Martin 404 Airliner
|
N636X in original paint scheme with Trans World Airlines |
| The
first "Airliners
of America" aircraft, and the AOA flagship, is the classic 1950's
airliner
the "Martin 404 Skyliner."
The Martin 202 and subsequent model 404
were truly
the first "modern" airliners. Designed to be a replacement for the
Douglas
DC-3, the Martinliner was the first post war airliner design to reach
production.
First flown in November 1946, the Model 2-0-2 gained full civilian
certification
in August 1947. A total of 43 Model 202 and 202A's were built.
The Martin 4-0-4
"Skyliner" followed
in 1950. Refinements included a longer fuselage, a pressurized and
air-conditioned
cabin, and more powerful engines. A total of 103 Model 404's were placed in
service:
60 to Eastern
Airlines
40 to Trans
World
Airlines
2 to the U.S.
Coast Guard, and
1 to Howard
Hughes for use as his personal aircraft.
While the passengers
enjoyed
the spacious cabin, the crews appreciated the pressurized cabin which
allowed
higher cruising altitudes. The Skyliner's cruise speed of 280 miles per hour,
nearly
100 miles per hour faster than the Douglas DC-3, was very popular with airline marketing
and sales departments.
Eastern and TWA
sold their Martins
to the nation's smaller trunk carriers, most going to Ozark,
Piedmont,
and Southern Airways. Here, the Skyliner performed admirably, with some
airplanes flying as many as 16 legs a day. The Martin's rugged reliability kept it
in service long past its peers, including the Douglas DC-6 and DC-7, and the Convairliners,
with not less than 16 Martin 404's still in scheduled passenger service
as late as 1986.
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| Martin
404 Pictures- click on picture to enlarge + |
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| Martin
404 Specifications: |
| Wingspan |
93 ft 3 in |
| Length |
74 ft 7 in |
| Height |
28 ft 5 in |
| Wing
Area |
864 sq ft |
| Empty
Weight |
29,129 lb |
| Loaded
Weight |
44,900 lb |
| Max
Speed |
312 mph @ 14,500
ft |
| Cruise
Speed |
280 mph @ 18,000
ft |
| Climb |
1,905 fpm
(initial) |
| Range |
1,080 miles |
| Powerplant |
2- Pratt &
Whitney R-2800-CB-16
Double Wasp, 2,400 hp each. |
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| N636X History
AOA's flagship N636X
was built
in 1952, and delivered to TWA as ship No. 429. Registered as N40429,
the
aircraft wore TWA colors until 1960, when it was purchased by the E.F.
MacDonald Corporation of Dayton, Ohio, and the registration was changed to N636X.
Extensive modifications were performed to install extended-range fuel and oil tanks, a self contained auxiliary power unit, weather radar, long range communication radios, a coupled flight director and automatic pilot, and an on board engine analyzer. Tooled leather and 14-karat gold finished the cockpit in style. Finally, the aircraft was outfitted with a new, luxury 16-seat interior and toured the world as one of our nation’s premier international corporate aircraft. 
The Whitesell Family
and N636X
Captain William C. Whitesell had flown Martins for Eastern Air Lines until his retirement in 1960. In 1970 Professional Air Transport, his Philadelphia-based charter company needed a larger aircraft. His natural choice was the Martin 404. He found N636X at Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas and purchased it. He trained his two sons, Jeff and Bruce, to airline pilot standards to crew the aircraft. Together they conducted luxury charters to the Caribbean, South and Central America. The aircraft carried such notables as Muhammad Ali, Howard Cosell, Don Meredith, Frank Gifford, Howard Keel, and Bob Cummings. The economic downturn of the early seventies saw the closure of P.A.T, and the sale of N636X. The trio of flying Whitesells secured new positions in air cargo. Both sons found careers with the major airlines. The senior Captain Whitesell retired.
In 1993 Jeff Whitesell founded Airliners of America, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration and flying display of classic airliners. He began a search for a suitable flagship, not knowing his quest would land him in Pueblo, Colorado where N636X sat in dilapidated condition. He bought the aircraft in June 1994, and ferried it to Seattle, Washington. After a three year restoration, the aircraft was finished in Pacific Air Lines livery and toured the Western States as a traveling museum of airline history. Hollywood made good use of her classic lines, and N636X has starred in four major motion pictures.
The tragedies of September 11, 2001 had a significant effect on the cost of operation of vintage aircraft. Insurance and fuel costs continued to escalate after the attacks. Airliners of America ceased operations of the aircraft, and N636X was put in storage in Camarillo, California in October 2002.
Last Airworthy Martin
N636X is the lowest time Martin in existence and the last example remaining airworthy.
Total Airframe Time: 22,000 hours
Engine Times: 1,150 hours (left), 1,250 hours (right)
Major airframe, engine, and propeller inspections will be completed in 2006 and N636X will fly again.
The Future
Jeff Whitesell seeks an affiliation
with a world-class air museum that will preserve this unique example of the classic Martin Skyliner for future generations. |