Category Archives: Heavy Bomber

Heavy Bomber

Heavy Bomber, Torpedobomber, Cargo, Observation

Martin PBM-5 “Mariner”, ( Rare Planes Vacforms, Vacu Formed)

Gallery

TYPE: Long-range patrol bomber flying boat

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of seven

POWER PLANT: Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engines, rated at 2,100 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 205 mph

COMMENT: The Martin PBM-5 “Mariner” was an American patrol bomber flying boat of WW II. It was designed to complement the Consolidated PBY “Catalina” in service with the US Navy.
Designed in 1937, the Model 162 continued the rivalry which had sprung up between Martin and Consolidated by challenging the latter company’s PBY “Catalina”.  A somewhat later design than the PBY, the Martin 162 was in due course to demonstrate a marked superiority of performance, an although it served in smaller quantities than the PBY during WW II, it continued to give important service for many years after 1945.
The Model 162 design featured a deep hull with a gull wing and two Wright “Cyclone” engines. To test the handling qualities of the design, Martin built a single-seat, quarter-scale model known as the Model 162A, an on June 1937, the US Navy places a contract for a single full-scale prototype, to be designated XPBM-1. First flown on February 1939, the XPBM-1 had 1,600 hp Wright R-2600-6 engines an provision for nose and dorsal turrets plus additional gun positions at the waist and tail position. The XPBM-1 was designed to carry 2,000 lb bombs or depth-charges. It had retractable stabilizing floats under the wing and a flat tailplane with outrigged fins. Later, dihedral was added to the tailplane, canting the fins inward to give the Martin flying boat one of its most striking characteristics. At the end of 1937 the Navy ordered 20 production model PBM-1s, for which the name “Mariner” was eventually chosen. All aircraft were completed by April 1941 and went into service during 1941.
On November 1941, orders were placed with Martin for 379 PBM-3 “Mariners” and these appeared, from 1942 onwards, in several different versions. All “Mariners” from the -3 model onward had fixed, strut-braced wing floats and lengthened engine nacelles, the latter providing stowage for bombs or depth-charges. The basic PBM-3 had Wright R-2600-12 engines, and variants includes 50 unarmed PBM-3R transports with seats for 20 passengers, 274 PBM3Cs with standardized US/British equipment and 201 PBM-3Dswith Wright  R-2600-22 engines and improved armament and armor protection. Many of the PBM-3Cs and -3Ds carried search radar in a large housing above and behind the cockpit, and experience with the use of this radar led to development in 1944 of a long-range anti-submarine version, the Martin PBM-3S. A total of 156 of the latter variant were delivered, with R-2600-12 engines.
In 1943, the Martin XPBM-5 appeared with 2,100 Pratt & Whitney R-2800-22 or -34 engines, and production contracts were placed for this variant in January 1944. The PBM-5, delivered from August 1944 to the end of the war, had eight 0.50-in machine guns and AN/APS-15 radar. They were used as long-range reconnaissance aircraft and for the anti-submarine role. Production totaled 631 aircraft (Ref.: 23).

Heavy Bomber, Torpedobomber, Reconnaissance

Consolidated XP4Y-1 “Corregidor” (Unicraft, Resin)

Gallery

TYPE: Long-range maritime reconnaissance bomber flying boat

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of six to eight

POWER PLANT: Two Wright R-3350-8 Cyclone 18radial engines, rated at 2,300 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 247 mph at 13,600 ft

COMMENT:  The Consolidated XP4Y-1 shore-based patrol, torpedo-bomber and minelayer flying boat, unofficially dubbed “Corregidor”, was a military version of the Consolidated “Model 31”. The prototype of the Model 31 was completed in 1939, and was intended for both civil and military roles. It was intensively modified during its prolonged period of testing, eventually emerging in April 1942 as the XP4Y-1. The rear fuselage was redesigned to provide for the installation of a tail turret, the modified fuselage raised the tail assembly considerably, and, subsequently, the bow of the hull was extensively redesigned, a form of cuff being added, the retractable stabilizing floats were redesigned, and dummy gun turrets were fitted. An order for 200 aircraft was placed and a special plant was established at New Orleans for quantity production of the P4Y-1. But Wright R-3350 Cyclone power plant employed by the flying boat were needed more urgently for the Boeing B-29 “Superfortress” and, in consequence, during summer of 1943 production contracts for the P4Y-1 were cancelled, the New Orleans plant subsequently building the PBY “Catalina” (Ref.: 14).

Heavy Bomber, Reconnaissance, Cargo

Consolidated PB2Y-5 “Coronado” (Contrail Models, Vacu-formed)

Gallery

TYPE: Patrol bomber flying-boat

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of ten

POWER PLANT: Four Pratt &Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp engines, rated at 1,200 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 213 mph at 20,000 ft

COMMENT: In June 1935 and July 1936, respectively, the US Navy ordered prototypes of large four-engine flying-boats in patrol bomber category from Sikorsky and Consolidated. The Consolidated design, Model 29,  made use of retractable wingtip floats similar to those on the Consolidated PBY “Catalina”, but in all other respects it was a wholly new design with high-mounted wing and a capacious hull with accommodation for a crew of ten.
The XPB2Y-1, as designated by the Navy, took-off first time on December 1937, but orders for the big new aircraft was delayed until mid 1939. First six production PB2Y-2s were delivered December 31, 1940, after a production contract for 210 PB2Y-3s was placed a month before. These “Coronados”, as the type was named, often carried ASV radar in a fairing just behind the cockpit. Several aircraft were redesigned and became PB2Y-5 and PB2Y-5R depending on the engines used. All “Coronados” were withdrawn from active service before the end of 1945. (Ref.  22)

Heavy Bomber, Reconnaissance

Martin PBM-3S “Mariner” ( Rare Planes Vacforms, Vacu Formed)

Gallery

TYPE: Patrol and Long-range Anti-submarine Flying-boat

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of nine

POWER PLANT: Two Wright R-2600-12 “Cyclone 14” engines, rated at 1,200 h.p. each

PERFORMANCE: 198 m.p.h. at 13,000 ft

COMMENT: This long-range anti-submarine variant of the basic Martin PBM “Mariner”  carried a AN/APS-15 radar in a large housing above and behind the cockpit. Up to 2,000 lb bombs or depth-charges could be carried. A total of 156 of this version were built.