Maryland museum works to acquire Martin Mars aircraft
December 27th, 2006
The Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum has announced it is working to acquire one of the two remaining Martin Mars seaplanes from TimberWest Forest Corporation in British Columbia, Canada, and bring the aircraft back home to Middle River, Maryland, where the planes were manufactured between 1941 and 1945 at the Glenn L. Martin Company. The planes have been serving as water-bombers, fighting forest fires in the Northwest. The Mars aircraft are in excellent, airworthy, condition after more than 60 years of flying.
This will be a major acquisition for the Museum, as the Martin Mars is among the world’s most famous aircraft. The Mars is the largest seaplane in history to enter production, and is the largest seaplane to serve the military. It is still one of the biggest aircraft ever built and is the largest plane ever built in Maryland. The Mars has a 200-foot wingspan, which is larger than most Boeing 747 airliners. The aircraft remains a local icon; its name, Mars, was the inspiration behind the naming of the Mars supermarket chain, Mars Estates, Mars Estates elementary school, and other local entities in Baltimore County.
The Museum hopes to display the Mars as the centerpiece of its aircraft collection and anticipates the seaplane being a major Museum, Middle River, and Baltimore County attraction for local residents, tourists, and aviation and history enthusiasts. Acquisition would be a catalyst for the Museum’s expansion plans, and ongoing education center programs. With a very short bidding period to acquire the airplane, the Museum needs to raise significant funds immediately, and is seeking financial assistance from governments, organizations, and individual donors. The Museum is also looking for volunteer support in a variety of roles, as well as donations of Mars related artifacts, photos, documents, stories, oral histories, and mementos.
The goal is to bring a piece of history back to its birthplace before it is lost forever to the scrap yard, or an out of town buyer. Contributions should be sent to the Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum, P.O. Box 5024 Middle River, Maryland 21220 – Attention: MARS project. Volunteers should register by calling the Museum. Donated items may be delivered to the Museum from 11am – 3pm, Wednesday – Saturday, or by prior arrangement. The Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and donations may be tax deductible. For additional information, visit the Museum’s web site at http://www.marylandaviationmuseum.org/ or call 410-682-6122.
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