Philippine Mars Moves to Pima Air and Space Museum

The final Martin JRM Mars flying boat, dubbed Philippine Mars, took its last flight on February 10. The iconic aircraft is now being taken apart and hauled to its permanent display in the Pima Air and Space Museum.

The Martin JRM Mars is a four-engine cargo flying boat designed to serve the United States Navy during World War II. Seven were built in total, and four were later converted to civilian firefighting water bombers. Today, only two remain: the Hawaii Mars and the Philippine Mars. The Hawaii Mars remained operational until 2016 and took its final flight on August 11, 2024, before being put on permanent display at the British Columbia Aviation Museum.

In late April 2024, it was revealed that Philippine Mars is to become the centerpiece of the Pima Air and Space Museum (PASM) in Tuscon, Arizona. It was repainted to its original Naval livery and entered Sproat Lake in Port Alberni, British Columbia, to complete its first test flight since 2007.

The Philippine Mars attempted its final journey in early January, but was forced to turn back after one of its engines failed. Two of its engines were ultimately replaced with two of the Hawaii Mars’s functional Wright R3350 18-cylinder engines, and another test flight was conducted to ensure the aircraft was capable of getting back in the air.

At around noon on February 10th, the Philippine Mars departed from San Francisco and headed south on the California coast. It turned inland near Monterey Bay and made its final landing in Arizona’s Lake Pleasant. From there, the legendary bird will be broken down to join the more than 400 aircraft on display at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tuscon.

The Philippine Mars’s swan song marks the end of an era, with all remaining Martin Mars permanently grounded.

“Having both of the Martin Mars historically preserved in these museums is our way of honoring the role these aircraft have played in both aviation and firefighting history,” stated Wayne Coulson, CEO of the group that operated both Hawaii and Philippine Mars.

FMI: https://pimaair.org