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Benefiting from early combat experience in World War II, the US Navy drew up its. specification for a new single-seat carrier-based attack aircraft. The Martin Model 210 design proposal gained a contract for two XBTM-1 prototypes, the first being flown initially on 26 August 1944. A cantilever low-wing monoplane with retractable tail-wheel landing gear, powered by a 2237kW Pratt & Whitney XR-4360-4 radial engine, the XBTM-1 was tested successfully and gained a contract for 750 BTM-1 series aircraft. By the time that the first of these was flown, on 16 December 1946, the designation had been changed to AM-1 and the name Mauler selected. World War 11 had also ended, and instead of the planned procurement only 149 AM-1s (excluding prototypes) had been completed when production ended in October 1949. Initial deliveries to an active unit went to Attack Squadron VA-17A on 1 March 1948, but these aircraft saw little first-line service, being transferred to US Navy Reserve squadrons when production ended. The total of 149 built included 17 AM-1Q aircraft completed as ECM (electronic counter-measures) aircraft.
| MODEL | AM-1 "Mauler" |
| CREW | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 x Wright R-3350-4 Cyclone, 2218kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 10608 kg | 23387 lb |
| Empty weight | 6577 kg | 14500 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 15.24 m | 50 ft 0 in |
| Length | 12.55 m | 41 ft 2 in |
| Height | 5.13 m | 16 ft 10 in |
| Wing area | 46.08 m2 | 496.00 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 591 km/h | 367 mph |
| Ceiling | 9295 m | 30500 ft |
| Range | 2900 km | 1802 miles |
| ARMAMENT | 4 x 20mm cannons, 2000kg of weapons |
 | A three-view drawing (500 x 381) |
| Edward Seay, kaminari3(@)bellsouth.net, 26.09.2009 thawkins is right. The AM was powered by the P&W 4360. I was stationed at NAS Atlanta, Chamblee and worked on the AM line from 1951 to 1953. I now live in Pensacola. Old number 139, pictured at the Naval Aviation Museum, was one that the check crew I was in maintained. As a 19 year old youngster, I thought it was hot stuff to taxi that big bird around. That is a cut-away 4360 sitting next to 139. | | response, 12.09.2009 Yes, Jean,the aircraft gained a mostly-deserved reputation for being hard to land on carrier decks, leading to the nickname of "Awful Monsters". However, pilots who liked the plane's payload read AM as "Able Mable." They flew from aircraft carriers from 1948 to 1950, when they were replaced by the Douglas AD-1 Skyraider.They flew from shore reserve bases until 1953. Hope this answers your questions! | | Jean Donelan, dgrammyj(@)Verizon.Net, 23.05.2008 Is this the plane that was also called the Able Mable and was used on aircraft carriers around l948 or l949? | | thawkins, thawkins(@)integrity.com, 23.09.2007 Wrong engine!!! This aircraft was powered by th Pratt& Whitney R-4360 engine. |
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