World's Largest Water Bomber Landing at EAA Show
The plane also will make several demonstration flights during AirVenture Oshkosk. It is described as the largest flying boat ever flown operationally -- 38 feet high, 120 feet long, with a wingspan of 200 feet.
What is billed as the world's largest flying water bomber, an aircraft used to fight wildfires in western Canada, the United States, and Mexico, is making a stop at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh aviation event taking place July 25-31 in Oshkosh, Wis. Coulson Aviation is offering VIP tours each day of the Martin Mars aircraft, which is "the last of its kind" and will be moored at the EAA Seaplane Base on Lake Winnebago, according to the event's website. It is the 64th annual Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in convention.
The plane also will make several demonstration flights during AirVenture Oshkosk. It is described as the largest flying boat ever flown operationally -- 38 feet high, 120 feet long, with a wingspan of 200 feet.
This aircraft originally was built as a long-range U.S. Navy troop and freight transport and first flew in 1942. "The conversion to water bombers gave the aircraft the ability to carry as much as 7,200 gallons of water, enough to cover 4 acres of land in a single pass. When picking up water, the Mars can ingest more than a ton of water per second as it skims across a waterway," according to the site's description.
"This is the last flying Mars in the world and the largest warbird ever built," said Wayne Coulson, CEO of Coulson Flying Tankers. "There isn’t a better aviators venue than EAA AirVenture, so it's an honor to be part of this world-class event. We're very excited to bring the Hawaii Mars to Oshkosh as we look for new opportunities and host potential clients, as well as showcase this magnificent airplane's capabilities."
Also being celebrated at the event is a century of U.S. Coast Guard aviation; EAA AirVenture is one of the Coast Guard's official aviation centennial events this year. "The centennial of Coast Guard aviation allows EAA to focus on a branch of the service that is often underrepresented in many air shows but should rightly be recognized for its dedicated work to protect our country and save lives every day," said Rick Larsen, EAA's vice president of communities and member programs. "The Coast Guard operates a diverse fleet of aircraft designed for a wide spectrum of uses, and we hope to bring together as many of these aircraft and people as we can at Oshkosh this year as we salute their service."
The key date is Thursday, July 28, which will feature Coast Guard fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft with plane-side interviews throughout the day from Coast Guard pilots and crews.