The Martin P6M SeaMaster
The Martin P6M SeaMaster jet seaplane was an experimental flying boat designed as a strategic bomber for the US Navy that was close to being put into service.
As reported by Smithsonian Magazine, during the initial stages of the Cold War, the US Navy felt overlooked. The future was leaning towards nuclear capabilities, and the Air Force’s Strategic Air Command appeared to dominate the delivery systems. The Navy’s initial attempt to secure a role in strategic operations, the supercarrier USS United States, was rejected by the Pentagon in favor of the Air Force’s B-36 bomber, prompting the admirals to devise a plan for a fleet of nuclear-armed seaplanes.
The P6M Seamaster was an exceptional aircraft of its era and represented the final flying boat designed for the US Navy. According to the US Naval Institute, it was primarily developed for long-range minelaying and reconnaissance missions, with an additional capability for nuclear strikes. In its minelaying function, the Seamaster was intended to deploy mines in the access routes to Soviet submarine bases, thereby restricting access to the sea and hindering submarines already deployed from returning for replenishment.
The P6M first flew on Jul. 14, 1955; production aircraft were built, and Navy crews were undergoing operational training, with service entry expected in about six months. The program was cancelled on Aug. 21, 1959, because it was eclipsed by the Polaris submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
Would the US Navy ever consider the development of a jet seaplane again?
Would the US Navy ever consider the development of a jet seaplane like the P6M SeaMaster?
Andy Burns, US Navy Surface Warfare & Flight Officer, explains on Quora.
‘As cool as the P6M was to look at, it wasn’t an example of a “proven concept.” The program was a development hell, two prototypes suffered catastrophic in-flight structural failures (in other words, they disintegrated) and it pretty much drove the venerable Glenn Martin Company out of the airplane business.
‘Jet seaplanes are feasible. Limited numbers of the Russian Beriev Be-200 are in active service, mostly as fire-fighting water bombers. It was developed from the prototype A-40 patrol bomber.
‘There are a few more turboprop flying boats in service, such as the Japanese US-2.’
Burns concludes;
‘As to whether the US military would consider using such aircraft again, while the concept has been nudged around from time to time, I highly doubt it will ever come to anything. No current US defense company has any experience with designing flying boats, and it would represent a large, risky investment for a limited return – there’s almost no commercial market, and the military would only need a small number. Aircraft like the Be-200 and US-2 are only sustained because their programs are heavily subsidized by their respective governments.’
Photo by United Aircraft Corporation, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force
