Disaster On Promising
p. 148 · Read in the full issue
Us Flying-Boat
THE giant US Seamaster flying boat exploded at trials on De cember 8, killing her crew.
Last June (p. 146), PIM gave de tails of the revolutionary new jet flying-boat which many believed might be the forerunner of a type of aircraft best suited to the needs of Pacific aviation. The 600-mph 4-jet Seamaster had at that time been delivered by the Glenn L.
Martin Co., of Baltimore, to the US Navy for test-flying.
The aircraft made its first flight on July 14. Results were said to be satisfactory, and on November 2 the big flying-boat put on a spectacular display for the US Chief of Naval Operations and the British First Sea Lord. Following this, the US Navy announced that the aircraft would go into production.
One other machine was already nearing completion, and others will be ready by early 1956. With a pay load of 13i tons these huge flying boats are capable of carrying a com plete floating operating base with them, so that they could operate within a few hours from any bay, anywhere in the world.
The outlook for this aircrn whose development seemed of a: siderable interest to Island resides appeared very good, indeed —ui the first one exploded in mid-j near the mouth of the Potoin River. Cause of the disaster T not immediately known. It follow 50 hours of uneventful flying.