LARGEST AIRCRAFT

Grey River Argus, 13 December 1943, Page 6

LARGEST AIRCRAFT

Sets World Records U.S.A, NAVY’S ENTERPRISE. (Rec. 8.40.) WASHINGTON, Dec. 11. A flying-boat, the Mars, the largest aircraft in the world, completed its first war mission to Brazil, Trinidad and Bermuda. It has shattered ail the existing records for cargo transportation and for an over-water flight. This was announced by Colonel Knox, Navy Secretary. He added that the Navy was discussing the construction of more such aircraft with the Glenn Martin Company. The war, he said, had demonstrated a need for huge cargo ’planes, and the U.S. Navy’s experiments undoubtedly would Immensely benefit post-war operations. An outstanding feature of the Mar's maiden mission was a 4,3(5mile non-styp flight from Maryland, U.S.A., to Natal, in Brazil, carrying a cargo of thirteen thousand pounds weight of Christmas mail for the armed forces. The Mars covered the distance 'in 1,705 minutes, averaging 153 miles an hour, which is a world record. • The Mars, on aonther stage, carried thirty-five thousand pounds of cargo, another record. The enormous two-deck hull of this ’plane has a capacity of a fifteenroomed house. The Mars is powered with four twenty-two hundred horsepower Wright-Cyclone engines, Ihe Mars has a wing span of two hundred feet. She weighs seventy-two thousand pounds.