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The Martin M-130 is truly a plane whose fame far surpasses its production volume. Designed and built by the Glenn L. Martin Company this aircraft first flew on December 30, 1934. Designed to meet Pan American Airways's President Juan Trippe's desire for a trans-Pacific aircraft, the M-130 was an all-metal flying boat which employed streamlined aerodynamics and powerful engines to achieve Pan Am's specifications for range and payload. Only three of these aircraft were built and all were sold to Pan American Airways at $417,000 per copy, including: the China Clipper, the Philippine Clipper and the Hawaii Clipper.

Internally within Martin, they were known as the Martin Ocean Transports. To the public they were all referred to as the China Clipper, a name which evolved into a generic term applying to Pan Am's entire fleet of large flying boats - the Martin M-130, Sikorsky S-42 as well as the Boeing 314 Clipper.

They gained their fame based on their size, streamlined design and by a series of spectacular aviation firsts. On November 22, 1935, the China Clipper, piloted by Captain Edwin C. Musick and First Officer R.O.D. Sullivan flew the first trans-Pacific airmail route. Almost a year later, the Philippine Clipper inaugurated passenger service between the United States and Hong Kong on October 14, 1936. Later the same month, the Hawaii Clipper inaugurated scheduled trans-Pacific passenger service between California and the Philippines. The flight departed the United States on October 21, 1936 and required two weeks to arrive in Manila. In July 1938, the Hawaii Clipper disappeared over the Pacific on a flight between Guam and Manila in an airplane accident that is unsolved to this day.

Their range and capacity made them prime candidates to fulfill the over ocean hauling needs of the military during World War II. Beginning in 1942, the two remaining planes were impressed into transports roles for the US Navy. The Philippine Clipper which somehow survived the Japanese attack on Wake Island following Pearl Harbor crashed in 1943 when it hit the side of a mountain as it descended to land in San Francisco. The final M-130 casualty was the China Clipper NC14716, wrecked at Port of Spain, Trinidad during landing on January 8, 1945

General characteristics

• Crew: 6-9 (Captain, First Officer, Junior Flight Officer, Engineering Officer, Assistant Engineering Officer, Radio Operator, Navigation Officer, plus cabin stewards)
• Capacity: 36 day, 18 night passengers
• Length: 90 feet 10 ½ in (27.7 m)
• Wingspan: 130 ft (39.7 m)
• Height: 24 feet 7 in (7.5 m)
• Powerplant: 4× Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S2A5G Twin Wasp 14-cylinder Radial Engines , hydromatic propellers: 950 HP (708 kW) each, original propellers: 830 HP (620 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 180 MPH (290 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 130 MPH (209 km/h)
• Range: 3,200 miles (5,150 km)
• Service ceiling: 10,000 ft (3,048 m)

• NC14714, Martin M-130, ASN Accident Report, Flight Safety Foundation
• NC14715, Martin M-130, ASN Accident Report, Flight Safety Foundation
• NC14716, Martin M-130, ASN Accident Report, Flight Safety Foundation