XBTM-1 Mauler

The Martin XBTM‑1 Mauler was a prototype carrier‑borne torpedo bomber developed by the Glenn L. Martin Company for the United States Navy in the mid‑1940s. Designated XBTM‑1 (experimental B Torpedo McLaren), the aircraft first flew in early 1945 as a response to the Navy’s requirement for a more powerful successor to the Douglas TBD Devastator. Built around a robust Wright R‑2600‑22 2,200‑hp radial engine, the Mauler featured a low‑wing monoplane layout, fully retractable tricycle landing gear, and hydraulically folded wings to fit the limited deck space of fleet carriers. Its internal bomb bay could accommodate a standard 2,000‑lb bomb or a Mark 13 torpedo, while four .50‑caliber machine guns—two mounted in a nose turret and two in a dorsal position—provided defensive firepower. The prototype’s crew of two sat side‑by‑side under a broad canopy, giving excellent visibility for targeting and carrier landings.

Although only two prototypes were built and the type lost out to the Grumman TBM Avenger, the XBTM‑1 demonstrated the feasibility of higher‑powered, heavily armed carrier attack aircraft and informed the Navy’s post‑war design philosophy. Its emphasis on speed, payload, and carrier compatibility helped shape the evolution of naval strike planes that dominated the early Cold War era.