Martin Models 145 and 146

Bomber Projects
Variants/Specifications

Satisfied with the speed and bombload of the B-10, Air Corps procurement officials now wanted longer range. Two competitions were held in 1934-35: one for several hundred fast bombers capable of flying 2,200 miles, and a second for the experimental prototype of a 5,000-mile bomber.

The Martin 146 was built for the first competition. As the photos show, it bore a striking resemblance to a B-10, with the same bumpy outline of turret and cockpits and even the same two Wright Cyclone engines - hardly positive selling points for a customer looking for the latest technology.

Meanwhile Boeing also outclassed Martin in the design competition for the 5,000-mile bomber. This time Martin's designers were more adventurous. The final design for Model 145 had six Allison V-1710's, two tractors and two pushers, and two more tractor radial engines, built into a giant 173-foot "flying wing,".