The Martin XP2M-1A Martin-built P3M-2 at NAS PensacolaConsolidated flying boat produced for evaluation by Japan
TheConsolidated P2Y was an Americansesquiplanemaritime patrolflying boat. The aircraft was also made by Martin as the P3M, as a parasol monoplane, due to the Navy awarding production contracts separately from prototype contracts.
Designed to meet a 28 February 1928 U.S. Navy contract, the prototypeModel 9, XPY-1, a parasol monoplane, was designed byIsaac M. 'Mac' Laddon in accordance to the specifications laid out by CaptainHolden C. "Dick" Richardson. Construction began in March 1928 and the aircraft was ready to fly by the end of 1928, and it made its first flight on 10 January 1929 atAnacostia NAS,Washington, D.C.[3]
In standard Navy practice, production contracts were open to other bidders, andMartin underbid Consolidated and was awarded the contract to build them as theMartin P3M-1 andP3M-2.[3] ThreeP3M-1s and sixP3M-2s were built;[4] oneXP2M-1 was also built to a similar design, powered by three Wright Cyclone engines but following the removal of the third engine it was redesignatedXP2M-2.[5] The third engine on the XPY-1 had been studied and rejected by Navy Bureau of Aeronautics staff.[6]
The Navy placed a new contract on 26 May 1931 for an improved version, designated theModel 22 Ranger by Consolidated. It incorporated features of theModel 16 Commodore, such as the enclosed cockpit,[2] and was designatedXP2Y-1 by the Navy. This new prototype had the same 100-foot (30 m) top wing, but became asesquiplane with a smaller lower wing mounted to the top of the hull, replacing struts supporting the wingtip floats. TwoWright R-1820-E1 Cyclone engines were located on the underside of the top wing and had narrow-chord cowlings. A third similar engine was mounted on struts above the wing, but was removed after the first test in April 1932.[1]
The Navy ordered 23P2Y-3s as production models similar to theP2Y-2s that were modified from the original batch ofP2Y-1s.
The Navy ordered 23 P2Y-1s on 7 July 1931. By mid-1933 they were serving withsquadrons VP-10F andVP-5F, which made a number of long-range formation flights.[2] At least 21P2Y-1s were modified intoP2Y-2s in 1936 and flown byVP-5F andVP-10F until 1938, when they were transferred toVP-14 andVP-15.
The firstP2Y-3s reachedVP-7F in 1935, and this version was flown byVP-4F at Pearl Harbor and in 1939 was in operation withVP-19,VP-20, andVP-21. By the end of 1941, all theP2Y-2s andP2Y-3s had been withdrawn from operational use and were atNaval Air Station Pensacola.[1]
Navy version of the Commodore. 23 were ordered on July 7, 1931, and were delivered to Patrol Squadron 10 (VP-10) atNorfolk, Virginia on February 1, 1933.[3]
P2Y-1C
One aircraft delivered to Colombia in December 1932.[1]
P2Y-1J
One aircraft delivered to Japan in January 1935.[1]
^White, Graham (2001).R-2800: Pratt & Whitney's Dependable Masterpiece. Warrendale, Pennsylvania: Society of Automotive Engineers. p. 318.ISBN0-7680-0272-9.
1 X as second letter is for experimental aircraft or imported technology demonstrators not intended for service,2 Hyphenated trailing letter (-J, -K, -L, -N or -S) denotes design modified for secondary role,3 Possibly incorrect designation, but used in many sources
