Identity Needed Biplane Photo
 

Hello,


Currently on ebay is a photo of an aircraft described as being a Martin design and the 1st U.S. 'armered' aircraft in 1913.Which, if any, of these descriptions are accurate is beyond my knowledge. The photo is at:


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Martin-Firs...wAAOSwfzBdfxEk


So can anyone identify the aircraft shown?


Regards,


Clint

Re: Identity Needed Biplane Photo
 

Yes Clint

It is a Glenn Martin aircraft alright.
It seems it is listed under a large number of titles.
The original photo was located within the Sikorsky archives some years ago, and has been published before.

When I saw it first it was called the Martin Military Scout located at Griffith Park, Los Angeles 1914.
Another photo of it (also at Griffith Park) in 1913 where it is called "armored" tractor biplane.
Finally it seems to be lumped together with other Martin tractor aircraft built pretty much at the same and just called Martin type T.

The US Signal Corps was totally uninterested in this particular aircraft (not even mentioned by Casari) even if some sources claim it was built for a US Army specification for an armored plane....

However Martin improved his aircraft and sold quite a few later tractors under the titles of type TA and TT to the Signal Corps, but that is called development.... :)

Cheers
Stig

Re: Identity Needed Biplane Photo
 

Hello Stig,


Thanks for the informative answer.


You wrote 'Finally it seems to be lumped together with other Martin tractor aircraft built pretty much at the same and just called Martin type T' Do I understand you correctly - you don't actually mean that it is a type T when you used the phrase lumped together do you?. It's designation was something other than Type T perhaps either of the two prior designations you mention?, or a type model that is now no longer known?.


It does seem unusual that Martin would build an armoured aircraft on a purely speculative basis doesn't it. Either very optimistic or ahead of his time as the case may be.


Regards,


Clint

Re: Identity Needed Biplane Photo
 

Well Clint, your questions are a bit tricky to answer since very little details are to be found in my reference literature.

The so called armor, was in fact stiff canvas and as far as I can read it never got anywhere close to getting any real armor.

In all honesty I cannot remember the US Army giving out such a specification as for an armored aircraft, but then again I am not specialised in the US Signal Corps activities so it may have slipped my memory (quite common these days I might add....)

The T stood only for tractor, plain and simple, and to me it seems Martin used it for whatever tractor aircraft he built back then.
As I said I am simply quoting what my meager sources state. There were seven of them in total, and this was one of them.

It also seems his designation system was very simple.
T = Tractor
TA = Tractor Army
TT = Tractor Training
S = Seaplane
R = Reconnaissance
GMB = Glenn Martin Bomber
MB = Martin Bomber

Not sure if this answer your questions, but I simply don't know anything more.

Cheers
Stig