The Glenn L. Martin Company was founded by Glenn L. Martin in 1912, with a small workshop in Los Angeles, California. He started with just $600 in capital.
Martin's early days were marked by a series of setbacks, including a failed attempt to build a flying boat in 1912. This failure actually led to the development of the first successful flying boat, the Martin N-2.
The company's first major success came in 1917, when it built the Martin N-9, a flying boat that would go on to serve as a patrol bomber during World War I. This marked a significant turning point for the company.
The Martin N-9's success paved the way for the development of even more advanced aircraft, including the Martin MB-1, a bomber that saw action in World War I.
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Company History
The Glenn L. Martin Company has a fascinating history that spans over a century. It all started in 1916, when founder Glenn Martin merged his company with the Wright Company, a manufacturer launched by the Wright Brothers and a consortium of investors including Cornelius Vanderbilt.
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The Wright-Martin Aircraft Company was formed, but unfortunately, the merger didn't work out, and Martin had to leave. He established a new company under the Glenn L. Martin name on September 10th, 1917, which was headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.
The company's primary facility was in Santa Ana, California, where it initially manufactured military-grade trainer aircraft.
Early Years
The Glenn L. Martin Company was founded by Glenn Luther Martin on August 16, 1912. He started building military training aircraft in Santa Ana, California.
In 1916, Martin merged his company with the Wright Company, creating the Wright-Martin Aircraft Company. This merger didn't work out, and Martin left to form a new company, the Glenn L. Martin Company, on September 10, 1917.
The new company was headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Martin's first aircraft, the Martin Pusher biplane, was sold to Mexican insurgents in 1913. They used it to perform the first known air-to-naval bombing runs in history.
Here's a list of notable individuals who got their start at the Glenn L. Martin Company:
- Dandridge M. Cole – moved on as aerospace engineer at General Electric
- Donald Douglas – founder of Douglas Aircraft, later as McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing)
- Lawrence Dale Bell – founded Bell Aircraft, now Bell Helicopter
- James S. McDonnell – founded McDonnell Aircraft, later as McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing)
- J.H. "Dutch" Kindleberger – CEO and chairman of North American Aviation
- Hans Multhopp – concepts used to create NASA's Space Shuttle
- C. A. Van Dusen – Brewster Aeronautical Corporation
Inter War Years
The Glenn L. Martin Company had a major presence in the aviation industry during the inter-war years. In 1924, Martin underbid Curtiss for the production of the Curtiss-designed SC-1 scout bomber and ultimately produced 404 of these.
Martin's growth led to a significant change in 1929, when the company sold its Cleveland plant and built a new one in Middle River, Maryland, northeast of Baltimore. This move marked a new era for the company.
During the 1930s, Martin began producing flying boats for the U.S. Navy, which would become a crucial part of their operations. The innovative Martin B-10 bomber was also built for the Army during this time.
The Martin Company produced the noted China Clipper flying boats used by Pan American Airways for its transpacific San Francisco to the Philippines route. These flying boats played a significant role in servicing this important route.
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World War II Era
During World War II, the Glenn L. Martin Company was a major player in the production of military aircraft. The company's most successful designs included the B-26 Marauder and A-22 Maryland bombers, which were widely used for air-sea rescue, anti-submarine warfare, and transport.
The company's Nebraska bomber plant was particularly notable, producing 1,585 B-26 Marauders and 531 Boeing B-29 Superfortresses. The B-29s manufactured there included all the Silverplate aircraft, including Enola Gay and Bockscar, which dropped the two war-ending atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The Glenn L. Martin Company also taught William Boeing how to fly and sold him his first airplane. This early connection between the company and Boeing would have a lasting impact on the aviation industry.
The company's production during WWII earned it a ranking of 14th among U.S. corporations in the value of wartime production contracts.
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Products
The Glenn L. Martin Company produced a wide range of aircraft, from bombers to flying boats. One notable example is the Martin B-10, a twin piston-engined monoplane bomber that was first flown in 1932.
The company's product line included several types of biplane bombers, such as the Martin MB-1, which was first flown in 1918 and had a production run of 20 aircraft. The Martin NBS-1, on the other hand, was a twin piston-engined biplane bomber that was first flown in 1920 and had a production run of 130 aircraft.
The Glenn L. Martin Company also produced flying boats, including the Martin PBM Mariner, which was a twin piston-engined monoplane flying boat patrol bomber that was first flown in 1939 and had a production run of 1,366 aircraft.
Here are some of the notable aircraft produced by the Glenn L. Martin Company:
The company's product line also included several types of jet-powered aircraft, such as the Martin B-57 Canberra, which was a twin jet-engined monoplane bomber that was first flown in 1953 and had a production run of 403 aircraft.
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