Martin M-130
The Martin M -130 was a four-engine transport flying boat of the U.S. manufacturer Glenn L. Martin Company from the 1930s. The three built machines were only used by Pan Am and flew on the Pacific route from San Francisco to Manila. They wore the name China Clipper, the Philippine Clipper and Hawaii Clipper.
History
Pan Am was already 1931, the technical requirements for a long-range flying boat known. One, two designs were submitted: the Sikorsky S -42 and the Martin M - 130. The founder and leader of the Pan American Juan Trippe accepted both proposals. Fully equipped cost a M -130 417 000 U.S. $, compared to U.S. $ 242,000 for the S- 42nd For comparison, the current price of U.S. $ 78,000 for a Douglas DC-2 can be used.
The M- 130 was used almost exclusively in the Pacific. The introduction of the trans-Pacific liner service by Pan Am from 22 to 29 November 1935 was a historic event in aviation history. The China Clipper (code NC 14716 ) required 59 hours and 48 minutes of actual flight time for the 13,100 km ( 8210 mls ) long distance. On this flight, only airmail was carried, the introduction of passenger services on the route took place on 21 October 1936.
Critical in terms of passenger capacity was 3800 km (2400 mls ) long section from California to Hawaii. Because of the necessary fuel reserves were only a maximum of eight passengers are transported, for a total of 41 seats available. The price for the easy route San Francisco - Manila at that time amounted to 799 U.S. $, which corresponds approximately to transfer to the current situation twice the levels of Concordeflügen.
Construction
The M -130 was a high-wing monoplane, which was carried out with the exception of the wings behind the main spar as all-metal construction. Between the short fuselage booms that contributed in addition to the improvement in stability on the water, even to the lift and the wing was an X - shaped brace. The Wasserungsgeschwindigkeit was 105-113 km / h The M -130 was the first transport aircraft, which used two-row radial engines and adjustable engine valves for temperature control. Even the two- engine airplane has a height of 1829 m could be observed. In addition, it was also the transport aircraft began integral fuel tanks.
The 13.70 m long passenger cabin was divided into three compartments, there were two washrooms and a kitchen.
Whereabouts
The Hawaiian Clipper disappeared without a trace on July 28, 1938 east of Manila. The Philippine Clipper flew on January 21, 1943 about 160 km north from San Francisco against a mountain, while the China Clipper has fallen on January 8, 1945 in Port of Spain in Trinidad.