Friends!
Aaron asked me to put together also some versions of the Mariner, kit recently released by him. No need to speak the pleasure it gives me this task, considering my thread I have a triple task I have A prototype of PBM-5A (or turreted version), PBM-5A production machine (overall noturnal blue - the same kit of Papermate build) and a mod for PBM-5 Airboat version (I believe soon is avaliable).
The Oddball gave me a pleasure that is almost a direct connection to my childhood and all that characterized. Gone there for the second half of the 70s, one of the first plastic kits I got was just the ancient Revell Martin Mariner of the next on a scale of 1/158. For specialists in plastic models, today is a vintage product, typical of the beginning of the modeling industry in the 50s and 60s. But the time for me was what woke me up for modeling. It's a hobby education, self-education, introspection. And it happened thanks to my grandmother, who gave me the day of the child (one popular Catholic holiday in Brazil, occurs on the 12th of October which is also the day of the patron saint of Brazil, Nossa Senhora Aparecida) today is usual gifting children with rides and toys, I follow the tradition today with my daughters.
Me and Maria Eduarda in last Child day in Redenção Park in Porto AlegreAssemble PBM papermodel is an old dream that Oddball is performing, is a reminder of a time and loved ones who are no longer here. Thank you Aaron.
On the model, in its different versions is a very typical product of the last models of Oddball. Fine textures, simple assembly and objective without formers, the model has hatches for landing gear, considering the work already done by Papermate, is a model that when finalized, either in its original scale (1/63) or at smaller scales as 1/100 or 1/200 will attention.
About Martin Mariner:
The Martin Mariner was one of the great airboats developed in the United States in the second half of the 30s. It was designed and built from the need for a U.S. Navy patrol airboat great autonomy that would complement the operations of the PBY Catalina that had entered the service in 1935.

The Model 162 was designed by the company Glenn L. Martin and was in his time one of the most advanced designed airboats. To test the prototype of what would be the future Mariner, Martin created a scale model 3/8 of size manned by one man, just called Model 162A "Tadpole Clipper" because many characteristics of the aircraft were unprecedented in their category.

When entered service in 1940 through the PBM-1 versions with the squadron VP-55 was one of the most modern seaplanes in the world.

With the onset of World War II, new versions were built as the PBM-3 with R-2600 engines and better weapons and more numerous PBM-5 with radar and complet ASW equipment. During the war, the Mariner were used for a wide variety of missions, although they have been prominent in anti-submarine warfare in the Atlantic is responsible for the sinking of at least ten Axis submarines, one of them here on the coast of Brazil.

Some specimens were acquired by Australia that used as cargo planes and troop transports and other 32 were for Royal Navy than those used operationally, and returned to the USA (The seaplane even as airboat is one of the most expensive to produce).


After the War few operators used Martin Mariner: Argentina and Uruguay, and in this last until the second half of the 1970s. And the Netherlands Navy for a short period of time, in Dutch New Guinea.

The PBM-5 and 5A of the U.S. Navy became involved in several dangerous situations, often being intercepted by fighters of the Warsaw pact, especially Soviet and Chinese in the Pacific Ocean at the edge of the territorial waters of the USSR and China. Many of these missions were secret. The most famous incident involving the PBM-5 is the rescue of Flight 19 in the Bermuda Triangle, this action this Mariner send for rescue the TBM's crew was also lost.

In the next post I started the builds.
