Martin PBM 3/5 Mariner and SP-5B Marlin

[McColm]

There is the Japanese flying boats.

[Captain Canada]

There's also that wee 420 or so scale bird from the old USS Pine Island kit.

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35590.15.html

[McColm]

Hasegawa produce three rival flying boats which I think are still available to buy in 1/72 scale.
Two from Kawanishi:
H6K5 (type 97) Mighty Mavis.
H8K2 Emily.

Shinmeiwa PS-1.

I started using the hull, tail and wings from the Shinmeiwa PS-1 on a Airfix AC-130H. Didn't get to finish it. A future build.

[kitnut617]

I think it's hard to beat A Model's A Monster 1/72 Hughes Spruce Goose! Next would be Combat's 1/72 Martin Mars.

Combat's Trade Wind is bigger than the Mars, how do I know  --- got one of each in the stash ----
Execuform also do a 1/72 Hughes HK-1 (just don't like the term 'Spruce Goose', mainly because there's no spruce used in the aircraft - at least that's what the curator at the McMinville Evergreen Museum told me)

[jcf]

'Spruce Goose' was a derogatory term used by the press and opponents of the HK-1 project.

[NARSES2]

'Spruce Goose' was a derogatory term used by the press and opponents of the HK-1 project.

Yes. I didn't know that until I watched "The Aviator". Didn't Hughes call it the Hercules ?

[kitnut617]

Didn't Hughes call it the Hercules ?

Yes, that's right

[famvburg]

I guess that depends on what you measure. The Tradewind has a longer fuselage but the Mars has a longer wingspan.

[McColm]

I bit the bullet and bought the Mach2 Martin PBM Mariner. It looks tiny compared to the Martin Marlin.
The RAF used theirs in the transport role.
Tracked down a possible 1/72 Consolidated PB2Y Coronado, seen a photo of the prototype with a single vertical tail fin. A thought did occur to me the V-tail without the fins and change the engines,although most were converted to transport service a civil airliner as a whiff.

[Gondor]

I bit the bullet and bought the Mach2 Martin PBM Mariner. It looks tiny compared to the Martin Marlin.
The RAF used theirs in the transport role.

Are you sure about this? What's your source of information that said this is what happened?

Gondor

[McColm]

Secret Projects American Fighters, Bombers and Attack Aircraft 1939-1945, book.
Bought on Amazon.
Which I'm using as a reference.
Aeroplane illustrated Aviation Archive Flying Boats of WWII
Issue 19
Page 83
Quote:
"First flown on 17 December 1937, Consolidated's aircraft was designated the XPB2Y-1 by the US Navy and was an all metal flying boat featuring retractable wingtip stabilising floats, a single tail fin and internal wing bays for its bomb load. "
Goes on to say that trials resulted in the complete re-design of the tail assembly due to serious lateral instability .

[kitnut617]

From what I've read is that none of the 28 Mariners the RAF had were used operationally (they had ordered 32 but only received 28). Some where transferred to the RAAF who did use them in the transporting role.

from wiki (if it's correct):

The British Royal Air Force acquired 32 Mariners, but they were not used operationally, with some returned to the United States Navy.[10] A further 12 PBM-3Rs were transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force for transporting troops and cargo.[11][12]

[McColm]

According to Aeroplane Illustrated page 91.The RAF was supplied with 25 PBM-3Bs under Lend-Lease, these going to No 524 Squadron at Oban on 20 October 1943. However, the type was never used operationally by the RAF and the Squadron was disbanded six weeks later with the Mariners been subsequently returned to the US.
Page 83-84
RAF Coastal Command had hoped to use the Coronado as a maritime patrol bomber. However, the range of the big flying boat (1,070miles) compared poorly to that of the Short Sunderland (1,780miles). Consequently, the 10 Coronados GR1s supplied go the RAF were outfitted purely as transports, serving No 231 Squadron on freight services across the North Atlantic and between Africa and the West Indies with Transport Command.
After the war 5 were scrapped, one lost in a collision with a PBM Mariner and the last four scuttled off the coast of Bermuda in 1946.

[kitnut617]

I bit the bullet and bought the Mach2 Martin PBM Mariner. It looks tiny compared to the Martin Marlin.
The RAF used theirs in the transport role.

Are you sure about this? What's your source of information that said this is what happened?

Gondor

So when you said the RAF used theirs as transports, and Alistair said 'are you sure', what's your answer ---

[McColm]

Yes the Royal Air Force did use the Martin PBM Mariner and the Consolidated PB2Y Coronado in the transport role.