I find it interesting that the first 2 in formation appear to be early models (PBM-1) with retractable wing floats and the trailing two are later variants with fixed floats. Yeah, I’m kinda an airplane geek.
Beazld, would it drag this comments box off into the briar patch if I asked you to explain what seems a retrograde design change? I mean: Why would non-retractable pontoons be seen as an improvement over retractables? Or was it a cost-saving measure, or blah blah blah? Thanks. --rats
Rats, my guess is the first versions were designed and built around 1939, prior to the US involvement in WWII, once the US became involved in the war the design was simplified for production and maintenance reasons. If you want to go a little farther down the rabbit hole, the initial proof of concept design was a 3/8ths flying model, the Martin A-162, nicknamed the Tadpole Clipper. The cowls were too small for regular engines so a Chevrolet engine was mounted in the fuselage driving the props via v-belts. The plane was restored and is in a museum in Baltimore. https://www.si.edu/object/martin-model-162a-tadpole-clipper:nasm_A19530086000
4 comments:
I find it interesting that the first 2 in formation appear to be early models (PBM-1) with retractable wing floats and the trailing two are later variants with fixed floats. Yeah, I’m kinda an airplane geek.
Im surprised there were 1366 units built! I figured this flight was “most of them”.
Beazld, would it drag this comments box off into the briar patch if I asked you to explain what seems a retrograde design change? I mean: Why would non-retractable pontoons be seen as an improvement over retractables? Or was it a cost-saving measure, or blah blah blah? Thanks. --rats
Rats, my guess is the first versions were designed and built around 1939, prior to the US involvement in WWII, once the US became involved in the war the design was simplified for production and maintenance reasons. If you want to go a little farther down the rabbit hole, the initial proof of concept design was a 3/8ths flying model, the Martin A-162, nicknamed the Tadpole Clipper. The cowls were too small for regular engines so a Chevrolet engine was mounted in the fuselage driving the props via v-belts. The plane was restored and is in a museum in Baltimore.
https://www.si.edu/object/martin-model-162a-tadpole-clipper:nasm_A19530086000
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