And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Yep, it's not supersonic but was an impressive performer despite the inherent drag of the flying boat hull. The age of the flying boat had passed and that killed it rather than any inherent flaws in the design and execution.
The photo looks like the seaplane ramp at the Glenn L. Martin plant in Essex, MD, about 1955. I lived across Middle River from the plant and watched the early flights of the Seamaster.
The Chinese and Japanese are still using seaplanes, which sort of makes sense considering the vast number of islands in the East Indies. The US Marines having a passing interest in them, too.
Must of needed a lot of maintenance what with all the salt water spray the jet engines create.
ReplyDeleteLike the XB-70, this plane was an interesting concept, but lacked the technology at the time to perform.
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From what I’ve read about this aircraft, it was capable of mach 2.3 at the time of its debut. For the time, that’s pretty friggen fast!
ReplyDeleteWikipedia says .9 mach.
DeleteYep, it's not supersonic but was an impressive performer despite the inherent drag of the flying boat hull. The age of the flying boat had passed and that killed it rather than any inherent flaws in the design and execution.
DeleteLooks like a penguin.
ReplyDeleteThat’s my take too
DeleteThe photo looks like the seaplane ramp at the Glenn L. Martin plant in Essex, MD, about 1955. I lived across Middle River from the plant and watched the early flights of the Seamaster.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese and Japanese are still using seaplanes, which sort of makes sense considering the vast number of islands in the East Indies. The US Marines having a passing interest in them, too.
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