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Description
| Manufacturer: | Martin |
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| Base model: | AM | ||
| Designation: | AM | ||
| Version: | -1 | ||
| Nickname: | Mauler | ||
| Designation System: | U.S. Navy / Marines | ||
| Designation Period: | 1946-1962 | ||
| Basic role: | Attack | ||
| See Also: | |||
Specifications
| Length: | 42' 2" | 12.8 m | |
| Height: | 16' 10" | 5.1 m | |
| Wingspan: | 50' | 15.2 m | |
| Wingarea: | 496.0 sq ft | 46.0 sq m | |
| Empty Weight: | 14,500 lb | 6,575 kg | |
| Gross Weight: | 23,386 lb | 10,605 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 1 | ||
| Powerplant: | Wright R-3350-4 | ||
| Horsepower (each): | 2975 | ||
Performance
| Range: | 1,800 miles | 2,898 km | |
| Cruise Speed: | 189 mph | 304 km/h | 164 kt |
| Max Speed: | 367 mph | 590 km/h | 318 kt |
| Ceiling: | 30,500 ft | 9,295 m | |
Known serial numbers
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| National Museum of Naval Aviation | NAS Pensacola | Florida |
AM-1 on display
National Museum of Naval Aviation |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Roy S. Taylor Houston, TX | Mr Metcalf, I wish I could help you, but my Dad (Lt(jg)Roy Z. Taylor III, passed away October 15, 2008. I am proud to say that the Navy did not forget him, and honored him at his funeral. He was in VA-44, stationed at Jacksonville, Fla. during th time you're asking about.
I inherited his old 8mm movie projector, and some rolls of films. I haven't gone thru all of them, but one shows carrier landings of AD-1 and F4U's (or FG-1's) landing on the USS Roosevelt (CV42), and based on the way the crew was dressed, I'd guess it was summer in the Mediterranean. Also in the film, he's apparently filming thru the cockpit a groud of AD-1's in his formation. 01/04/2010 @ 17:29 [ref: 25518] |
| Bob Metcalf Essex, VT | Looking for anyone with remembrance of VA-44 at JAX or on the 1950 Med Cruise. My Dad Allen was an AMC with that squadron. I'd like to get a copy of a unit photo that includes him. Thank you for reading my message. 10/24/2008 @ 09:25 [ref: 22913] |
| ron lapin sister bay, WI | While at n.a.s. Quanset Point, R.I.in either 1950 or 1951 I remember that there where a number of Maulers based there. If my memory serve's me right there was a model designated AM-IQ which carried an additional crewman who I believe was a radio man. He did not sit under the canopy, but rather in an aft compartment below canopy level. I was in a reserve group based at n.a.s. Glenview at that time. I also remember riding in the rear seat of an SNJ with a pilot whose name as I recall was Hyde. I believe it was the next day that he crashed in a mauler. As far as I know he survived. Would appreciate any comments
Ron Lapin 02/07/2008 @ 07:10 [ref: 19589] |
| Dave Sepos Fredonia, PA | To Mr. Roy Z. Taylor:
Thank you sir for sharing your experience. My father served in the Marine Detachment on USS Midway in '49 and '50. Among his pictures is a photo taken on the hanger deck. There is a large aircraft in the background with a 4 blade prop and spinner, the picture is somewhat grainy and out of focus in the distant areas. Since nothing in the published Air Group information I could find for this period fit this configuration, my inclination was that this was a Martin Mauler. So now I know, and can prove, that this is a Mauler in the hanger deck of Midway. Thanks again, Dave 04/15/2007 @ 17:32 [ref: 16196] |
| Rodney Crawford Southfield, MI | I flew the mighty AM-1 in the reserve at Glenview in the early 50's. It was powered by a P&W R-4360-4W not a Wright R-3350. The AD's were powered by the Wright 3350's. The AM-1 was surprisingly nimble for a plane of its size and weight. I recieved my wings in 1948 and flew the F4U-4 and -5, F8F-1, AM-1 an the AD-4 though -6. In looking back on my fight experience I guess I flew all of the last of the great line of single engine Navy aircraft. 11/23/2006 @ 12:29 [ref: 14827] |
| Rodney Crawford Southfield, MI | I flew the mighty AM-1 in the reserve at Glenview in the early 50's. It was powered by a P&W R-4360-4W not a Wright R-3350. The AD's were powered by the Wright 3350's. The AM-1 was surprisingly nimble for a plane of its size and weight. I recieved my wings in 1948 and flew the F4U-4 and -5, F8F-1, AM-1 an the AD-4 though -6. In looking back on my fight experience I guess I flew all of the last of the great line of single engine Navy aircraft. 11/23/2006 @ 12:29 [ref: 14826] |
| Luis Molina Kissimmee, FL | In 1970 while I was stationed at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, during guard duty I found in an area hidden by vegetation a Martin Mauler (most likely since I did a bit of research then ). The cockpit I recalled was still intact, and the canopy could roll fwd and bck., the canopy glass appeared to be intact. At present I do not know if the aircraft is still there or if a museum had stumble upon it and recovered it. I like to think that a museum has recovered it. It would be a good ending for a magnificent aircraft such as the Mauler.
Luis 08/27/2006 @ 16:16 [ref: 14007] |
| John Forburger Lubbock, TX | I worked on the Brownfield, Texas, Mauler project for about six years.
I was present the day it crashed in Lubbock. This particular plane is presently in outside storage at CAF headquarters in Midland, Texas. 11/08/2005 @ 08:42 [ref: 11646] |
| Roy Z. Taylor Houston, TX | I was a pilot in VA-44 from May 1948 to December 1949. The squadron flew the AD-1 Skyraider (which was a beautiful dive bomber and carrier plane) until a gradual transition was made to the AM-1. At this time we were stationed at NAS Jacksonville. It was learned early on that this was a terrible aircraft. It handled like a truck where the AD was like a fighter. The AD could take a 3000 pound load off a carrier with 330 foot of deck run and 28 knots of wind across the deck, where the AM could just barely get airborne with NO load under the same takeoff conditions.
In the summer of 1949, the carrier Midway (CVB 43), took a number of reservist to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Air Group 4 of which VA-44 was one of the squadrons, was assigned as the Midway's Air Group. Landing the AM on a carrier was no fun. At touch down, if all three wheels didn't hit the deck at the same time, the monster would act as if were on springs and bounce back into the air. Due to this, one AM went into the barrier, and another bounced completely over the barrier landing in planes parked forward. No one was killed but several were injured. Dive bombing was something else too. The AD's divebrakes were composed of three panels that extended from each side and the bottom of the fuselage approximately two thirds rearward of the nose. It was like hanging from a manuverable parasol and hitting the target was greatly enhanced. The AM on the otherhand had divebrakes on the wings. Since the divebrakes were very near the planes' Center of Gravity, it was less stable and the accuracy was diminished. The AD had a 3000 PSI hydraulic system where the AM had one of 1500 PSI. With the higher pressure, the hydraulic cylinders were not as large, therefore less weight. One last unsavoy comment about the AM. It was a huge airplane, and huge airplne equals huge wheels-right. But these wheels like most wing stored wheels, rotated 90 degrees while being retracted. Well, the rotating mechanisum failed often due to rapid wheel retraction and mass of the wheel. At first we thought that after takeoff and before retracting the wheels, if the pilot applied brakes to stop the spinning wheels and the gyroscopic force generated, this would solve the problem. Wrong! This didn't help at all. During the 4-5 months that the squadron had the airplane, approximately 6 planes were belly landed on the runways at NAS Jax because the wheel or wheels would not return to the normal postion for landing. Martin, you built a loser!! Nuff said. 07/31/2005 @ 14:44 [ref: 10896] |
| Frank Palmer--ex AD2 USN Casper, WY | I was stationed at NAS Moffett and served on the A/C line.I remember a reserve outfit operating for about 2 weeks with AM Maulers.It was the only time I ever saw any.I believe it was in 1953.I remember one AC lost it's engine cowling completely and damaged parts of the tail surfaces.and wing root areas.It sat on the ramp just outside the center AC entry door on the east side of Hangar 1 for about 2 weeks waiting for the parts to repair it.I remember the P&W R4360 as it was the first one I'd ever seen.They were discussed when I went through AD-A school at Norman,Okla.Thanks for the memories. An ex nose picker. 05/23/2005 @ 23:48 [ref: 10291] |
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