Martin Maryland

Glenn L. Martin Company · United States · first flew 1939 · bomber

The Martin Maryland was a twin-engine light bomber designed for the US Army but ultimately rejected by the USAAC, finding its chief operators in France and the RAF. It earned fame in RAF service for its reconnaissance role, including sighting the Italian fleet before the Battle of Taranto.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	14.22 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Twin-engine light bomber rejected by USAAC but widely used by France and Britain
Mid-wing monoplane with twin Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp radials
Spotted the Italian fleet at Taranto and the Bismarck in the Atlantic

A clean mid-wing twin with neatly cowled Twin Wasp radials, a glazed nose, and a round fuselage; it somewhat resembles the later Baltimore but is slimmer and has a narrower fuselage.

Specifications

The Martin Maryland has a length of 14.22 m (47 ft).
It has a wingspan of 18.69 m (61 ft).
Its maximum speed is 489 km/h (304 mph).
Typical crew: 3.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Exported to France in 1939–40 and absorbed by the RAF after France's fall, the Maryland served prominently with RAF Malta and the Desert Air Force. A Maryland crew located the Italian fleet before the Taranto raid in November 1940; another spotted the Bismarck in May 1941.

Variants

The Maryland I and Maryland II differed mainly in engine variant; no major structural changes between marks.

Where you'll see it

France Armée de l'Air (1939–40), RAF (Malta, Middle East, 1940–43), and South African Air Force; replaced in front-line use by the Baltimore from 1943.

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