This is definitely off topic, but it is about boats.
The video of the China Clippers is wonderful and a testament to the
flying boats of the 1930's. Many of the clippers were built in Baltimore
by the Glen L. Martin co. A lot of My neighbors worked there and Dad
Contracted to make wing spars for them. So some parts were made in
Dundalk in our basement machine shop.
There were more China clippers than thew few the video talked
about. It seems like there was something like 39 of them. Many I don't
think flew to China they flew to South America and the Caribbean
countries. I don't know if they were technically China clippers or not
but that's what we called them. Some were called the Mafia hopes to and
from Cuba. The hill in front of our house locally named Kimmels
Mountain was cut down and dumped in the Baltimore Harbor to build the
airport that was primarily a sea Plane airport where they landed in the
river taxied up the ramp to the terminal boarding an disembarking.
Maryland was convinced the sea planes were the the future becuse they
could fly anyplace in the world and there would be nearby water to land
on. don't forget in those days only the richest countries could afford
to build an airport.
Dad used to invite people he worked with from Western Electric to
come on Saturday for a crab feast and we would go and crab off of the
bulkhead of the airport. We used to see the planes coming in for a
landing up or down the Potapsico river flying in very low on the water
feeling the ground effects almost completely cut the engines and glide
in about six feet off the water. They didn't flair to to land, they
flew in so they were going fast when they landed. They were some kind of
pretty. Then you had to run back from the bulkhead as the waves would
plash against the wall and soak you.
When Martins changed over to bombers My father made some tooling
for them in our basement shop and finally wound up cutting wing spars
for them. The stock was fed through the basement window and milled on a
horizontal mill and taken out a window at the other end of the house. I
guess they were for the B26 bombers. They may have been for seaplanes ?
They built B26's and B24 liberators through the war as well as the huge
flying boats like the Mars and slightly smaller planes. Anyway the video
really struck a nerve with me as I was greatly impressed by by the
presence of the China Clippers. When we were out fishing and sailing our
old sharpie they often landed near us and waved at the passengers
through the tiny windows along the sides of the planes. The passengers
often waved back. When Georene and I were anchored in Bimini that is
what I was remembering as Chalk Airlines would land and take off right
beside us with wing tips less than fifty feet from Sea Legs rigging.
Makes ya nervous!
Glen L. Marten the man was a German airplane designer who could not
sell his ideas concerning the future of Flying boats to the German
Government of the 1920's so he moved his operation to Baltimore. He
brought many thousands of Germans with him. He also brought a couple
flying boats from Germany. He used the airplanes to ferry Germans from
Argentina who were German aircraft workers. They immigrated to Argentina
and then the American borders were open to them. It was said that
Germany was not friendly to private capitalized companies buy some of
our German neighbors who worked at Martins. That sounds familiar
doesn't it? The state of Maryland less liberal than these days, bought
the land and gave it to Mr. Martin to build his plant on. The Governor
said it was the best deal he ever made. It paid back in taxes many
times over. I hope nobody gets upset with this semi off topic post
because the video link will take you back to the 1930's of airplanes on
the water as flying boats as well as some of my, hopefully forgivable
reminiscing might bring you some insight. Doug
--
Doug Pollard,
Sailor, Machinst, writer,artist
Visit me at:
Sailboats Fair and Fine
The video of the China Clippers is wonderful and a testament to the
flying boats of the 1930's. Many of the clippers were built in Baltimore
by the Glen L. Martin co. A lot of My neighbors worked there and Dad
Contracted to make wing spars for them. So some parts were made in
Dundalk in our basement machine shop.
There were more China clippers than thew few the video talked
about. It seems like there was something like 39 of them. Many I don't
think flew to China they flew to South America and the Caribbean
countries. I don't know if they were technically China clippers or not
but that's what we called them. Some were called the Mafia hopes to and
from Cuba. The hill in front of our house locally named Kimmels
Mountain was cut down and dumped in the Baltimore Harbor to build the
airport that was primarily a sea Plane airport where they landed in the
river taxied up the ramp to the terminal boarding an disembarking.
Maryland was convinced the sea planes were the the future becuse they
could fly anyplace in the world and there would be nearby water to land
on. don't forget in those days only the richest countries could afford
to build an airport.
Dad used to invite people he worked with from Western Electric to
come on Saturday for a crab feast and we would go and crab off of the
bulkhead of the airport. We used to see the planes coming in for a
landing up or down the Potapsico river flying in very low on the water
feeling the ground effects almost completely cut the engines and glide
in about six feet off the water. They didn't flair to to land, they
flew in so they were going fast when they landed. They were some kind of
pretty. Then you had to run back from the bulkhead as the waves would
plash against the wall and soak you.
When Martins changed over to bombers My father made some tooling
for them in our basement shop and finally wound up cutting wing spars
for them. The stock was fed through the basement window and milled on a
horizontal mill and taken out a window at the other end of the house. I
guess they were for the B26 bombers. They may have been for seaplanes ?
They built B26's and B24 liberators through the war as well as the huge
flying boats like the Mars and slightly smaller planes. Anyway the video
really struck a nerve with me as I was greatly impressed by by the
presence of the China Clippers. When we were out fishing and sailing our
old sharpie they often landed near us and waved at the passengers
through the tiny windows along the sides of the planes. The passengers
often waved back. When Georene and I were anchored in Bimini that is
what I was remembering as Chalk Airlines would land and take off right
beside us with wing tips less than fifty feet from Sea Legs rigging.
Makes ya nervous!
Glen L. Marten the man was a German airplane designer who could not
sell his ideas concerning the future of Flying boats to the German
Government of the 1920's so he moved his operation to Baltimore. He
brought many thousands of Germans with him. He also brought a couple
flying boats from Germany. He used the airplanes to ferry Germans from
Argentina who were German aircraft workers. They immigrated to Argentina
and then the American borders were open to them. It was said that
Germany was not friendly to private capitalized companies buy some of
our German neighbors who worked at Martins. That sounds familiar
doesn't it? The state of Maryland less liberal than these days, bought
the land and gave it to Mr. Martin to build his plant on. The Governor
said it was the best deal he ever made. It paid back in taxes many
times over. I hope nobody gets upset with this semi off topic post
because the video link will take you back to the 1930's of airplanes on
the water as flying boats as well as some of my, hopefully forgivable
reminiscing might bring you some insight. Doug
--
Doug Pollard,
Sailor, Machinst, writer,artist
Visit me at:
Sailboats Fair and Fine