Glenn L. Martin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Glenn L. Martin
|
|
|---|---|
Martin in a pusher-biplane, c. 1912
|
|
| Born |
Glenn Luther Martin
January 17, 1886 Macksburg, Iowa, U.S.
|
| Died | December 5, 1955 (aged 69) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
|
| Occupation | Pilot, aircraft engineer and entrepreneur |
| Known for | Aviation pioneer |
| Awards | Collier Trophy (1932) Daniel Guggenheim Medal (1940) National Aviation Hall of Fame (1966) |
Glenn Luther Martin (born January 17, 1886 – died December 5, 1955) was an amazing American aviation pioneer. He loved to design and build his own airplanes. He was also a skilled pilot and set many flight records!
In 1912, he started an airplane company. This company later joined with others to become Lockheed Martin, a huge aerospace company today.
Contents
Glenn Martin's Early Life and Interests
Glenn L. Martin was born in Macksburg, Iowa, on January 17, 1886. His parents were Minta and Clarence Martin. When Glenn was two, his family moved to Salina, Kansas. His dad worked on a wheat farm there.
By age six, Glenn became very interested in kites. At first, his friends made fun of the box-kites he built. But when the kites flew really well, people started paying him to build them! He even used his mother's kitchen as a "factory" to make more kites.
Glenn also loved using sails to make things go faster. He put sails on ice skates, wagons, and even his bicycle! This helped him move with less effort. He studied business at Kansas Wesleyan in Salina, Kansas. In 1933, he received an honorary degree from Kansas Wesleyan University.
How Glenn Martin Started Flying
As Glenn grew up, he became fascinated with flying. First, it was kites, then he learned about the Wright brothers' airplane. In 1909, he decided to build his own plane. He based it on the AEA June Bug design.
Sadly, his first airplane was destroyed on its very first test flight. For his next try, Martin used silk and bamboo to build the aircraft. This airplane made a short flight! His mother, Minta Martin, often helped him. She would hold a lamp while he worked on his first few airplanes.
Setting an Over-Water Flight Record
On May 10, 1912, Glenn Martin flew a seaplane he built himself. He flew from Newport Bay, California, to Catalina Island. Then, he flew back across the channel. This flight broke the record for over-water flight! The previous record was set across the English Channel.
Martin flew a total distance of 68 miles (109 km). The flight from Newport to Avalon took only 37 minutes. He even picked up a bag of mail on the island! He won a $100 prize for his amazing achievement.
In 1913, Martin competed in the Great Lakes Reliability Cruise. This was a 900-mile (1,400 km) race for seaplanes around the Great Lakes. During the race, Martin's plane hit a wave at high speed. The plane flipped over and sank. Glenn escaped and tried to save his plane to finish the race.
Glenn Martin in Hollywood
In 1912, Martin opened an airplane factory in an old church in Los Angeles. To earn money for his business, he started doing stunt-flying at fairs. He saw an ad looking for a pilot with an airplane for a movie role. He saw this as a chance to show off his planes.
He got the part of a hero in the 1915 movie A Girl of Yesterday. The movie starred Mary Pickford. Martin soon realized that making movies was harder than he thought. Besides flying Pickford around, he had a scene where he had to kiss Frances Marion. She later became a famous Hollywood writer.
Martin was nervous about kissing Marion. He said, "my mother would not like it!" Mary Pickford was surprised by this. But after Paramount boss Adolph Zukor convinced him, Glenn found the courage and finished the scene.
Major Achievements in Aviation
Glenn Martin held the record for the longest American over-water flight, which was 66 miles (106 km). His company designed aircraft for the military. They built bombers for both World War I and World War II.
One of their first big successes during World War I was the Martin MB-1 bomber. The Martin MB-2 and other planes were also very successful. In 1932, Martin won the Collier Trophy for his work on the Martin B-10 bomber. This was a very important award in aviation.
Building Aviation Companies
Glenn L. Martin founded the Glenn L. Martin Company in 1912. In 1916, his company joined with the original Wright Company. They formed the Wright-Martin Aircraft Company. However, Glenn soon left and started a second Glenn L. Martin Company in 1917.
This company later merged with another company in 1961. It became the Martin Marietta Corporation. Then, in 1995, Martin Marietta joined with the Lockheed Corporation. This created Lockheed Martin, which is now a huge company that builds planes and defense equipment for the U.S. government.
In the 1940s, Glenn and his mother, Minta, were photographed touring the Martin facilities in Baltimore. They celebrated his success as a leader in the aviation industry.
Moving the Company to Maryland
In 1925, the Industrial Bureau contacted Glenn Martin. They wanted him to move his plant from Cleveland, Ohio, to Maryland. After talking with Martin, a site in Middle River, Maryland, was chosen.
It took three years to buy all the land needed from 45 different property owners. They had to convince people that this new industry would bring many jobs to the area. In 1928, the Glenn L. Martin Company moved to Maryland. This brought hundreds of jobs and helped the aviation industry grow there.
Glenn Martin's Legacy
Glenn Martin made many donations to the University of Maryland, College Park. These donations helped create the Glenn L. Martin Institute of Technology. This includes the A. James Clark School of Engineering. The university's wind tunnel and a classroom building are also named after Martin.
The Glenn L. Martin Stadium at Kansas Wesleyan University opened in 1940. It was taken down in 2014. In 1966, Martin was added to the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio. In 1977, he was also inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame.
In 1951, the Glenn L. Martin Elementary School opened in Santa Ana, California.
Commemorations
The USPS Building Bridges Special Postal Cancellation Series honored the 110th Anniversary of Glenn L. Martin’s first flight. They released five special postal cancellations in three cities. There were also musical performances and a re-tracing of Glenn Martin’s flight path from May 10, 1912.
See also
In Spanish: Glenn L. Martin para niños
