Martin FM-1 ‘Mako’; aircraft ‘315/NZ5315’ of 17 Squadron RNZAF, 1944

[Dizzyfugu]

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Some background:
Martin's FM-1 was originally conceived as a replacement for the ageing Grumman Wildcat, as a fighter for smaller carriers, esp. for the US Navy and Royal Navy escort carriers in the Atlantic. These escort carriers, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the USN or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, were a small and slow type of aircraft carrier, with limited capacity and primarily used to protect convoys against U-boats. In this role, escort carriers initially accompanied the merchant ships and fended off attacks from aircraft and submarines. Later in the war, escort carriers became part of hunter-killer groups which sought out submarines instead of being attached to a particular convoy.

Allied escort carriers were typically around 500 ft (150 m) long, not much more than half the length of the almost 900 ft (270 m) fleet carriers of the same era, but were less than 1/3 of the weight. A typical escort carrier displaced about 8,000 long tons (8,100 t), as compared to almost 30,000 long tons (30,000 t) for a full-size fleet carrier. The aircraft hangar (if there was any!) typically ran only 1/3 of the way under the flight deck and housed a combination of 24-30 fighters and bombers organized into one single "composite squadron". By comparison, a late Essex-class fleet carrier could carry a total of 103 aircraft organized into separate fighter, bomber and torpedo-bomber squadrons.

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


A respective aircraft had to be both compact and versatile. Typical aircraft in use were the Grumman F4F Wildcat fighter and the TBF Avenger torpedo bomber. In the fighter role the new design was also to offer a better performance than the F4F, but still be able to deliver bombs, water bombs and ideally a torpedo. Additionally, the aircraft had to be able to take off without a catapult in order to make it suitable for shorter and sometimes just improvised flight decks on modified merchant vessels.

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Martin began work in April 1942, following an official US Navy Bureau of Aeronautics request. The resulting FM (actually the only fighter the Glenn L. Martin Company designed) offered all the requested improvements, even though it would not be able to carry a torpedo. The quasi-bubble canopy offered far better all-round and esp. rear view than the F4F cockpit. The wider landing gear (which retracted backwards, rotating through 90° to lie flat in the fixed wing parts) made landing on the short escort carrier decks much safer. The hydraulically actuated undercarriage struts also meant a huge advance in comfort for the pilot, compared to the hand-cranked landing gear of the F4F.

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The outer wings could be folded away (either actuated, too, or manually), each panel outboard of the undercarriage bay folding backwards, parallel to the fuselage with the leading edges pointing down, in a similar fashion to the F4F or F6F, so that the aircraft took up only little space.

Special attention was taken to rigidity and corrosion prevention - on some makeshift escort carriers the aircraft had to be parked on deck and in the open all the time, as there was no hangar or lift available.

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The FM was powered by a 1.900 hp (1,417 kW) R-2600-20 radial engine, driving a four-bladed propeller. Martin submitted the FM's design on 1st of July1942, with a contract for two prototypes and five service test aircraft awarded on 10th of August. The first flight of a prototype XFM took place on 16th February 1943 at the Columbus, Ohio Martin plant. Flight testing continued through 28th of August, when the last of the five pre-production aircraft took to the air. After thorough tests in late 1943 a production order for 300 FM-1 'Mako' followed in March 1943.

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The first serial production FM-1 Makos were delivered to the USN on 22th of May 1944 to the USS Solomons (CVE-67), a Casablanca Class escort carrier. From the total production of 305 aircraft, about 80 of these were delivered to the Royal Navy for their escort carriers in the Atlantic (used under the designation Mako Mk. 1) and 42 were delivered to the Royal New Zealand Air Force and used in the Pacific theatre, even though only from land bases.

While the Mako was not a first line fighter and rarely engaged in great aerial battles it served well in its intended multi-tasking role. Especially against German submarines in the Northern Atlantic the Mako was a valuable asset, as well in the interceptor role against German long range reconnaissance aircraft where top speed was not as crucial as in a direct dogfight situation.

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


A more successful career of the Mako was prevented through the due introduction of more potent fighter types, e .g. the Grumman F6F and Vought F4U. They offered an overall better performance than the FM, so that the further development and production of Martin's sole fighter type was quickly stopped. It was also clear that the compact FM simply lacked internal space for future development.

After the WWII hostilities ceased, most FM-1s still in service were immediately retired or served as training aircraft or target tugs for only a short period, when they were replaced in these roles by the stronger fighter types.

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr




General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 31 ft  4½ in (9.58 m)
Wingspan: 38 ft 4 in (11.70 m)
Height: 9 ft 2.5 in (2.8 m)
Wing area: 334 ft² (31 m²)
Empty weight: 9,238 lb (4,190 kg)
Loaded weight: 12,598 lb (5,714 kg)
Max. take-off weight: 15,415 lb (6,990 kg)

Powerplant:
1× Pratt & Whitney R-2600-20 Twin Cyclone two-row, 14-cylinder radial engine rated at a 1.900 hp (1.417 kW), driving a four-bladed Martin Electric propeller

Performance:
Maximum speed: 380 mph (610 km/h)
Combat radius: 820 nmi (945 mi, 1,520 km)
Service ceiling: 34,000 ft (10,363 m)
Rate of climb: 3,500 ft/min (17.8 m/s)
Wing loading: 37.7 lb/ft² (184 kg/m²)

Armament:
6× 0.50 in (12.7 mm) AN/M2 Browning machine guns with 360 RPG in the outer wings
Up to 2.000 lb (907kg) external ordnance on a centerline pylon and/or on two hardpoints under the wing roots, plus six attachments for unguided missiles/HVARs under the outer wings.




The kit and its assembly:
Originally I wanted to build a USN aircraft in the Atlantic paint scheme for some time, after having seen a whiffed Curtiss SB2C Helldiver in this neat livery. You rarely see aircraft in this grey/white scheme, and originally I planned to build an early F4U-1 as a respective whif. But: why not take it a step further and create a whole new aircraft for the Northern Atlantic theatre?

The potential specification list was built around the small escort carriers, and it became a true challenge to create something that would be plausible. When I came across Smèr's 1:72 kit of the Curtiss SC-1 Seahawk seaplane I knew I had found my basis, though, and in the end the Mako is more or less a SC-1 turned into a carrier-borne fighter aircraft with a retractable landing gear!

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The kit was mostly taken OOB, the central float just left away. The wings were mounted with a slight anhedral, resulting in a gull wing, much like the F6F. In order to make the aircraft look a bit more agile the wing tips were clipped by about 1cm on each side.
For the scratched landing gear (wild parts mix, from a Fw 190 and a Spitfire, among others), wells were cut out of the wing undersurfaces – overall benchmark was the F6F.

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


I also changed the engine from the SC-1's original 9 cylinder radial engine into a 14 cylinder, two-row radial, which received a longer, more pointed cowling – taken from an SB2C and reduced in height by taking about 3mm out of every side. Reminds a bit of a Mitsubishi A6M Zero now? The propeller was carried over from the SC-1, but fitted with a metal axis so that it could spin freely in the new engine block.

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Painting and markings:
Well, I did eventually not settle on an Atlantic livery (saved for a later project, maybe an SBC), but rather went for an RNZAF paint scheme – typical USN colors in Non-Specular Sea Blue (FS 35042), Intermediate Blue (FS 35164) and White, but with late war RNZAF markings, taken from a Smèr F4U-1.

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


As tones I used Modelmaster's 1718, Humbrol 96 (RAF Blue, which is a tad darker and greenish than FS 35164; Humbrol 144 would habe been the alternative) and acrlyic white from the rattle can below. All interior surface were painted in Zinc Chromate Green, I useed Humbrol 159 this time, which comes close but is darker/more dull than the authentic tone. The whole landing gear and the wells were kept white.

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Panels were emphasized through dry painting with Humbrol 77 and 145, a light black ink wash added contrast to the engravings.

After decal application, some more dry painting with Dark Sea Grey was done, and soot and exhaust stains added with flat black. Finally, a coat of acrylic matt varnish was applied.

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Martin FM-1 'Mako'; aircraft '315/NZ5315' of 17 Squadron RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force), Guadalcanal, late 1944 (Whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Nothing fancy, tinkered together in a week. 

[Torchwood]

Outstanding! Love the scheme and a fantastic backstory! Great build

[PR19_Kit]

Mind blowing, that one Thomas. 

I bet you feel under-achieved if you don't build one new model every week, don't you? 

[sandiego89]

Great work, especially on the landing gear 

[NARSES2]

That looks nice 

[Dizzyfugu]

Thanks a lot! 

[nighthunter]

Dizzy, once again, great minds

[Captain Canada]

What a little beauty ! Looks clumsy on the ground, but once she's airborne look out ! Love the high set cockpit look too. The paint and markings look good too.

[Dizzyfugu]

Yeah, the high canopy makes her look more bulky than she actually is. I realized that too late, because the cockpit floor is very high, too - for a lower/more streamlined canopy (which would be easy to realize, as there's no fairing/frame to hold the new part), the floor needs to be lowered by 3mm at least - would be a worthwhile mod, though, if someone builds a similar standard fighter from the SC 1.

The (slightly) longer nose and clipped wings make her look faster, too, both details would be recommended, too. And the landing gear just came naturally, due to the wing folding mechanism. Was the simplest and most realistic solution?

Actually, with the wheels up, the Mako reminds a lot of Ryan's Fireball? There's also some Douglas Dauntless involved, can't help, but that could also be a trick of the paint scheme.