The Coulson’s Martin Mars Water Bomber, A Rare Bird!
The Martin JRM Mars is a large, four-engined cargo transport seaplane originally designed and built in limited numbers for the U.S. Navy during the World War II era. It was the largest Allied flying boat to enter production, although only seven were built. The United States Navy contracted the development of the XPB2M-1 Mars in 1938 as a long range ocean patrol flying boat, which later entered production as the JRM Mars long range transport.
Four of the surviving aircraft were later converted for civilian use to firefighting water bombers. One example of the aircraft still remains in limited service based out of Sproat Lake just outside of Port Alberni, British Columbia.(thank you Wikipedia for the in-depth info).
Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge
Photo's and Word's of a Wandering Mind 
Love these birds especially during the recent air show.
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You saw them did you? neat!! 🙂 The old gal is on dry dock right now at the lake, took a pic of her tonight as the sun was setting…I’ll post in a day or 2 when I get the chance! 🙂
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Abbotsford and another place prior to this. Hot, a very hot day. Do show her splendour.
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I entered a Photo contest to win a free “Special pass”and win other stuff …but didn’t win 😦 I’m kind of glad cause the heat would of killed me!! 🙂 Cheers! T.
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Takes me back to my child hood days. Early 50’s, my Dad was stationed at Pembroke Dock in Wales, where he was part of the ground crew for a squadron of Sunderland’s. Thank you for sharing your wonderful photos.
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Your welcome!! drop by anytime…took one of the old bird tonight up on dry dock on the lake that is her home, will post in the coming days! 😉
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Fascinating! I’m caught between wanting to see her in action, but knowing that if she’s working people and nature are suffering.
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They have been trying to sell her as she’s so expensive to maintain..hopefully some-one or (where) will purchase her to use again in firefighting, but it’s more likely she’ll go to a collector or museum!
They were charging $20,000 (Canadian) for people to come and spend a week or 2 and learn how to fly her..1 man was a Commercial pilot/Air-force pilot and he was at the controls when I took the photo’s! He got to fly her to an airshow in the States later that week! We hate to see her go! She’s such a part of our town!
cheers guys! T.
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A grande dame for sure!
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she is indeed and the wires make for another interesting way of admiring her. Nice to think of her dropping life-giving water. ❤
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🙂 ❤
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Lovely post in response to WPC -Rare!
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Thanks Arv! 🙂 ps..might take me a while to find those photo’s (I think most came from the internet but are really neat! depicting Bombay back in the late 1800’s.)
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Great!… awaited. 🙂
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Nice post and interesting photos
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thank you!
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