Walking through the Mighty MARTIN MARS Air Tanker

[@stevehammond9156]

That thing is absolutely massive inside! It is mind blowing to be able to walk into the wings upright.

[@VMCAviationVideos]

Yup!

[@vorden25]

I wish the old girls could fly forever but time gets us all

[@drguffey]

If this is the 'Hawaii Mars' I flew from Pearl Harbor to Alameda Ca. in 1954. Have no recollection but do have some photos. Awesome that is was still flying 60 years later !

[@TheVelcrogloves]

This is the Hawaii Mars, they also own the Phillipine Mars

[@joellaurin9007]

I'm from the future and she just completed her final flight into Victoria International Airport to be displayed at the BC Aviation Museum.....

[@jamesleedy5140]

a narrative of what we are seeing would be great!

[@westrotter7847]

These are the planes that captures the imagination !!!!! Think of the possibilities of flying around the world picking up and delivering cargo in every port !!! Incredible !!!!!

[@MrJohn1966elliott]

Beautiful Coulson Flying Tankers Martin Mars

[@Dbodell8000]

Hopefully she gets preserved here in BC.❤

[@joellaurin9007]

I'm from the future.... she is being preserved at the BC Aviation Museum

[@Dbodell8000]

@@joellaurin9007Lol😂👍

[@chuckbrown2765]

In the US this would have been plexiglass all the way and the tour would have lasted 5 minutes and landed you in a gift shop. Well done!

[@ryuunet]

It looks like a ship not an airplane.

[@ghostindamachine]

Ryuta Hirayama Hence the name: Flying Boat

[@mikemac2888]

One and the same.

[@pux0rb]

Wow! Can you enter the wings mid-flight? That is pretty cool but dangerous, I imagine.

[@jimsonbrown9768]

puxorb : yes. You could also access the engines and service them in flight after shutting them down. One at a time of course.

[@smplyizzy]

Amazing aircraft! And it’s flying.

[@VMCAviationVideos]

👍

[@jimmyhill1069]

Nice video. I heard Coulson was selling these because the maintenance costs are just getting too high because of all the custom parts that have to be made. Sad.

[@Flying4Film]

What a magnificent machine.

[@gregedmand9939]

Fighting forest fires, while flying an aircraft filled with high octane aviation fuel, takes a tremendous amount of courage. The slightest spark in the wrong place at the wrong time can cause a disaster. I remember one 90 degree day, as a new mechanic working at a flying club, trying to start a Piper Arrow, I'd just fueled it at the pumps. It didn't like the heat and refused to start. I went through the startup drill several times without success, when out of the corner of my eye see two guys running towards me waving their arms and lugging fire extinguishers. The vapour locked engine was dripping fuel out the hot exhausts and lucky for me a sharp eyed pilot saw the flames start to drip to the ground. It was a harsh lesson to learn for a young mechanic. If I was flying over raging forest fires in a spark filled sky, an aircraft burning kerosene fuel would be my choice. This is why the old piston tankers aren't a great option for fire fighting, when turbo prop or jet powered aircraft are available.

[@TomSmith-io9uk]

This bird is huge.

[@thomasjacques5286]

If that were a car, some would call it a RESTO MOD. But she's stunning.

[@kingofcastlechaos]

Sorry for your loss. Watching the interactions in the videos among the people who love these planes and each other is truly enjoyable. All the best for you guys, thanks for the cool videos.

[@VMCAviationVideos]

Thanks!

[@UTubeGlennAR]

Love to also seen a few fotos or perhaps it out of the water. Great vid, thank you.......

[@kenwoodford3047]

Now it is in Pat Bay, hope to see it some day soon!

[@kazkazimierz1742]

I have seen these take off at Port Alberni. Very impressive.

[@VMCAviationVideos]

They are still in Port Alberni, just not flying

[@weldmachine]

Thank you so much for showing the inside was very good to see. Great job on the restoration also, even the calculator near the control panel had red keys on it. A good colour to match the Canadian Flag. The only bad thing i can see about this plane is it needs a lot of money$$$$$$$$$$

[@PositiveVibesOnly5774]

Amazing and mind blowing

[@jpdunamislodge]

True meaning of the term “Flying boat”. If you had guns it would be more like Flying Battle Ship, nice airplane for sure.

[@VMCAviationVideos]

I agree, it is a beautiful airplane.

[@SkyhawkSteve]

very cool! Thanks for the tour! (was there a ladder going up the rudder? or just on top of the fuselage?)

[@smplyizzy]

Looked to be in amazing condition!

[@pitrow66]

Very cool video thanks.

[@davef.2329]

At 2:55, -3:00, a small Evinrude outboard hanging on the side wall??

[@cruisinguy6024]

It’s for the small boat sitting right next to the outboard

[@wickedboody9868]

that's a beast. was this taken out during the wildfire?

[@mchume65]

Looks more like a ship that an aircraft.

[@SteamCrane]

Wonderful video. Does this aircraft have landing gear, or just beaching gear?

[@kpadmirer]

Beaching gear.

[@maebnus46]

I watched 3 different videos of the martin mars beind ferried to victoria. Magnificent aircraft , powered by 4 Wright 3350 engines , those are expensive to keep flying nowadays , parts and experienced engine mechanics . Will have to travel to BC tour the museum . Bruce W 8/28/2024

[@DanielDaniel1]

What a beast!

[@cetta5844]

This version is stripped way down compared to the one I boarded, to increase payload obviously.

[@cetta5844]

The one I was in had a huge flight engineer station, looked like the desk in the Oval Office.

[@ant-1382]

Oops my settings were off. That's better.

[@enedenedubedene4811]

Ein wahnsinns Vogel. Leermasse nur 34,3 Tonnen. Unglaublich.👆👆👆😃😃😃😃 Viele Grüsse aus Germany

[@wickedboody9868]

ok this was not used or requested. what was anyone thinking?

[@UTubeGlennAR]

:} I am the 68.5 year old son of caereer US Navy man. Fifteen of my dad's 22 years in the Navy he was stationed at Pearl. So for 9 of years I was conceived, born n raised in Hawaii and one time we lived in Base Housing on the Pearl City Peninsula. I did not know what I am about to tell you when I was a boy but perhaps 10 years ago I saw a bronz plaque commerating this dock that I played on and rode my balloon tire bike on as a third grader as where Pan Am tied up it's clippers to before the war. Since the war department commindeered Pan Am's birds/clippers I suspect they needed to also commendeer their ground facilities too. AnyWay, I suspect the Hawaii Mars was also moored off the vary same cement dock in Middler Loch that I learned how to ride a bike on in the mid 1950s..... :} :} :}

[@VMCAviationVideos]

Not sure about the history and timeline, but you might be right.

[@dcentral]

Why are firefighting planes so huge but water carrying capacity inside looks small? So much free space to make larger water tanks.

[@fourfortyroadrunner]

Water weights about 7 lb / gallon. It adds up. The capacity of these aircraft is not the bulk, but the weight.

[@simong8390]

dcentral. The tanks you see inside is not watertanks. They are pressure and hydraulic tanks. The water tanks are under the floor and they are huge!

[@ronvanpelt8196]

old design and low power for weight. A modern design with light weight turboprops and less fuel carried would be a kickass solution at say 70% the size of a Mars but same basic concept.

[@tellmesomething2go]

Copy that!

[@jimsonbrown9768]

This was originally a transport aircraft converted to a tanker. That's why it has a lot of room inside.

[@tellmesomething2go]

Wanted to see the holding tanks.

[@oceantrolls7332]

so did i!. at one point in wondered if water just fills up into the fuselage we were seeing... LOL

[@dougdandrea2819]

Arthur Bradley ;

[@jimsonbrown9768]

Arthur Bradley : the Hawaiian Mars converted several of its fuel tanks in the bottom to carry water. The Philippine Mars has its tanks in the cargo area.

[@73THUNDERDOME73]

Rest well Ed Festel

[@VMCAviationVideos]

😕

[@Ford_Raptor_R_720hp_V8]

*The last one flying, and it's up for Sale*

[@knightflightvideo]

I would buy it. ;-))

[@dougmc666]

Way more gear installed than Philippine Mars, but that video has great narration.

[@VMCAviationVideos]

Sorry for the lack of narration.

[@dougmc666]

I still appreciate this video, great to see inside!

[@Josh-hr5mc]

The interior would be considered a restomod I think, lol.

[@hatchetman29]

Neat!

[@patrickmcmurray9446]

Pics are good; a brief narrative would help.

[@ant-1382]

Interesting, but sound and video quality are very poor.

[@mannyoro]

That looks like the Starship Enterprise! Nice...

[@jimsonbrown9768]

Sadly retired now.

[@VMCAviationVideos]

I saw them in action a few times, and they are impressing when at work. But we now have more modern aircraft that do a better and more effective job in fighting fires.

[@ajrussell705drums]

Were are all the water go????

[@VMCAviationVideos]

Into the water tanks 😁

[@ajrussell705drums]

VMC Aviation Videos ohh

[@edeancozzens3833]

Would like to see the water tank and where the water is loaded and discharged

[@VMCAviationVideos]

👍

[@savagesquad2120]

It is a plane. And It Was Used For The B.C Wildfire. I help with it I was the Co Pilot I hope Everyone There's Ok :D We Did Our Best I there

[@richardlamer3910]

I'm building a model plane. Can anyone provide the correct color match for the red and white? Thanks

[@richardlamer3910]

Already done that. I wouldn't think I'm the first to build a model and looking for the 'right' color. I've been combing all the websites, tons of info but not on the color. I would think, these comments get out and someone who works(ed) there may know and respond. Thanks,

[@ajrussell705drums]

#Savage Squad yes for wild fires

[@savagesquad2120]

In There*

[@reidrr41]

YOU SURE THEY DIDN'T RETRO A BATTLE SHIP ?

[@arthurferland170]

It's not that bad needs to be here in Miami taking passengers back and forth to the islands

[@donmoore5716]

Filmed by a deaf mute.

[@VMCAviationVideos]

I hope you enjoyed the video anyway. Cheers and Merry Christmas from the deaf mute.