The Martin JRM Mars is a large, four-engined cargo transport flying boat designed and built by the Martin Company for the United States Navy during World War II. It was the largest Allied flying boat to enter production, although only seven were built. The United States Navy contracted the development of the XPB2M-1 Mars in 1938 as a long-range ocean patrol flying boat, which later entered production as the JRM Mars long-range transport.
Four of the surviving aircraft were later converted for civilian use to firefighting water bombers. Two of the aircraft remained based at Sproat Lake just outside of Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada, with one, Hawaii Mars, remaining in operation until 2016. The British Columbia Aviation Museum acquired Hawaii Mars, and it was flown there in 2024. The same year it was announced that Philippine Mars would be acquired by the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, to be put on permanent display there.
Martin Mars JRM-1 BuNo 76820 ‘Philippine Mars’:
This aircraft was delivered to the United States Navy in June 1946 and flew with VR-2 at Naval Air Station Alameda, California. In 1959 ‘Philippine Mars’ was converted for forest fire fighting operations and registered in Canada as C-FLYK and flew with Flying Tankers Incorporated until 2006. It is now part of the Pima Air & Space Museum collection.
