake Vancouver Island just by Port Alberni on the way to Tofino. back in 1973 . I couldn't believe my eyes! What a sight to behold!
I was born in 1946 and I recall seeing these monsters on San Diego Bay. I must have been around 6 y.o . We were at a harbor side restaurant and two of these were maneuvering in circles on the water.
If memory serves, a Martin Mars makes an appearance in the movie "The Gallant Hours," starring James Cagney as Admiral Bill Halsey. The Mars appears in the films beginning, transporting Halsey to his assignment in the Guadalcanal Campaign.
Never a boring video!
I love seeing these old birds on the way to Tofino BC.
Was attending a friend's wedding in Parksville 1977 when one flew low, right over the house prior to the ceremony.Remarkable.
It's a good day when a Mark Felton video drops.
I’d love to fly around the Caribbean or the South Pacific island hopping in one of these. You could see stuff most people could never dream off. You might even run into Indiana Jones. Thanks, doc. Very interesting.
You wouldn't meet Indiana Jones on that voyage, but you would meet a lot of people who have really nice boats.
Modern day footage appears to be from the large Oshkosh Airshow in 2018 when they brought Hawaii Mars there to try to attract a bidder for sale to museums. Struck a rock in the lake nearby and nearly sank, but repaired ok. As far as I know, they didn't get a large enough or legitimate enough offer, and were forced to keep it for the time being, while extreme fire conditions meant they continued to fight fires even though they are supposed to be done with their service lives. I believe in 2020 they were still trying to be sold when Covid hit, and the last update I have personally seen is that both are still sitting in their fire base as normal as of 7 months ago. Got to see it at Oshkosh in 2018, truly marvelous!
My grandfather was a production manager at Martin Aircraft Corp. and worked on all of the major aircraft projects including the JRM. What a great company Martin once was. Then they got caught up in the inter-service battles between the Air Force and the Navy and were basically destroyed as an aircraft manufacturing company as a result.
You should do a video on Howard Hughes spruce goose
Always a pleasure to get new content. Would love a video on the Marine Corps Stinger Machine Gun
My father, USN E9-James MacAdory Wilhite I, was crew chief on both Hawaii & Philippines Mars. I was born in Honolulu as a result of his Naval service. Thank you for this documentary. I enjoy your videos very much.