1:72 CMR Martin AM-1 Mauler

[Navy Bird]

Hi mates,

 

We don't need no stinkin' Skyraiders! We got Maulers! What kind of a wussy nickname is Skyraider anyway? Now, Mauler - that's a nickname!   

 

Ah, if only life were as simple as a nickname. Some background: It seems I never learn my lesson - here I go with another CMR resin kit. This time it's the Martin AM-1 Mauler, one of the more obscure beasts from the immediate post-war period. And she was a beast! She still holds the unofficial record for the heaviest ordnance load ever carried by a single piston engine aircraft, over 4,800 kg. I find the Mauler an intriguing subject with its humongous P&W R-4360 engine.

The Mauler was part of a late-war design competition for a dive bomber/torpedo bomber (category BT) for the USN which consisted of the Curtiss XBTC, Douglas XBT2D Skyraider, Kaiser-Fleetwings BTK and the Martin XBTM. Ultimately only the Douglas and Martin aircraft were produced in any quantity, and Douglas was the winner by far with over 3,100 Skyraiders produced. Only 151 Maulers were built, and most spent their service life with USN reserve squadrons. When the Mauler entered service, its designation of "AM" was said to stand for "Able Mable" - this was soon changed to "Awful Monster," apparently due to deck handling and landing characteristics.

This kit was one of CMR's earlier efforts, and had no decal sheet since it was an "overrun." So, I poked around in my spares box to assemble the markings for a reserve aircraft from Naval Air Station Grosse Ile in 1950. I hate having to put the modex numbers and squadron codes on one character at a time! She has an International Orange fuselage band (although I mistakenly ordered British International Orange), white spinner, and Insignia Yellow armament (signifying training ordnance) - three aerial torpedoes and ten 100 lb practice bombs (the latter are poorly represented here by CMR). All that yellow breaks up the monotone of all that Sea Blue!

 

Project: 1:72 Martin AM-1 Mauler

 

Kits: Czech Master Resin (CMR) Martin AM-1 Mauler (kit number 108)
Scale: 1:72 - even still, it's bigger than many 1:48 scale kits
Decals: Assembled with bits and pieces (cue DC5) from the Island of Misfit Stickers, representing 141-I from the Naval Air Station at Grosse Ile in 1950.
Photoetch: None! Oh, wait, I think the harnesses are photoetch...

Resin: Like, maybe, the whole thing. Except for the harnesses...

Vacuform: For the canopy, included with the kit
Paint: Tamiya XF-16 Aluminum, XF-17 Sea Blue, XF-69 NATO Black; Gunze C364 Interior Grey-Green, GX112 Clear Gloss, H11 Flat White, H12 Flat Black, H13 Flat Red, H329 Yellow FS13538, H4 Yellow, H18 Steel, H90 Clear Red, H94 Clear Green; MRP 232 International Orange; Floquil 10015 Flat 

 

Improvements/Corrections

 

None - this is an out of the box build. Other than the stickers. Well, now that you mention it, I added the aerial wires too. 

 

WIP build thread: Link

 

Pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Bill

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Great work on this one, too bad they weren't more successful in service. 

[SAT69]

What an awesome looking model. I wonder if a taller vertical stabilizer and enlarged rudder might have made the airplane more carrier suitable.

[giemme]

Wonderful model of an odd aircraft - and in a colorful configuration too

 

Ciao 

[Learstang]

Great work, Bill! Now you need to do one in what-if SEA camouflage.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

[72modeler]

Outstanding model, Bill. She's a beaut! 

Mike

[Jackson Duvalier]

Fine model of an obscure type.  Well done, Bill.  👍

 

3 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Great work on this one, too bad they weren't more successful in service. 

 

Some decades ago I had a neighbour who'd been a test pilot at Patuxent River in the late 1940s and early '50s, flew most everything available at the time (he showed me his logbooks).  I'd just learned of the Mauler's existence and asked about its merits in comparison to the Skyraider.  He didn't particularly like them and said they had a tendency to be damaged in landing.

[kapam]

Can't say I was familiar with the type, but you have produced a really neat model!

I'm sure an old-school CMR kit would not just fall together easily, so your skill is plain to see in the result.

[Robin-42]

Beautiful work as always. You set a standard I always aim for when I start a new kit.

[CedB]

Another stunner Bill. Gorgeous   

[Edge]

Another from the top drawer Bill & what a beast too!

 

Edge

 

[RidgeRunner]

A great build, Bill! Its an odd shaped machine, isn't it? (says a Skyraider fan )

 

Martin

[Navy Bird]

15 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Great work on this one, too bad they weren't more successful in service. 

 

The aircraft had its share of development issues, which were fixed, but as I read the references it continued to have several issues (the following quotes are from Martin AM-1 Mauler by Steve Ginter).

 

RADM F. B. Stone USN (ret) commanded VA-85 when they flew the AM-1 and describes the hydraulic system as "complicated and poorly-sealed. The airplane would be sitting silently in the chocks on the line, nobody near it, and hydraulic fluid suddenly would come streaming out from any one or more of a number of points, a real bleeder."

 

As RADM Stone describes: "In a carrier landing after getting the 'cut', the slightest temptation to relax a fine degree of back pressure on the stick, let alone any tendency to dive for the deck, resulted in that monstrous nose dropping irretrievably downward causing an unavoidable wheels-first, tail-high landing followed by a high soaring bounce and ultimate engagement with the barrier."

 

VA-174's squadron historian recorded, "On this cruise it was definitely established by trial and error (mostly error), that the AM-1 must be exactly "lined up" with the deck and must be brought in low and slow -- otherwise a landing variable from a normal carrier landing will result."

 

However, the Mauler was considered an extremely stable dive-bombing platform, in part due to the comb-style dive brakes:

 

VA-84 reported "Those pilots who have flown the AD Skyraider are not pleased with the maneuverability of the (AM) plane, but will admit that it is a much steadier plane for bombing or rockets."

 

15 hours ago, SAT69 said:

What an awesome looking model. I wonder if a taller vertical stabilizer and enlarged rudder might have made the airplane more carrier suitable.

 

I haven't come across any documentation that would indicate any issues with the vertical stabilizer or rudder. The rudder was larger than the fixed portion of the vertical fin which is why the Air Group identifier letter was applied in that location.

 

15 hours ago, giemme said:

Wonderful model of an odd aircraft - and in a colorful configuration too

 

I'm naturally attracted to Glossy Sea Blue (and, of course, Extra Dark Sea Grey) and the yellow ordnance really pops on my shelf of 1950s era USN models. The International Orange fuselage band stands out as well.

 

15 hours ago, Learstang said:

Great work, Bill! Now you need to do one in what-if SEA camouflage.

 

Hmm...I think one Mauler is enough for me. Besides, I've never built any models with "what if" paint schemes. It's one of my prime directives - that and not building any "Luft 46" models.

 

12 hours ago, Jackson Duvalier said:

Some decades ago I had a neighbour who'd been a test pilot at Patuxent River in the late 1940s and early '50s, flew most everything available at the time (he showed me his logbooks).  I'd just learned of the Mauler's existence and asked about its merits in comparison to the Skyraider.  He didn't particularly like them and said they had a tendency to be damaged in landing.

 

CAPT Callaway, who was a LTJG with VA-84 at the time, tells of a mechanical problem with the breaking of the landing gear linkage that was peculiar to the AM-1. "We had quite a rash of pilots taking off, retracting the gear uneventfully but, when dropping the gear for landing, the port (I beIieve) main gear would extend but the wheel would not align normally. The wheel would be ninety degrees out of line, and did cause several intentional wheels-up landings. Our skipper finally ordered one of our pilots who was experiencing this malfunction to land with the gear down. The wheel aligned itself on touchdown and there was no problem. The AM's landing gear retracted aft with the main gear rotating ninety degrees in the process. The wheels were big and heavy, and the resultant gyroscopic precession forces during the retraction cycle were strong enough to cause the turning knuckle to fail. The simple solution was to apply the brakes before raising the gear."

 

And an infamous incident (fixed by strengthening the longerons and redesigning the arresting hook):

 

It was during the arrested landing phase of the carrier suitability trials that the infamous "tail-shedding" accident occurred. An inadequacy in the design was making itself evident to the pilots by a "violent" tail shake occurring upon engagement of the arresting wires. This was a symptom of the high stresses that were being placed on the aircraft. During the 51st engagement of the test phase, BuNo. 22279 was making its 16th fly-in engagement when the entire aft fuselage was torn from the airframe.

 

Carrier Air Group 8 (CVG-8) published a cartoon with an AM-1 painted up with three different VA-84 modex numbers: 402, 415, and 416. I assume these were all victims of landing accidents. The tail hook is presumably undamaged as it missed the wire due to a bouncing landing. But I'm guessing. (cartoon via Phil Hambsch).

 

 

11 hours ago, kapam said:

Can't say I was familiar with the type, but you have produced a really neat model!

I'm sure an old-school CMR kit would not just fall together easily, so your skill is plain to see in the result.

 

Despite the age of the kit (CMR no. 108), it actually went together quite well. There aren't a lot of parts as can be seen in the WIP.

 

6 hours ago, CedB said:

Another stunner Bill. Gorgeous   

 

Thanks Ced.

 

10 hours ago, Robin-42 said:

Beautiful work as always. You set a standard I always aim for when I start a new kit.

 

Thanks Robin, I appreciate the compliment.

 

5 hours ago, Edge said:

Another from the top drawer Bill & what a beast too!

 

True fact, she be a beast. I've never seen any of the surviving examples, but she had a wingspan of 50 ft and length of 41. This photo shows the size of the pilot vs. the aircraft nicely:

 

 

Now, wasn't that more fun than another Bf 109 model?   

 

Cheers,

Bill

[Mig88]

Smashing job and nicely finished!

 

Miguel

[bigbadbadge]

Superb job Bill on this brute of a machine, crikey it's quite a large beastie, great work 

Chris

[Learstang]

Bill, you should photograph your model next to a Skyraider (I'm assuming you have a Skyraider model somewhere! - If you don't, for shame!), so we can see the difference in size. I agree with your rationale for not doing 'what-ifs' and 'Luft '46'; I have so many 'actually dids' and 'Luft 1939-45' kits to build I don't have time for the hypothetical aircraft, interesting though many are. I have thought of doing a Gannet or even a Wyvern in SEA camouflage (I'd invent some back story or other about American shortages in AEW or attack aircraft during the Vietnam War - not very believable, I realise, but they would make for some interesting-looking models). I've often thought that the Wyvern was a British analogue of the A2D Skyshark, one that actually entered service.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

[Navy Bird]

2 hours ago, Learstang said:

Bill, you should photograph your model next to a Skyraider (I'm assuming you have a Skyraider model somewhere! - If you don't, for shame!), so we can see the difference in size.

<snip>

I've often thought that the Wyvern was a British analogue of the A2D Skyshark, one that actually entered service.

 

Hi Jason - I have the old Monogram A-1E Skyraider kit which I intend to build as an AD-5U from VU-1 resplendent in its Engine Gray / Fluorescent Red / Chrome Yellow scheme. I also have the Anigrand resin kit of the Skyshark which is high on my list. Someday I'll have them all finished and I can take a group photo with the Mauler.

 

Cheers,

Bill

[Learstang]

I know the AD-5 scheme you're talking about, Bill - that's one I have decals for (Caracal, I believe) and may just do someday. I've pretty much written off all-resin kits (blasphemy, I know!), but I wouldn't mind an IM kit of the Skyshark. I know Mach 2 make one and I'm tempted to buy one (yes, yes, I know all about Mach 2 - I've bought several of their kits, but as an old limited-run kit builder, the Mach 2 kits don't particularly scare me). I've seen photographs where someone built a Skyshark with the SEA camouflage - I have to say it looked good in the scheme, natural even. Now speaking of all-resin kits, I have a Planet Models kit of the Douglas XTB2D SkyPirate - talk about a beast of an aeroplane! Even though it was single-engined (it had the P&W corncob engine, like the Mauler), it had dimensions that were similar to a B-25 Mitchell, with a 70 foot(!) wingspan.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

[PlaStix]

Hi Bill. Hope you are keeping well.

Another very impressive model from your goodself.

   

Kind regards,

Stix

[Navy Bird]

On 12/10/2020 at 15:04, Learstang said:

I know the AD-5 scheme you're talking about, Bill - that's one I have decals for (Caracal, I believe) and may just do someday. I've pretty much written off all-resin kits (blasphemy, I know!), but I wouldn't mind an IM kit of the Skyshark. I know Mach 2 make one and I'm tempted to buy one (yes, yes, I know all about Mach 2 - I've bought several of their kits, but as an old limited-run kit builder, the Mach 2 kits don't particularly scare me). I've seen photographs where someone built a Skyshark with the SEA camouflage - I have to say it looked good in the scheme, natural even. Now speaking of all-resin kits, I have a Planet Models kit of the Douglas XTB2D SkyPirate - talk about a beast of an aeroplane! Even though it was single-engined (it had the P&W corncob engine, like the Mauler), it had dimensions that were similar to a B-25 Mitchell, with a 70 foot(!) wingspan.

 

Yup, that's the one - on the Caracal decal sheet. There's something about that colour scheme that I really like.

 

But what's this? Writing off resin kits? Curb your tongue, knave! But since you mention it, that's means you won't be needing that SkyPirate kit. Methinks some bartering may be in order.   

 

Cheers,

Bill

[Wulfman]

A magnificent model, spectacular colour scheme, great modelling !

 

Wulfman

[F-32]

What a proper bruiser, that's such a good looking aircraft and model

[David H]

Another wonderful build, Bill.

 

Having read the Ginter volume myself and studied the Mauler structure closely, from a parts count standpoint it was a nightmare. I'm sure it provided impetus (if any was needed) for Ed Heinemann at Douglas to make his XTB2D design as simple as possible.

 

Another characteristic affecting the AM was its longitudinal control. Unlike the AD, the AM used a conventional elevator with trim tabs for pitch control. Coming aboard the boat at typical speeds it sounds as if the elevator just did not have sufficient pitch authority, meaning all bets were off one the "cut" was taken. The AD, by comparison used an elevator with a trim tab as well, but also the entire horizontal stabilizer could pivot, which by its very nature gives a much higher degree of pitch authority across the entire airspeed envelope.

 

Due to the aggressive offset of the powerplant thrust line for torque, i've read no complaints regarding directional stability. The Grumman AF Guardian used a similar offset. The Douglas AD had an exaggerated, non-symmetrical airfoil cross section in the vertical fin, which accomplished the same task.

 

-d-

 

 

[Terry1954]

Well I followed the WIP every inch of the way, so how did I miss the  RFI!

 

She's turned out superb Bill (of course) and looks every inch a Mauler. I have a few Skyraiders in my stash (six actually) but no Mauler. I think I will have to get one cos they just look so mean!

 

Terry

[Cookenbacher]

Fantastic work on this beast Bill.