Dutch Model 139

Well, certainly the Williams Bros 1/72 scale B-10 kit is adequate (though a bear to build!) for the initial 139WH-1 and -2 Dutch orders. No one makes a model of, or a conversion kit for, the long canopy

139WH-3 version so far as I know.

Presumably to get a better drag coefficient[1] and to make crew communication easier. I'm guessing though.

[1] One long bump is less wind resistance than two shorter bumps.

Cheers,

Bill: Do you know how many of the different Dutch variants are built, that is the , 1, 2, and 3?

Sorry, never mind, just found it. 78 or so of the long canopied

139's were built.

old hoodoo wrote:

-snip-

So far as I know, that's it. 39 139WH-1s and -2s combined and 82 139WH-3s.

The -2s differed from the -1s only in some minor internal details.

The 139WH-3s came in -3 and -3A flavors but I'm not sure of the differences, if any. I suspect the differences were, again, only in minor internal details.

Cheers,

Umm! I have a problem here. I don't remember any 139-3, and the long canopies aircraft for the DEI was the Martin model 166. You might want to look for that book on Martin aircraft by Stan Piet & friends.

Bill Shuey ex Martin employee

The very long canopy on the Dutch 139s had something to do with tulips, IIRC.

Tom

Wiseguy!! :-)

Bill Shuey

'Cording to the listing provided by the Glenn Martin Aviation Museum,

the NEI export aircraft had the Martin Model Numbers 139WH-1, 139WH-2,

139WH-3 and 139WH-3 -with- the proviso that the -3 and -3A models carry the parenthetical notation "Model 166".

Scrolling down to the Martin Model Number 166, it says "Twin engined export bomber (production 139WH-3s) - cancelled".

What to make of that exactly, I'm not sure. It does appear that the long greenhouse version of the aircraft may have carried two Martin designations - both 139WH-3 (and -3A) -and- 166. Perhaps the designation was changed sometime in the process - maybe they started out as 139WH-3s and the designation was changed before delivery. Though the "cancelled" notation on the Model 166 listing at least suggests the possibility that perhaps the Model 166 designation was a proposal for a follow-on version of the aircraft which was ultimately not taken up by the Dutch government.

In any event, clearly there -was- a 139WH-3 and 139WH-3A designation used for the aircraft sold to the NEIAF. It seems likely that the Model

166 designation was also correct as well although what the exact relationship between the Model 139WH-3 and the Model 166 designations was remains unclear.

Perhaps you can add something by way of clarification?

Cheers,

I don't think it'll be a clarification but "Combat Aircraft of the World" has a picture of the plane with the extended greenhouse captioned as 'Martin 166'. John W.R. Taylor is listed as the editor and compiler.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Dutch Neth East Indies AF ordered Feb 1936 WH-1 type aircraft [WH means Wright Holland] . It has Hamilton standard props. On Sept 2 1936 the first WH-1 of 13 planes was delivered to East Indies.

The more powerfull WH-2 was also ordered in March 1937. It had Wright Cyclone G-3 engines of 875 hp with new Curtiss Electric ?constant speed? propeller. Engine cooling was streamlined and improved. It also had a NSF VR-34B short wave radio and an autopilot. WH-2 speed was about 25 miles/hr higher, 10% longer range and 20% larger bombload. First WH-2 , no M-514 was delivered Dec 1937. In Oct 1938, 39 planes were delivered.

The " Martin 139" was developed into the Martin 166, also called the

139 WH-3. It had the long single canopy and the fuselage was bigger in cross section. The outboard wing had a slight sweep angle and new engines were used: Wright Cyclone GR-1820-G5 .

Dec 1937 the NEI ordered 39 WH-3?s. First acceptance took place May

1938, plane no. M-540.

The WH-3A was also a variant, being identical to the WH-3 but with Wright Cyclone R1820-G102 engines of 1200 hp ; First delivery of the WH-3A was Dec 1938 , no M-579

regards, Meindert Amsterdam, The Netherlands