Hawaii Mars II was constructed for the US Navy in 1945 as a bomber and has had many makes use of in its 77-year life span together with most not too long ago preventing forest fires. The biggest operational flying boat in existence is now up on the market, offering a crown jewel for any plane collectors’ assortment.
The historic piece is one in all solely seven made and is the one one nonetheless flying, the airplane’s siblings embody Marianas Mars, Philippine Mars, Marshall Mars, Caroline Mars, and Hawaii Mars. Whereas it was constructed as a bomber it by no means noticed motion earlier than WWII ended and as an alternative served as a cargo and troop service till they have been decommissioned within the Nineteen Fifties. Quickly after, Forest Industries Flying Tankers bought them and transformed them to firefighting water bombers.
While there is no such thing as a official account of missions this large airplane flew, there are some stories that inside the 2009-2015 time-frame it discharged between 600 and 700 occasions on behalf of British Columbia’s Wildfire Service. Based mostly on this rudimentary report, you’ll be able to extrapolate for just a few extra a long time to solely think about the large variety of operations it flew.
The airplane has been maintained in flying situation and has a price ticket of $5 million (doesn’t bear in mind the few hundred-thousand a yr in upkeep) and its specs are under:
- Its physique runs 117 toes lengthy by 13.5 toes large and it stands 48 toes tall on land
- Its wings span 200 toes and supply a complete space of three,686 toes
- The 4 propellers are nearly 17 toes throughout, and so they’re connected to 2,400-hp Wright R-3350-24WA 18-cylinder radial engines
- Its high pace is 225 mph and 190-mph cruise pace with a 4,900-mile vary
- It is ready to carry 7,200 gallons of water, sufficient to douse 4 acres.