Martin 146

The Martin Model 146 was an unsuccessful American bomber design that lost to the Boeing Model 299 which spawned the famous B-17 Flying Fortress.

Design and development
Although generally satisfied with the speed and bombload of the Martin B-10, the United States Army Air Corps wanted a longer ranging bomber. Two competitions were held in 1934-35: one for fast bombers capable of flying 2200 mi, and a second for the experimental prototype of a 5000 mi bomber.

The Martin 146 was built for the first competition, competing with the Boeing Model 299 (later the B-17) and Douglas DB-1 (later the B-18). The Model 146 bore a striking resemblance to the earlier Martin B-10, with the same configurations of turret and cockpits and even the same two Wright Cyclone engines – "hardly positive selling points for a customer looking for the latest technology". The biggest difference between this plane and the Martin 139 (B-10) was it was wider allowing the Pilot and Copilot to sit side by side.

The Model 146 was not successful but it led the Martin company to begin research into contemporary aviation technology. Some offshoots included the innovative Model 145 proposed for the long range bomber competition as well as the early studies that would lead to the Model 179 (later to emerge as the wartime Martin B-26). The final disposition of the Model 146 is currently not known.