Glenn L. Martin
(Pioneer barnstormer & leading airplane manufacturer, born in Iowa, raised in Liberal, Ks. (where became fasincated with flight by watching migrating geese against the wide open Kansas sky, and began his "aircraft manufacturing" career by building and selling kites), with teen years in Salina, Ks. (learning mechanics in a bicycle and auto shop, and studying business at Kansas Wesleyan College). Moving to California, he quickly became a powerful force in early aviation development.
    Founded one of the world's first major aircraft manufacturers, the Glenn L. Martin Co. -- becoming the world's youngest aircraft manufacturer -- chief rival to the Wright brothers and Glenn Curtiss, each of whom he would befriend and outlast. Martin's aircraft were among the major pioneering aircraft of early aviation, especially in the U.S. -- including important pioneering military bombers in the 1920s and 1930s (like the B-10, America's first modern-style, all-metal bomber, shown at left). His company's B-26 Marauder was one of the fastest, toughest bombers of World War II, and he license-built the Boeing B-29 bombers that dropped the atomic bombs upon Japanese cities.
    Martin's family of seaplanes was the greatest in world history -- stretching from early biplanes to the great China Clipper airliners (right), and giant wartime flying boats (like the widely used Martin Mariner and the gigantic Martin Mars), culminating in the Martin Seamaster strategic jet bomber.
    But perhaps Martin's greatest influence was as a mentor. William E. Boeing learned to fly at the Glenn L. Martin flying school in Los Angeles, and the first airplane Bill Boeing owned was a Martin biplane on pontoon floats -- soon imitated by Boeing's first airplane design: the "B&W" ("Boeing & Westervelt")
    Among Martin's early employees was designer Donald Douglas -- who later founded industry leader Douglas Aircraft, and developed the Douglas DC-3 (generally regarded by historians as the most important aircraft in world history).
    Founders of major aircraft manufacturers North American Aviation (Rockwell), McDonnell Aircraft, Vought (later L-T-V)and Bell Aircraft (later Bell Helicopter) also apprenticed first with Martin.
    Most of America's major commercial and military aircraft have been built by the handful of companies founded by Martin and his former employees.
    Martin, himself, would remain at the helm of his company well into the 1950s -- producing airplanes longer than any other early aviation pioneer, including airliners and jet bombers.
    Martin's company became one of the chief producers of U.S. missiles -- including America's giant Titan ICBMs (Wichita would become home to one of the three rings of active Titan missile silos) -- and exotic spacecraft. Martin Marietta Corp. recently joined with Lockheed to become Lockheed-Martin, one of America's only three remaining major aircraft manufacturers -- competing with Boeing and Northrop-Grumman.)
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OX-5 Club Hall of Fame
Naval Aviation Hall of Honor

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