Martin 404 Airliner

The first "Airliners of America" aircraft, and the AOA flagship is the classic 1950's airliner the "Martin 404 Skyliner."
The Martin 202 / 404 was truly the first "modern' airliner. Designed to be a replacement for the Douglas DC-3, the Martinliner was the first post war airliner design to reach production. First flown in November 1946, the Model 2-0-4 gained full civilian certification in August 1947. A total of 43 Model 202 and 202A's were built.

The Martin 4-0-4 "Skyliner" followed in 1950. Refinements included a longer fuselage, a pressurized and air-conditioned cabin, and more powerful engines. 103 Model 404's were placed in service:  

  • 60 to Eastern Airlines 

  • 40 to Trans World Airlines 

  • 2 to the U.S. Coast Guard. 

  • 1 to Howard Hughs

    While the passengers enjoyed the spacious cabin, the crews appreciated the pressurized cabin which allowed higher cruising altitude. The Skyliner's cruise speeds of 280 mph, nearly 100 mph faster than the Douglas DC-3, were very popular with marketing and sales departments.

    Eastern and TWA sold their Martins to the nation's smaller "trunk" carriers, most going to Ozark, Piedmont, and Southern Airways. Here, the Skyliner performed admirably, with some airplanes flying 16 legs a day. The martin's rugged reliability kept it in service long past it's peers, the Douglas DC-6/7 series and Convairliners, with not less than 16 Martin 404's still in scheduled passenger service as late as 1986.
     

    • Martin 404 Specifications:
    Wingspan 93 ft 3 in
    Length 74 ft 7 in
    Height 28 ft 5 in
    Wing Area 864 sq ft
    Empty Weight 29,129 lb
    Loaded Weight 44,900 lb
    Max Speed 312 mpg @ 14,500 ft
    Cruise Speed 280 mph @ 18,000 ft
    Climb 1,905 fpm (initial)
    Range 1,080 miles
    Powerplant 2- Pratt & Whitney