Martin XBTM-1 Mauler

Glenn L. Martin Company · United States · first flew 1944 · bomber

The Martin XBTM-1 Mauler was the prototype for the AM-1 Mauler carrier attack aircraft, a single-seat torpedo-bomber powered by the massive Pratt & Whitney R-4360 driving contra-rotating propellers.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	12.93 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Single-engine torpedo-bomber with enormous R-4360 Wasp Major
Contra-rotating propeller and wide straight wing
Developed into production AM-1 Mauler

Distinguished by its large twin contra-rotating propellers, wide straight wing with multiple weapons pylons, and the characteristic wide flat fuselage of the R-4360-powered generation of Navy attack aircraft.

Specifications

The Martin XBTM-1 Mauler has a length of 12.93 m (42 ft).
It has a wingspan of 15.24 m (50 ft).
Its maximum speed is 580 km/h (360 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

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

History

The XBTM-1 first flew in August 1944 as Martin's answer to the Navy's wartime requirement for a high-performance single-seat torpedo-bomber. Development was lengthy and the AM-1 production version did not enter service until 1948, by which time the Douglas AD Skyraider had largely captured the market. Production totalled 151 AM-1s before the programme ended.

Variants

The prototype XBTM-1 led to the production AM-1 Mauler; an AM-1Q electronics variant was also produced in small numbers.

Where you'll see it

The AM-1 served with several US Navy attack squadrons in the late 1940s and early 1950s but was soon supplanted by the Skyraider due to maintenance complexity.

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