Martin 4-O-4 Skyliner   …..  Fast Facts  

 

• The Martin 4-O-4 was the first truly “modern” airliner with a pressurized cabin.

• Designed to be a replacement for the Douglas DC-3, the Martin Skyliner was the first post-war airliner design to reach production.

• In all 103 were 4-O-4s were built by Glenn L. Martin Company between 1951 and 1953, at its Middle River Plant in Maryland.

• Eastern Airlines had the largest fleet, with 60. The Martins of Eastern Airlines were primarily deployed along their eastern seaboard routs, and in Florida.

• TWA operated 40 of the 4-O-4s.

• Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, and the Doobie Brothers each used modified Martin 4-O-4s. Sinatra’s plane had a lounge area with a piano, a curved bar, a bedroom, and for night flights, an artificial moon and twinkling stars built into the ceiling. The exterior was pink with brown trim.

• Visitors to the museum often remark how much more leg room the passengers of a 4-O-4 enjoyed compared to a modern jet airliner.

• The museum’s Skyliner (S/n 14233/ N485A) has a manufacture date of October 15, 1952.  After its service with Eastern Airlines, the registration was changed to its current N259S.

• It was delivered to Eastern Airlines on November 4, 1952.

• In 2000 Mr. Manfred Leuthard of Classic Airways, agreed to donate his 4-O-4 to the museum. In turn, the museum covered the expenses of flying the 4-O-4 cross country; $30,000 was raised in four months for this flight. The arrival was covered by local TV and newspapers.