Originally Posted by
Twin Wasp
And I don't know how you'd get 300 mph out of a Martin, Vne is 261 kts. Normal cruise was about 190 which is why Convairs ate their lunch, getting 200 knots for the same fuel burn.
Also, the 202 accidents made everyone scared of anything with 'Martin' painted on it, *and* Martin didn't have very good sales contracts. The airlines that put down for 202s and 404s could - and did - back out, without substantial penalty.
That said, if you parked a 404 and a 440 next to each other, I'd take the 404. I'll pass on the big augmentors...