Martin Model 262 Convoy Fighter: The Naval VTOL Turboprop Project of 1950

The Martin Model 262 was an unconventional turboprop VTOL aircraft proposal submitted to the US Navy's convoy fighter competition of 1950, which ultimately produced the Convair XFY-1 Pogo and Lockheed XFV-1 Salmon. It was a swept-wing aircraft with triple vertical tails powered by an Allison XT-40-A-8 turboprop engine driving 16 ft contra-rotating propellers. The launch and recovery system consisted of a hinged vertical platform mounted on a merchant ship; the pilot approached the platform from the side and hovered vertically just in front of it, attaching the aircraft to the platform with a retractable nosegear spike and landing on two small wing gear. The fighter was armed with four 20 mm cannon and was designed to protect convoy vessels from enemy air attack. In addition to the basic Model 262, Martin also presented Modifications A, B and C, the configurations of which were even more unorthodox than the main proposal. Finally, the book examines the Model 262P, a handsome scale demonstrator designed to verify the basic soundness of the concept. This 52 page publication features 56 illustrations, including detailed schematics, artist's impressions, and speculative color profiles of these remarkable secret aircraft projects. It is printed in color throughout on heavy paper stock and has a full color glossy cover. This is the publisher's second book covering the convoy fighter competition, the first one being devoted to the Goodyear GA-28A/B, which is still available from bookstores worldwide.