Martin Model 194

History of the Martin Model 194

The primary heavy bombers used by United States Army Air Force (USAAF) bomber squadrons during World War II (1939-1945) were the Joint B-24 Liberator, Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" and - towards the end of the war - Boeing B-29 "Superfortress". All three were strong and helpful in ending the war in the Allies' favor.

Between these classic designs there are the usual studies proposed by major aircraft manufacturers, such as Glenn L. Martin, who created their "Type 194" as a study.

The Type 194 appeared before the end of 1942, by which time the advanced B-29 was still months away from completing the development phase and entering service (arriving in 1944). The Type 194 was billed as a natural range heavy bomber capable of carrying an impressive war load (internally) over the long distances required in Europe and, more importantly, the Pacific campaign.

The design features an aerodynamically refined shape with a rounded nose section containing a flight deck with side-by-side seats, a tubular fuselage and a single-wing tail. The main plane is located at shoulder level and has a straight design that tapers towards the curved tip. The leading edge has some noticeable sweep (about 20 degrees), but the trailing edge is not used. The tail uses a large-area circular vertical tail (similar to the one Boeing engineers use on the B-17 and B-29), and these elements are located on the fuselage below the tail.

The general hull shape is a stretched teardrop with a tapered end at the stern. A retractable tricycle undercarriage is provided for ground operations, and given the weight projection of this large aircraft, all legs are equipped with twin tires.

As a heavy bomber, the Type 194 would carry four engines embedded (in pairs) in four nacelles in each wing main aircraft. Interestingly, the bomber's engines were designed in a "propeller" configuration, with the propeller assembly located behind the trailing edge of the wing to "push" the plane through the sky.

Another interesting quality of the propulsion scheme is the proposed use of counter-rotating propellers on each engine to provide additional propulsion (two three-bladed propeller units for a total of six blades on each engine. Another one for this aircraft An alternative design is for the engine to run in a more traditional "puller"/"Tractor" approach.

Martin Model 194 Specs

Base

Years of Service

1943

Origins

United States

Status

Cancel

Development ended.

Crew

10

Production

0

Manufacturer

The Glenn L. Martin Company - USA

Carrier

United States (removed)

Roles

Ground attack (bombing, strafing)

The ability to conduct air strikes against ground targets using (but not limited to) artillery, bombs, rockets, rockets, etc.

X-Plane (development, prototype, tech demo)

Aircraft designed for prototyping, technology demonstration, or research/data collection.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

119. 8 feet

(36.52m)

Width/span

171. 1ft

(52.15m)

Height

31. 0 feet

(9.45m)

Cured weight

77,162 lbs

(35,000 kg)

MTOW

134,482 lbs

(61,000 kg)

Wgt Difference

+57,320 lbs

(+26,000 kg)

Performance

Installed:

4 engines of unknown make, model and power output, each driving 2 three-bladed propeller units in counter-rotation.

Maximum speed

373 km/h

(600 km/h | 324 knots)

Maximum

32,808 feet

(10,000m | 6km)

Area

5,293 km

(5,300 km | 9,816 nautical miles)

rate of climb

1,000 ft/min

(305 m/min)

Range (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: > 19030

Weapon

Standard (recommended): 4 x .50 caliber Browning M2 Heavy Machine Guns (HMG) in forward remote dorsal turret. 4 x .50 caliber Browning M2 HMGs in the rear RC backpack turret. 4 x .50 caliber Browning M2 HMGs in ventral radio-controlled turrets. 2 x 37mm automatic cannons in the stern turret.

Optional (recommended): Internal supplies of 20,000 lbs to 30,000 lbs, including conventionally dropped bombs.