Maryland Martin 4-0-4 Evokes Original Prototype

Thanks to a donation from aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, the Glenn L Martin Maryland Aviation Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, has repainted their Martin 4-0-4, registration number N259S in the color scheme originally worn by the prototype for the series.

The 1952-built machine was first delivered to Eastern Airlines and subsequently flew with several smaller regional airlines. In 2001, the 4-0-4 was donated to the museum by its private owner who was located in California, necessitating a cross-continental flight to bring the plane back to the museum.

The museum had always intended to repaint the aircraft to represent the prototype, but until Lockheed Martin made the donation they lacked the funding to do so. The plane is now repainted in in its new scheme and sports an interior that has been similarly restored to its original 1950s splendor.