eBay: Martin PBM Mariner

[Gnomey]

Good shot!

 

[Snautzer01]

Vintage WW II Press Photo Martin Mariner Sand Take Off After Crash Landing 8X10 | eBay

 

[Dana Bell]

They shot that one on color, too!

Dana

 

[Wurger]

 

[Snautzer01]

USN Navy Amphibious PBM-3 Martin Mariner Patrol Bomber Aircraft Airplane Photo | eBay

 

[Wurger]

 

[Snautzer01]

USN Navy Martin PBM-3 Mariner Patrol Bomber Flying Boat Aircraft Photo #89 | eBay

 

[Wurger]

 

[Snautzer01]

WW2 VP 15 Patrol Squadron+B&W Picture Journal+US Navy Pilots Gold Wings | eBay

 

[Wurger]

 

[Capt. Vick]

That's a Coronado. Lovely

 

[CATCH 22]

USN Navy Martin PBM-3 Mariner Patrol Bomber Flying Boat Aircraft Photo #89 | eBay

View attachment 574446

This in fact is a PBM-1 and not a PBM-3 as the original ebay title says.
There are several differences between the two variants but the most prominent one is that the PBM-1 has retractable floats and the subsequent variants don't.
As a comparison in the well known photo below the first 2 a/cs are PBM-1 and the rear 2 are PBM-3:

 

[CATCH 22]

To add some more photos of the relatively rare PBM-1. One can see the retractable float and its mechanism. AFAIK they were too heavy and cumbersome. The fixed floats of the later variants might have created some drag but they didn't require complicated maintenance and saved a lot of weight. Of interest is the different carburetor intake, compared with those of the -3 and -5 variants. In the second photo you'll see the unique waist gun position.

And this is one of the two bomb bays of the "Mariner" - both were placed under the engines. I believe the a/c with the open bomb bay is not a PBM-1. In the above photo the a/c with number 32 is not a PBM-1 as well but a PBM-3.

IMHO these "Mariners" and the 4 in flight I posted earlier are from the same squadron.
BTW under post #36 by Schnautzer you can see a very rare photo of a PBM-1 converted into a transport (designation letter R) but in the Atlantic search scheme!
Cheers!

 

[Snautzer01]

WWII PATROL SQUAD 46 PLANE ORIGINAL SOLDIER SNAPSHOT PHOTO | eBay

 

[Wurger]

 

[Snautzer01]

Lot of 4 - WW2 plane PBM Mariner crew Aviation original VPB-201 squadron; #491 | eBay

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

Nice shots!

 

[Conslaw]

Is it my imagination or was the radome edited out of wartime shots of the PBM-3?

 

[CATCH 22]

Is it my imagination or was the radome edited out of wartime shots of the PBM-3?

Early models like PBM-1, PBM-3 (no letter) and some PBM-3C didn't have the radome factory installed. PBM-3R didn't get it as well.

Cheers!