"Hawaii Mars" the last Martin Mars bomber going to B.C. Aviation Museum
 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hawaii Mars" the last Martin Mars Bomber going to B.C. Aviation Museum

story links:

Times Colonist: https://www.timescolonist.com/local-...ontent=rundown

excerpt: "Only seven Martin Mars were made by the California-based Glenn L. Martin Company, all for the U.S. Navy as ocean patrol and long-range transports during the Second World War. Most were used for naval cargo in the Pacific.

The Hawaii Martin Mars was also enlisted as the largest air ambulance during the Korean War until it was converted in 1958.

The last four planes, sold as scrap, were bought by a B.C. forestry consortium and later converted to water bombers. One Mars crashed while firefighting near Nanoose Bay in 1961, with the loss of four crew. Another was critically damaged in a storm.

The remaining two Martin Mars bombers were acquired by the Coulson Group in 2007 from Timberwest and its subsidiary, Forest Industrial Flying Tankers."


CBC https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...seum-1.7158154

excerpt: "When wildfires burn in B.C., there's always the question: where is the Martin Mars water bomber?

It's an iconic piece of machinery, brought into service in the late 1950s to fight wildfires.

It was last used in 2015 to help fight fires in B.C., California, Mexico and Alberta.

Now, the province says it will soon become the centrepiece of a new wildfire exhibit at the British Columbia Aviation Museum in North Saanich, B.C., although there's no firm date on when the aircraft will be ready for viewing.

The Martin Mars will be flown from the Coulson Aviation Tanker Base in Port Alberni to Victoria International Airport by the end of the year. Because it can only land and take off in water, it will leave from Sproat Lake, and land in Saanich Inlet."


YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEeNmSOEgQY


Brian

That’s really great news!

The Martin "Hawaii Mars" going to the BC Aviation Museum, at what is now the airport for Victoria BC, located near Sidney BC, and was the former RCAF Station Pat Bay. In speaking with their Curator last year, she stated that it would have to be brought across the airfield and there are some obstacles that create complications. This museum is restoring a Lancaster bomber "FM104" by the way. https://bcam.net/

The second one, "Philippine Mars", is painted in USN blue and in US markings is going to the Pima Air Museum. I am not sure how they can manage that given their location! https://www.cheknews.ca/coulson-avia...ver%20produced.

I have seen both of them, but they were both up on shore at the time.

Unless you like seeing forest fires put out quickly and completely.