Martin 2-0-2
Encyclopedia
The Martin 2-0-2 was one of the first modern airliners. The twin-engined piston aircraft was designed and built by the Glenn L. Martin Company
.
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 2-0-2 and 2-0-2A was 47 aircraft.
The aircraft was non-pressurized but was considered a long range airliner. The fatal crash in 1948 of Northwest Airlines Flight 421 revealed a serious structural problem in the wings. Structural 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 2-0-2A.
purchased a fleet of 35 Martin 202's from the Glenn Martin Company, for a price of $7,000,000 . Two weeks later, Colonial Airlines
announced they would purchase 20 airplanes at the price of $4,000,000 and scheduled for delivery in 1947.. Early in the next year, Martin announced Pennsylvania-Central Airlines ordered 15 more 202's bringing the total aircraft on order in early January 1947 to 137 aircraft, with a sales value of $27,000,000 .
Despite the announcement of these large orders, the contract terms allowed the airlines to cancel them without any penalty.. The 2-0-2 was unpressurised, unlike the competing Convair 240
. Therefore, as delays in production built up, all airlines except Northwest, TWA, LAN and LAV called their orders and only 31 2-0-2s and 12 2-0-2As were actually delivered to the airlines.
The 202 was the first airplane subjected to the CAA's then new 'Accelerated Service Test', introduced May 15, 1947. In this test an airliner was to undergo a rigorous 150-hour test, attempting to squeeze one year's service into a week to ten day's flying. The 202 made such a test visiting about 50 cities in 7 days. At each city comprehensive inspections were made of the aircraft systems to assess how wear or malfunction would occur .
TWA and Northwest, initial customers of the 2-0-2, eventually sold their Martin 2-0-2s to California Central and Pioneer Airlines. Later, Allegheny Airlines
acquired many of the 2-0-2'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.
(text version also available)
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Glenn L. Martin Company
The Glenn L. Martin Company was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company that was founded by the aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin. The Martin Company produced many important aircraft for the defense of the United States and its allies, especially during World War II and the Cold War...
.
Design and development
Glenn L. 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 2-0-2 and 2-0-2A was 47 aircraft.
The aircraft was non-pressurized but was considered a long range airliner. The fatal crash in 1948 of Northwest Airlines Flight 421 revealed a serious structural problem in the wings. Structural metal fatigue
Metal Fatigue
Metal Fatigue , is a futuristic science fiction, real-time strategy computer game developed by Zono Incorporated and published by Psygnosis and TalonSoft .-Plot:...
was the problem in a major wing spar. Alloy 7075
7075 aluminum
Aluminium alloy 7075 is an aluminium alloy, with zinc as the primary alloying element. It is strong, with a strength comparable to many steels, and has good fatigue strength and average machinability, but has less resistance to corrosion than many other Al alloys...
-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 2-0-2A.
Operational history
On November 13, 1945 Pennsylvania Central AirlinesCapital Airlines
Capital Airlines was an airline serving the eastern United States that merged into United Airlines in 1961. Its primary hubs were National Airport near Washington, DC, and Allegheny County Airport near Pittsburgh. In the 1950s it was the largest US domestic carrier after the Big Four . Its...
purchased a fleet of 35 Martin 202's from the Glenn Martin Company, for a price of $7,000,000 . Two weeks later, Colonial Airlines
Colonial Airlines
Colonial Airlines was a Canadian airline from the 1940s and 1950s with bases in Montreal and at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. It was formerly known as well as Canadian Colonial Airways and Colonial Airways before becoming Colonial Airlines.By 1956, Colonial's executive offices were on Park...
announced they would purchase 20 airplanes at the price of $4,000,000 and scheduled for delivery in 1947.. Early in the next year, Martin announced Pennsylvania-Central Airlines ordered 15 more 202's bringing the total aircraft on order in early January 1947 to 137 aircraft, with a sales value of $27,000,000 .
Despite the announcement of these large orders, the contract terms allowed the airlines to cancel them without any penalty.. The 2-0-2 was unpressurised, unlike the competing Convair 240
Convair 240
The Convair CV-240 was an American airliner produced by Convair from 1947 to 1954, initially as a possible replacement of the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3. While featuring a more modern design, the 240 series was able to make some inroads as a commercial airliner and also had a long development cycle...
. Therefore, as delays in production built up, all airlines except Northwest, TWA, LAN and LAV called their orders and only 31 2-0-2s and 12 2-0-2As were actually delivered to the airlines.
The 202 was the first airplane subjected to the CAA's then new 'Accelerated Service Test', introduced May 15, 1947. In this test an airliner was to undergo a rigorous 150-hour test, attempting to squeeze one year's service into a week to ten day's flying. The 202 made such a test visiting about 50 cities in 7 days. At each city comprehensive inspections were made of the aircraft systems to assess how wear or malfunction would occur .
TWA and Northwest, initial customers of the 2-0-2, eventually sold their Martin 2-0-2s to California Central and Pioneer Airlines. Later, Allegheny Airlines
Allegheny Airlines
Allegheny Airlines was an airline operating out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, from 1952 to 1979. It was a forerunner of today’s US Airways. Its headquarters were located on the grounds of Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia....
acquired many of the 2-0-2'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
Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey
The Aviation Hall Of Fame & Museum of New Jersey was founded in 1972 and preserves New Jersey's aviation and space heritage. The museum displays historic aircraft, space equipment, artifacts, photographs, art and a model collection, many of which were donations from private sources. It is the first...
.
This airliner type was eventually developed into the Martin 4-0-4
Martin 4-0-4
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Andrade, John. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979, pp. 95, 217. ISBN 0-904597-22-9....
, which was far more successful.
Variants
The Martin Company designated the following quantities for the airlines (though not all were built), listed by Martin Model number:- 2-0-2 - twin engine prototype: 3, in 1946
- 2-0-2FL - twin engine commercial transport, Chile: 4, in 1947
- 2-0-2NW - twin engine commercial transport, Northwest AirlinesNorthwest AirlinesNorthwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
: 25, in 1947 - 2-0-2LAV - twin engine commercial transport, Venezuela: 2, in 1947
- 2-0-2A - twin engine commercial transport, Trans World AirlinesTrans World AirlinesTrans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
: 21, in 1947 - 2-0-2E - twin engine commercial transport, Eastern Airlines: 25, in 1947
Operators
♠ original operators- LAN Chile ♠ (four new delivered 1947-1948)
- Japan Air Lines (leased)
- Servicios Aéreos Baja
- RAPSA Panama
- Admiral Airlines
- Allegheny AirlinesAllegheny AirlinesAllegheny Airlines was an airline operating out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, from 1952 to 1979. It was a forerunner of today’s US Airways. Its headquarters were located on the grounds of Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia....
(18 1955-1966) - California Central Airlines
- Northwest Orient Airlines ♠ (25 new delivered 1947)
- Pacific Air LinesPacific Air LinesPacific Air Lines was a regional airline serving the West Coast of the United States that began operations in the 1940s under the name Southwest Airways...
(seven 1958-1964) - Pioneer Air Lines (nine 1952-1960)
- Southwest Airways
- Trans World AirlinesTrans World AirlinesTrans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
♠ (12 new delivered 1950) - Transocean AirlinesTransocean AirlinesTransocean Air Lines was an Oakland, California based airline that operated from 1946 until 1960.-History:The men and women of Transocean Air Lines helped make modern air transport possible for today's world. At its height the Transocean organization included ten companies, making it the first...
(15 1951-1952)
- Linea Aeropostal Venezolana ♠ (two new delivered 1947)
Accidents and incidents
The Martin 2-0-2 had 13 hull-loss accidents and incidents of which nine were fatal accidents.- 29 August 1948 - Northwest Airlines Flight 421 crashed after losing a wing near Winona, Minnesota, United States, 37 fatalities.
- 7 March 1950 - Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 307Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 307Bibliography...
crashed after hitting a flag pole near Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. 15 fatalities including two on the ground. - 13 October 1950 - A Northwest Orient 2-0-2 crashed on a training flight at Almelund, Minnesota, United States, 6 fatalities.
- 7 November 1950 - Northwest Orient Flight 115 crashed into a mountain near Butte, Montana, United States, 21 fatalities.
- 16 January 1951 - Northwest Orient Flight 115 crashed near Reardon, Washington, United States, after sudden unexplained loss of control during cruise. 10 fatalities.
- 5 November 1951 - Transocean Air Flight 5763 crashed on approach to Tucumcari, New Mexico, United States, one fatality.
- 9 April 1952 - Japan Airlines Mokusei crashed into Mihara volcano, O'Shuma Island, Japan, 37 fatalities.
- 12 January 1955 - Trans World Airlines Flight 694 was destroyed ina mid-air collision with a Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
near Covington, Kentucky, United States, 13 fatalities plus 2 on the DC-3. - 14 November 1955 - A Allegheny Airlines 2-0-2 had a collapsed undercarriage during a training fight landing at Willimington-Newcastle Airport and was damaged beyond repair.
- 30 December 1955 - A Southwest Airlines 2-0-2 was destroyed in a hangar fire at San Francisco, California, United States.
- 21 August 1959 - A Pacific Air Lines 2-0-2A was damaged beyond repair after a ground incident with a C-46 CommandoC-46 CommandoThe Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
at Burbank, California, United States. - 1 December 1959 - Allegheny Airlines Flight 371 crashed into a mountain on approach Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States, 25 fatalities.
- 2 November 1963 - An Allegheny Airlines 2-0-2 was damaged beyond repair at Newark, New Jersey, United States.
Specifications (Martin 2-0-2)
See also
External links
- First Martin 202 crash due to metal fatigue. - Aviation Safety Network
- Martin Airliners - Maryland Aviation Museum
(text version also available)
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