PBM-3 "Mariner"

PBM-3 "Mariner"

PBM-3 "Mariner"

USA

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.0	3.0	3.0

Class:

PREMIUM

Bomber

Hydroplane

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

Show in game

Description

The PBM-3 "Mariner" is a premium gift rank II American bomber with a battle rating of 3.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during Update 1.85 "Supersonic" as part of the Sea Voyage event that ran from 21 February to 11 March 2019.

General info

Flight Performance

Due to the fact that it is a large seaplane, the PBM-3 is not very manoeuvrable and has trouble banking. However, when you get into a high-angle bank, it does turn fairly easily because of its large wings. As for payloads, it doesn't matter which payload you take for flight performance. All of the bombs are contained in the nacelle-mounted bomb bays and won't have a large difference in manoeuvrability.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 3,962 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
336	325	6200	34.4	35.3	3.5	3.5	585
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 3,962 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
364	349	6200	33.8	34.0	6.5	4.9	585

Details

Features
Combat flap	Take-off flap	Landing flap	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
405	450	340	~??	~?

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 220	< 220	< 230	> 312

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
2,042 m	1,500 hp	1,575 hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
4,542 m	1,350 hp	1,418 hp

Survivability and armour

• No armour
• Small fuel tanks in wing roots, rest in bottom of fuselage

Armaments

Suspended armament

The PBM-3 "Mariner" can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• 12 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (1,200 lb total)
• 8 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (4,000 lb total)
• 8 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (8,000 lb total)
• 8 x Type A Mark I mines

Defensive armament

The PBM-3 "Mariner" is defended with:

• 1 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun, nose turret (400 rpg)
• 1 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun, 2 x waist turret (375 rpg = 750 total)
• 1 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun, dorsal turret (600 rpg)
• 1 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun, tail turret (350 rpg)

Usage in battles

In RB, the PBM-3 should be used as a traditional heavy bomber, as with the addition of naval mines, the PBM-3 is capable of ending the game on airfield map as long as its not an uptier.

A single mine is able to destroy a normal base with 2 required for a double HP base, and it takes merely 5 mines to destroy a full HP airfield in a downtier. From the start of the game simply fly around the main fighting, bomb whatever bases still remain after potential allies destroy them, then bomb the airfield for an easy victory. In an uptier however it will take at least two runs to destroy an airfield, but you can still rack up plenty of lions and research by heavily damaging it.

Against enemy aircraft that have seen and are heading towards you, you are generally better off turning to get as many guns on target as possible in order to have the best chance of a kill. Having access to the universal targets belt helps, as most aircraft in this tier have a weakness to fire.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable Has automatic pitch	Controllable	Controllable	Separate	Controllable	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Turret 12 mm
II		Compressor	Airframe		Mk 12 Mod 0
III	Wings repair	Engine		New 12 mm MGs (turret)	MBC-25
IV		Engine injection	Cover		LBC-25
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Massive bomb load
• Access to 8 naval mines
• Mines plus amphibious ability makes it a good aircraft for naval battles
• Unlike most other naval bombers, its bomb bays allow it to drop a single bomb at once.
• Very sturdy, can survive a lot of punishment to the body from heavy machine guns and even light cannons
• Can carry as much as a B-17 (4000 lb!)

Cons

• Big, slow target
• Lackluster defensive turrets
• Does not have controllable landing gear
• Turns very sluggishly

History

In the mid 1930s, the U.S. Navy was eager to replace their outdated flying boats with newer models. In order to do so, the Navy started a competition between aircraft manufacturers, whose winner would receive a production contract with the Navy.

The Martin company submitted the designs on their four-engine Model 160 aircraft, which didn’t garner any significant interest from the Navy. However, Martin continued to work on the design, reworking it into a two-engine aircraft, designated Model 162.

This design proved to be a lot more successful, with the Navy quickly ordering for a prototype of the aircraft to be produced. Designated XPBM-1 “Mariner”, the prototype conducted its maiden flight in February 1939. Following successful trials, the aircraft was adopted by the USN as early as September 1939 and ordered into production.

In late 1940, Martin received a large order for more flying boats to be manufactured. However, with the company’s production capacity being reached, construction of these new machines was delayed. In the meantime, the PBM was further improved by installing new engines, increasing overall size and doubling payload capacity. The new PBM-3 Mariner entered production in 1941, with the first batch of 32 vehicles entering service in 1942.

The Mariners primarily served with the USN as coastal patrol aircraft before the outbreak of WW2. However, after the United States’ entry into WW2, Mariners were used in the anti-submarine role in the Atlantic and also took part in operations in the Pacific Theatre.

The PBM-3 Mariner flying boats of the third series served very briefly during WW2, as nearly all PBM-3s from the first series were converted into unarmed transport machines shortly after their construction. Nevertheless, the aircraft proved to be very successful and further models were built in large numbers - in total more than 1360 Mariner vehicles of different modifications. Mariners were also used in small numbers by Great Britain, Australia, Argentina, Uruguay and the Netherlands. The last Mariners were phased out of service during the 1960s, being replaced by newer aircraft.

- From Devblog

Media

Images

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Videos

The PBM-3 "Mariner" In Game

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Devblog] PBM-3 Mariner: The Eye in the Sky

Glenn L. Martin Company
Attackers	AM-1
Bombers	B-10B · B-26B · PBM-1 · PBM-3 · PBM-5A
Jet bombers	B-57A* · B-57B*
Export	Martin 139WC · Martin 167-A3 · B-26C
	* These aircraft were license-built from The English Electric Company Limited who developed and built the British English Electric Canberra.