37 - P4M-1.pdf - Naval Fighters(1) - marko1964

NOW·

The speedy Martin Mercator patrol p~ane seeks out its quarry

over long distances. Flashes in like a skilled boxer. Slams home its

slugger blows. Then lights out at top spe~d. Most elusive aircraft

of its kind ever built, tbis Navy patrol plane has fighter-type ma-

neuverability-with. a high rate of roll-a high rate of climb-

and a quick response to controls unusual for a plane of its size and

carrying capacity!

Jet Power

for

Its 20 mm. turrets and other armament make it a powerful

offensive and defensive weapon. It has the cruising stamina to find

its target and return over long distances. Two reciprocating engines

for economical long-range power-and two jets for extra bursts

of speed-are uniquely teamed in two nacelles. The Martin P4M

Mercator is the first jet-powered patrol airplane- another first

in a long line of great Martin planes that have strengthened our

Navy's air arm! The Glenn L. Martin Company, Baltimore 3,Md.

Patrol

Planes

Builders oj 'Dependable

Aircraft Since 1909

'---

M_A_R_T_IN__P_4_M__M_E_R_C_A_T_O_R

I. :'J

INTRODUCTION

the property of NAVAL FIGHTERS

unless prior arrangement is made.

Individuals are responsible for securi-

ty clearance of any material before

submission.

ISBN 0-942612-37-X

Steve Ginter, 1754 Warfield Cir., Simi

Valley, California, 93093

Above, an artist's rendition ot the

XP4M-1 in tlight, released in February

1947. The slightly out-ot-perspective

rendering shows an aircratt equipped

with three-bladed propellers, full

defensive armament, bomb-aimer's

nose glazing, and belly radome. (MFR)

This book attempts to delineate

the history of the Martin P4M

Mercator. It is not by any means a

complete narrative, due to the secret

nature of the Mercator's career and

its importance to the cold war.

Through mishaps and shoot-downs

the nineteen ship production run fl.ew

clandestine electronic intelligence

missions against China, North Korea,

Russia and Vietnam until 1960. Many

of the documents, drawings and pho-

tos used in this book were declassi-

fied for this publication as late as 6-

17-96. Even so, I trust that all who

acquire this book will thrill at the

beauty and gracefulness of the big

Martin.

publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or trans-

mitted in any form by any means elec-

tronic, mechanical or otherwise with-

out the written permission of the pub-

lisher.

BACKGROUND

Although outwardly similar to ,the

P2V Neptune, tine, 1/3, larger P4M

Mercator was desl"gr1ed'· much later

and developed for a different require-

ment. Its specific design purpose was

long-range patrol and laying mines

during the planned 1946 invasion of

Japan. The Neptune's design work

dated back to 1941, when the Navy

asked Lockheed to design a replace-

ment for its successful medium range

Ventura patrol bombers. The twin

engine (R3350) P2V was never

designed with jet engines in mind. It

was only after the P4M proved the

concept of using jets to augment per-

formance of a patrol aircraft did

Lockheed retrofit its Neptunes.

Lockheed's protracted development

of the Ventura/Harpoon replacement

gave the Navy a much more capable

aircraft than they asked for. When

built instead of a medium range patrol

CONTRIBUTORS

Alfred Bonecki, Jim Burridge

(research), Fred Dickey, Tom Healy,

Jan Jacobs (The Hook), Clay

Jansson, Craig Kaston, Jack King,

Bob Lawson, Thomas McGarry (cold

War shoot-down info.), Stan Piet

(Martin Museum), Fred Roos, Mick

Roth (flight manuals), John Rucks

(Combat Models), William Swisher,

Larry Webster (accident records),

Nick Williams, and Herb Wood.

This project would not have been

possible without the support provided

by Stan Piet from The Martin

Museum. Most of the unpublished

photos seen in this book were loaned

to Naval Fighters by Stan and the

museum.

Anyone having photos or other

information on this, or any other naval

or marine aircraft, may submit them

for possible inclusion in future issues.

Any material submitted will become

All photos credited Martin or MFR are

via Martin or Stan Piet.

;. ....

aircraft the Navy had a very long

range patrol aircraft, as evidenced by

the "Truculent Turtle's" record break-

ing, 11,235 mile flight from 29

September through 1 October 1946.

These extra-long sea legs and lower

unit cost would relegate the more

capable P4M to a limited production

run of 19 aircraft and 2 prototypes,

and a place in Naval aviation history

as the Queen of Cold War Black Ops.

Top to bottom, PV-1 Ventura medium range patrol bomber. Lockheed's replace-

ment for the PV-1/2 family, the P2V Neptune. The record breaking P2V-1 Truculent

Turtle. The P4Y-2 Privateer which was to be replaced by the P4M-1 Mercator.

Unlike the Neptune, the Mercator

was designed in 1944 as a four

engine (2 4360 props and 2 J33 jets)

long range patrol bomber meant to

replace the four engine Consolidated

P4Y-1/2 twin and single tail

Privateers. The idea behind the P4M

was the usage of the two massive

P&W R4360 (3,250hp) reciprocating

engines as the primary power plants

for the patrol mission. A mission flown

without usage of jet engines allowed

the P4M to fly 16 hour search flights.

The purpose of the jets was to

enhance safety during take offs and

landings and for combat survivability.

With a top speed of 41 0 mph with two

turning and two burning, the early

Mercators were on a par speedwise

with many contemporary fighters. In

fact, tests at Martin showed that the

XP4M-1 with all engines at takeoff

power could outclimb any piston

engined fighters of the era up to

20,000 feet. The P4M-1 had a patrol

range of 2,840 miles whereas the

range dropped to 2,000 miles, in the

heavily laden P4M-1 Q. The P4M-1

with bomb bay fuel tanks installed

boasted a 4,230 mile range.

DEVELOPMENT

On 6 July 1944, the Navy signed

a contract for two Martin Model 219

XP4M-1 s, BuNos 02789 and 02790.

Power for the 84 foot long prototypes

was provided by two 2,975 hp Pratt &

whitney R-4360-4 Wasp Majors and

two J33-A-17 turbojets rated at 3,825

Ibs of static thrust each. These

engines were mounted in the same

nacelles, thereby precluding the main

gear from retracting into the engine

nacelle. Therefore, the main gear

retracted into the wing panel outboard

the nacelles, which was not thick

enough to enclose the wheels com-

At right, XP4M-1 mock-up on 10-9-44 in

tri-color paint scheme changed very

little in its final form. The vertical fin

was reduced in size to the line drawn

on the mock-up's tail. The molded jet

intake was replaced by a sugar-scoop

trapdoor intake. (National Archives)

pletely. Fairings were provided to

help streamline the protruding main

wheel. Besides the inherent drag

associated with this design, Martin

discovered that propwash on takeoff

caused the right main gear to retract

very slowly.

The Mercator's 114 foot wing was

an unusual marriage of two different

type airfoils. The center section

(NACA 2417) offered high lift, while

the outer panels (NACA 2412) offered

high speed. Because the two airfoils

were so physically different, the outer

wing section would stall first causing

a "wicked" stall.

The first XP4M-1, 02789, was

rolled out on 17 June 1946 complete

with armament consisting of two

20mm T-31 cannons with 300 rounds

per gun in a Martin X-220CH-2 tail

turret, two 50cal machine guns with

400 rounds per gun in a Martin

250CE-24 deck turret, and two flexi-

ble 50cal waist guns with 300 rounds

each. The two 50cal machine guns

with 300 rounds each were not

installed in the Emerson X250SE-2

nose turret. Instead, test instrumenta-

tion booms were installed for early

flight testing.

On the production aircraft, 20mm

cannons were installed in place of the

50cal nose guns. The Emerson nose

turret was a wonder, as it could fire

through a 180 0 arc either vertically or

horizontally. The Mercator was

designed to carry 12,000lbs of ord-

nance or fuel in its internal bomb bay.

Ordnance could consist of depth

bombs, bombs, torpedoes, mines,

auxiliary fuel tanks or any combina-

tion thereof.

At right, the first XP4M-1 (BuNo 02789)

is rolled out of final assembly building

"C". C-54s in the background were

undergoing conversions to DC-4s.

Deck and tail turrets had armament

installed. (MFR)

37 - P4M-1.pdf

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