The Martin 2-0-2 was a low-wing, all-metal, twin piston-engined American airliner designed and built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. Introduced in 1947, the 40 passenger unpressurized aircraft was powered by Pratt & Whitney R-2800 CA-18 Double Wasp 18-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, and cruised at 255 knots.
Glenn L. Martin, president of the company, intended that the Model 2-0-2 would be a replacement for the Douglas DC-3. It was also known as the "Martin Executive".
The first flight of the model was in November 1946. Full civilian certification was gained in August 1947, several months before competing aircraft types. The total production of 2-0-2s and 2-0-2As was 47 aircraft.[1]
The aircraft was not pressurized, but was considered a long-range airliner. The fatal crash in 1948 of Northwest Airlines Flight 421 revealed a serious structural problem in the wings. Structural metal fatigue was the problem in a major wing spar. Aluminum alloy 7075-T6 was used, which is susceptible to stress-corrosion cracking and low toughness. The airliner was grounded and modifications were made. The wing components were redesigned and the engines replaced. The changed type was designated the Martin 2-0-2A.
Operational history
Japan Airlines Martin 2-0-2 "Mokusei" (1951) Former TWA Martin 2-0-2A of Southeast Airlines (Florida) at Miami in 1970
On November 13, 1945 Pennsylvania Central Airlines purchased a fleet of 35 Martin 2-0-2s from the Glenn Martin Company for $7,000,000.[2] Two weeks later, Colonial Airlines announced that they would purchase 20 airplanes for $4,000,000, scheduled for delivery in 1947.[3] Early in the next year, Martin announced that Pennsylvania Central Airlines had ordered 15 more 2-0-2s, bringing the total aircraft on order in early January 1947 to 137 aircraft, with a sales value of $27,000,000.[4] Despite the announcement of these large orders, the contract terms allowed the airlines to cancel them without any penalty.[5] The 2-0-2 was unpressurised, unlike the competing Convair 240. Therefore, as delays in production built up, all airlines except Northwest, TWA, LAN, and LAV cancelled their orders and only 31 2-0-2s and 12 2-0-2As were actually delivered to the airlines.[5] The first scheduled flight was on Northwest between Minneapolis and Chicago on 13 October 1947.
The 2-0-2 was the first airplane subjected to the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Administration's then-new "Accelerated Service Test," introduced May 15, 1947. In this test, an airliner was to undergo a rigorous 150-hour test, attempting to squeeze one year's service into a week to 10 days of flying. The 2-0-2 made such a test visiting about 50 cities in seven days. At each city, comprehensive inspections were made of the aircraft systems to assess how wear or malfunction would occur.[6]
13 October 1950 – A Northwest Orient 2-0-2 crashed on a training flight at Almelund, Minnesota, with six fatalities.[1][14]
7 November 1950 – Northwest Orient Flight 115 crashed into a mountain near Butte, Montana, United States, with 21 fatalities.[1][15]
16 January 1951 – Northwest Orient Flight 115 crashed with 10 fatalities near Reardan, Washington, United States, after a sudden unexplained loss of control during cruise.[16][1][17]
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