"Its History... but with the giant bi-planes left in..." Two days before Fourth of July, 1937, the wire-services went absolutely "troppo" (to use a colloqialism). Celebrity aviator Amelia Earhart and her co-pilot Frank Noonan had disappeared en-route to Howland Island, east of New Guinea. It was supposed to be the triumphant home leg of Amelia's own attempt at "independence"- to circumnavigate the world in her photogenic Lockheed L10 Electra- and the disaster happened slap bang on the turf of the US Pacific Fleet. Naturally, the US Navy threw everything it could immediately muster into the search, including the USS Lexington (CV-2) and its numerous aircraft. Which is why this Lexington-based Martin T4M-1 torpedo bomber (from Torpedo Squadron No.2, VT-2) joins the search for the missing "Electra" aircraft. Hard to believe isn't it? This monster biplane (wingspan 16.16 m ) makes Amelia's shiny Lockheed seem like a spaceship! But this is 1937, and many aviators within the US Navy are still enjoying the "romance" of canvas, timber and wire. But then, hey, the Royal Navy was still using "Swordfish" torpedo bombers (wingspan 13.87 m) long into WW2. Just ask Admiral Lutjens! Glub, glub, glub... ;-) It seems that celebrity aviators were way ahead of the Navy in the queue for sexy metal monoplanes and enclosed cockpits. But no Electra could carry a torpedo as big as a telephone pole. That very year of course, 1937, everything was about to change. Stateside, the wrappings were already being taken from lots of shiny new Douglas TBD-1 Devastators. But alas, the navy aviators would have to earn their monoplane "upgrade" the really hard way... in combat. What's more, after the Battle of the Coral Sea in early May 1942, the survivors would have to do it without their "Lady Lex." Rendered in Vue 8 Esprit. Martin T4M-1 torpedo bomber modelled in Shade 10. Thanks for viewing and comments.