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| Benefiting from early combat experience in World War II, the US Navy drew up its. specification for a new single-seat carrier-based attack aircraft. The Martin Model 210 design proposal gained a contract for two XBTM-1 prototypes, the first being flown initially on 26 August 1944. A cantilever low-wing monoplane with retractable tail-wheel landing gear, powered by a 2237kW Pratt & Whitney XR-4360-4 radial engine, the XBTM-1 was tested successfully and gained a contract for 750 BTM-1 series aircraft. By the time that the first of these was flown, on 16 December 1946, the designation had been changed to AM-1 and the name Mauler selected. World War 11 had also ended, and instead of the planned procurement only 149 AM-1s (excluding prototypes) had been completed when production ended in October 1949. Initial deliveries to an active unit went to Attack Squadron VA-17A on 1 March 1948, but these aircraft saw little first-line service, being transferred to US Navy Reserve squadrons when production ended. The total of 149 built included 17 AM-1Q aircraft completed as ECM (electronic counter-measures) aircraft.
| MODEL | AM-1 "Mauler" |
| CREW | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 x Wright R-3350-4 Cyclone, 2218kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 10608 kg | 23387 lb |
| Empty weight | 6577 kg | 14500 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 15.24 m | 50 ft 0 in |
| Length | 12.55 m | 41 ft 2 in |
| Height | 5.13 m | 17 ft 10 in |
| Wing area | 46.08 m2 | 496.00 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 591 km/h | 367 mph |
| Ceiling | 9295 m | 30500 ft |
| Range | 2900 km | 1802 miles |
| ARMAMENT | 4 x 20mm cannons, 2000kg of weapons |
 | A three-view drawing (500 x 381) |
| Klaatu83, e-mail, 08.01.2017 17:34 In the end the Martin AM Mauler was rejected in favor of the Doulas AD Skyraider which was, apparently, considered to be the superior of the two competing designs. reply | | Norman Kortus, e-mail, 22.01.2015 00:03 I was stationed at Glenview NAS from 1950 until 1954 was in VA 727 Was the plane capt. of this great plane plane # was 126. What a blast to do full power run ups and get to taxi around the tie down area. When they took these away we got the Corsair They just came in from Indo China and were shot up badly took months to get them back into flying condition reply | | Guido Bee, e-mail, 21.10.2014 21:26 Guido
Visited Tillamook this past weekend. Many of the planes in the collection have been moved. The Mauler is still there. Nice to see that one, but the whole collection remaining could use a lot of TLC. I wanted to like the visit, but I'm afraid this place has seen its best days. The Hangar is interesting, and you can walk through the Guppy outside. reply | | Tom Comeau, e-mail, 01.09.2014 06:54 Tom Comeau pepecomeau@gmail.com
Back in 1949 I was stationed in FASRON-3 in Norfolk Virginia and I remember being awed by that AM beast. One of the particular memories I have is that of one hapless pilot getting in dutch over taxiing a bit too fast for that nose-heavy aircraft--short story, when he applied the brakes also a bit too hard, the AM pitched forward and dug the prop into the concrete. Not much clearance between the deck and that prop! What power that engine had!!! Brakes locked, wheels chocked, and triple tie-downs, and hope like hell everything held together on a high power run-up. reply | |
| | jack b king, e-mail, 14.01.2014 06:36 I was in vf 33 same hangar as ag 17 went aboard uss leyte for carquals with am sqdn one am landed and struts came up through wings one made deck launch and dropped in the drink was a hell of a mess ad is a better bird all ways I know for I was capt will nyburg s crewman in vc33 and have ahell of a lot of hrs in ad4nl s reply | | jack b king, e-mail, 14.01.2014 06:34 I was in vf 33 same hangar as ag 17 went aboard uss leyte for carquals with am sqdn one am landed and struts came up through wings one made deck launch and dropped in the drink was a hell of a mess ad is a better bird all ways I know for I was capt will nyburg s crewman in vc33 and have ahell of a lot of hrs in ad4nl s reply | | JOHN HUNT, e-mail, 25.10.2013 01:31 I flew this aircraft in 1949. I made 1 CAT and 3 CL
aboard the USS MIDWAY (CVB-41) IN MARCH 1949 WITH VA-17A.
Upgraded to Douglas AD-3 shortly afterwards. reply | | James Richards, e-mail, 29.09.2013 18:37 My log book from NAS Glenview show I had 2.6 hours in the AM+1Q before all were flomn to storage in Arizona. This was in 1953. JIM R. reply | | Steve Turner, e-mail, 13.09.2013 18:25 Back in the late 70's my Dad recovered (2) AM-1's and brought them to Lubbock Texas where over the next few years managed to put one into flight status, she was named "Mable" in 84 a power failure on take off resulted in an accident which got the prop and 1 main, I towed backwards down the highway to Brownfield, after they replaced the rt main, where repairs begain saddly she was taken due to CAF BS for "better care" she sits in Odessa Tx now I believe, worse now than when she left. reply |
| Vito Michael, e-mail, 05.12.2012 03:31 A must see a prime example of postWWIi aircraft technology application the mauler is a monster it makes the SB5C hell-diver appear petite the example at Pensacola is immaculate and Awe inspiring cant imagine trying to wrestle this mother aboard ship do many interesting aircraft in this period don't forget the AF-2-2 as well as the AJ-2 savage reply | | Judy Segar, e-mail, 08.08.2012 04:56 If anyone has a relative that was on the Able Mable please contact me. I have pictures of the crew. reply | | Gregg Messel, e-mail, 15.08.2011 20:50 Just saw my first Mauler at Tillamook this weekend with another aviation junkie. We hit the Evergreen museum in June and love the Tillamook. It is a neat place with most of the warbirds flyable. Still oil on the floor under the engines. I loved the dive brakes on the Mauler and how they folded together to act as flaps.
Gregg reply | | bombardier, e-mail, 20.05.2011 16:00 The AM Mauler should have been selected as the standard attack aircraft instead of the Skyraider,it was faster[591km /h vs 515km /h] and could carry a much larger load reply | | Clem Schultz, e-mail, 02.03.2010 12:14 In 1949 (Fresh from boot camp)I went to CAG-8, @ NAS JAX. was assigned to VF-82, over staffed, they sent me to VA-84. also overstaffed. When I got there, the chief pointed at the most beautiful plane I'de ever seen, (The AM-1Q) Said "Son, you're the plane captain, go clean 'er up." Only a short time though. CAG-8 shipped out and gave me to FASRON-6 reply |
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| | Carl Felty, e-mail, 31.01.2010 23:43 The Tillamook Air Museum in Tillamook, Oregon, has one of these on display. It has the P&W R4360 engine in it. If you get a chance, I recommend the museum. It's less formal than many and is housed in a WW2 Blimp hangar. I actually prefer the Tillamook museum to Evergreen Aviation Museum at McMinnville, although both are good. The Spruce Goose is at Evergreen. reply | | a comment or so,, e-mail, 06.09.2010 07:32 A few years back,in Lubbock,Tx.I saw my first Mauler,and it at the time was a member of the CAF there. I was just intrigued by the size and the feel of the cockpit. And I was just chasin' some sparks and trippin' breakers. Thanx reply | | Len Eisner, e-mail, 01.12.2009 23:20 I was assigned to VA-84 during 1948-49. We received the AM-1 in December of 48 and carqualed on Midway several months later. The airplane was pleasant to fly if a bit heavy on the controls. Unfortunately it had a tendancy for the hook to bounce and was sent to the reserves who crashed a bunch for various reasons. Except for one occasion when a wingman chopped off a piece of my stabilizer, I survived my tour in the airplane without problems. reply | | Edward Seay, e-mail, 26.09.2009 22:29 thawkins is right. The AM was powered by the P&W 4360. I was stationed at NAS Atlanta, Chamblee and worked on the AM line from 1951 to 1953. I now live in Pensacola. Old number 139, pictured at the Naval Aviation Museum, was one that the check crew I was in maintained. As a 19 year old youngster, I thought it was hot stuff to taxi that big bird around. That is a cut-away 4360 sitting next to 139. reply | | response, 12.09.2009 22:50 Yes, Jean,the aircraft gained a mostly-deserved reputation for being hard to land on carrier decks, leading to the nickname of "Awful Monsters". However, pilots who liked the plane's payload read AM as "Able Mable." They flew from aircraft carriers from 1948 to 1950, when they were replaced by the Douglas AD-1 Skyraider.They flew from shore reserve bases until 1953. Hope this answers your questions! reply | | Jean Donelan, e-mail, 23.05.2008 19:45 Is this the plane that was also called the Able Mable and was used on aircraft carriers around l948 or l949? reply |
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Fred Benton
Hello, I’m sorry if this is a bit weird but I’m trying to dig up more information on the AM mauler your father recovered. If you would be willing to talk about it via Email, that’d be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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