JM-2

The JM‑2 was a single‑engine, low‑wing monoplane built in the early 1930s by the Glenn L. Martin Company as part of a private‑venture program to explore high‑speed, long‑range mail and passenger service. First flown in March 1933, the aircraft incorporated several advanced concepts for its time, including an all‑metal stressed‑skin fuselage, retractable split‑type landing gear, and a variable‑cammingpropeller driven by a 750 hp Pratt & Whitney R‑985 Wasp Junior radial engine. Its 38‑ft wingspan and sleek, tapered wing profile yielded a maximum speed of 210 mph and a cruising range of 1,200 miles, making it one of the fastest conventional aircraft of the era. The JM‑2 also featured a fully enclosed cockpit with heated flight instruments, a novelty that improved crew comfort on high‑altitude flights. Although only two prototypes were completed before the program was cancelled due to the Great Depression’s financial constraints, the design’s aerodynamic refinements and structural techniques directly influenced Martin’s later transport and bomber models, such as the Model 146 and the B‑26 Marauder. The JM‑2 therefore occupies a pivotal place in aviation history as a bridge between early wooden biplanes and the all‑metal, high‑performance aircraft that dominated World War II.

Glenn L. Martin Company

Classification

Design & Classification