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Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum facts for kids

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Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum
Maryland Aviation Museum, Strawberry Point Flightline. 09-5-2015 (18551737595).jpg
The Strawberry Point Flightline at the museum, where all of its aircraft are displayed
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Established 1990
Location Martin State Airport, Middle River, Maryland
Type Aerospace museum
Founder Gene DiGennaro, Stan Piet, and Bryan Williman

The Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum is located at Martin State Airport in Middle River, Maryland. It educates visitors through the use of exhibits, artifacts, archival materials and stories about aviation in Maryland over the last hundred years, with an emphasis on the Glenn L. Martin Company and the more recent Lockheed Martin histories.

The aircraft currently on display are on loan from the Navy and Army, with the exception of the Martin 4-0-4, which was donated to the museum in 1999. The museum also hosts periodic open cockpit days featuring three or four selected aircraft. The history of the Martin Corporation is told with displays of models, films, photographs and documents from the museum's large archive. There is a research library, through which this archive can be examined on appointment. The museum relies on volunteers who run the museum and assist the visitors with admissions, store purchases, and tours. They also help with visiting school groups, other educational projects and aircraft restorations.

History

Martin 4-0-4 ‘40400’ (N259S)
A Martin 4-0-4 painted to represent the prototype Martin 4-0-4, a converted Martin 2-0-2

Glenn L. Martin flew his first glider in 1907 and his own design of pusher configuration biplane on 1909. He founded the Glenn L. Martin Company in 1911. When this was merged into the Wright-Martin corporation in 1917, he set up a new company, based in Cleveland, with the original name. In 1928 it moved to Baltimore, where Martin bought over 1,260 acres in the suburb of Middle River and built some of the most modern aircraft manufacturing plants of its time. Huge facilities sprang up including an airport (with hangars and terminal) and several communities that still exist.

Between the years 1911 and 1960, the Glenn L. Martin Company produced over 80 different types of aircraft totaling more than 11,000 planes, including dozens of Boeing B-29s (50 of which were the "Atomic Bombers" including Enola Gay and Bockscar).

In 1960 the company abandoned aircraft design, changed its name to The Martin Corporation and produced missiles like the Titan missile series. From 1965, as the Martin Marietta Corporation, it produced lifting bodies.

The museum was founded in 1990 and opened at Martin State Airport in 1993.

Collection

Bell UH-1M Huey ‘15238’ (17771082423)
Bell UH-1M Huey at the museum
Republic RF-84F Thunderflash ‘27412 - FS-412’ (really 53-7554) (18400726621)
Republic RF-84F Thunderstreak at the museum

The following aircraft are in the museum's collection.

Other aircraft and exhibits in storage and not available for viewing are:

  • Grumman F-9F Cougar
  • Aft fuselage and tail of a Martin P6M SeaMaster jet flying boat
  • Two Martin AM Mauler aircraft under restoration
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