Outwardly, the Mars series of aircraft was typical of flying boat designs of the period. The fuselage managed a deep boat-style hull for its required water landings. The flight deck was high-mounted in its placement with excellent viewing over the nose and to either engine pairing along the wing leading edges. Wings were straight in their general shape with curved tips and high-mounted along the fuselage spine. The aircraft was powered by four radial piston engines across individual nacelles with two engines per wing. Each wing was also given a two-strutted pontoon to support the assemblies on water and prevent tipping of the aircraft. The fuselage tapered at the empennage in the usual way with a raised tail unit mounting horizontal planes set low on the tall, curved tail rudder. Dimensions included a length of 117 feet, wingspan of 200 feet and height of 38 feet, 5 inches. Total wing area was 3,686 feet squared. Internal volume allowed the aircraft to haul up to 32,000lbs of cargo including 133 combat infantry or seven light vehicles. In the MEDEVAC role, the Mars could provide transport to 84 injured as well as medical staff numbering 25. Empty weight was 34,280lbs with a maximum take-off weight of 74,800lbs. Top speed was approximately 220 miles per hour with a cruising speed of 190 miles per hour, range out to 5,000 miles and operating ceiling of 14,600 feet. The Caroline Mars was noteworthy in having set the passenger-hauling world record in flight when it transported 269 persons from San Diego, California to Alameda, California on March 4th, 1949.
The four original JRM-1s were eventually upgraded to the new "JRM-3" standard which saw their engines replaced by 4 x Wright R3350-24WA series radials of 2,400 horsepower each. The inboard engines were now fielded with reversible-pitch units for more precise controlling. With the end of the war, the retained Mars aircraft continued in its transport services role within the United States Navy until about 1956 when they were retired from active service. In 1959, four of the aircraft were purchased by a Canadian fire-fighting concern. The Marshall Mars was lost on April 5th, 1950 when it caught off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaii, leaving just four remaining flyable Mars aircraft. On June 23rd, 1961, the Marianas Mars followed when it crashed while fighting a fire in British Colombia - killing all four of her crew. The Caroline Mars was eventually lost on October 12th, 1962 to Typhoon Freda. This now left two - the second Hawaii Mars and the Philippines Mars - to carry the torch.
The remaining aircraft continued in their fire fighting roles into 2003 to which its owners unloaded the types to another Canadian fire -fighting concern. The Philippine Mars is now destined for permanent exhibit at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida leaving the second Hawaii Mars as the only flyable Mars aircraft in the world.
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