Jump to content

Minicraft 1/72 PBM-5A Mariner has landed


Huub vD

Recommended Posts

Hi All

Here a quick posting

Today bought the new 1/72 Minicraft Mariner.

Only a PBM-5A can be made.

Looks like a good basis for a stunning model of the Mariner. Fine recessed panellines and adequate detail. Small decal sheet printed by cartograf for 2 U.S. Navy versions one WW II and one post war.

Have to have a closer look at this kit to check the accuracy.

Will post my findings.

Best regards

Huub

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Only a PBM-5A can be made.

Small decal sheet printed by Cartograf for 2 U.S. Navy versions one WW II and one post war.

Have to have a closer look at this kit to check the accuracy.

There are parts there for a PBM-5 flying boat.

The serials are one for prototype and one spurious one so research needed there.

When you are checking the accuracy bear in mind all of the many plans and profiles we have looked at are different. The Martin station drawings seem nearest to published dimensions. It looks like a PBM but a bit skinny around the tail - our conversion set will fix that. There are numerous other minor deficiencies we will fix but it looks pretty good.

More discussion here

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234939882-172nd-martin-pbm-5-5a-mariner-by-minicraft-release-imminent-first-look-link/

and here

http://www.aussiemodeller.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6541

x

x

Edited by Ed Russell
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

A bit pricey! mach2 kit builds up nicely for a lot less cash. Little bit more work as we all know Mach2 quality not the best but the sense of acheivement at the end is nice!

above-front.jpg

top-left.jpg

top-right.jpg

Just my own humble opinion you undetstand.......

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got mine at the weekend and it was rather pricey at £45 however it seems to be a very nice kit. I agree with Ed that the parts are there to build a straight flying boat as there are blanks to fill in the main wheel wells.

I`ll be building mine as a silver Dutch aircraft and my Mach 2 kit will hopefully be a RAAF transport, using the parts left over from my Rareplanes vacform which is in Korean War US Navy markings.

Cheers

Tony O

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got mine at the weekend and it was rather pricey at £45 however it seems to be a very nice kit. I agree with Ed that the parts are there to build a straight flying boat as there are blanks to fill in the main wheel wells.

I`ll be building mine as a silver Dutch aircraft and my Mach 2 kit will hopefully be a RAAF transport, using the parts left over from my Rareplanes vacform which is in Korean War US Navy markings.

Cheers

Tony O

The only thing they didn't include for the straight flying boat version is the beaching gear. That will probably be included in a later release.

Later,

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 years later...

Hi,

I excavated his thread since I think it is better to use (recycle?) an old one then create the new...

My question is  - is the Mariner PBM5A (amphibian) a WW2 machine or post war? The production was limited (40) and it happened I think in 1945 (?) not earlier (?) . Did the see any operations before V-J day or not? In Mincraft box there is a scheme/decals for machine from 1945, but I suspect that it is only a marketing.... I have not found any message that it was in use during WW2....

I have a PBM3s  and think on construction of any of PBM-5 variant, the amphibian would be nice having more differences, but I limited my collection to WW2 (and some conflicts before it  like SCW...). Therfore for me it is interesting if they were post war or still war time machines...

Regards

J-W

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Geoffrey Sinclair said:

The XPBM-5A was accepted in April 1946, all 36 PBM-5A were well post war, accepted between April 1948 and March 1949.  The final wartime version of the Mariner was the PBM-5E, acceptances of which started in April 1945 and ended in June 1947.

Many thanks! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/3/2023 at 9:39 AM, Ed Russell said:

A PBM-5 cn still be built from the kit if you are lucky enough to find one. The PBM-5A markings are spurious anyway.

We do get a lot of requests for it but unfortunately our update kit is lomg OOP.

In US it is not that difficult to get it  as in Europe. However the Aviation megastore had surprisingly (till yesterday) four of them in stash!  Now one of them  is on the way to Poland 😀

 

 

Edited by JWM
  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Admiral Puff said:

so we may (and I emphasise MAY) see the Mariner in circulation again.)

Oops, it means that very likely  I overpaid by 3 times... surely at lest I doubled expected future price of Academy Mariner... If it will come...

Regards

J-W

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Mariner from Av.Meg.St. landed at my place :) . 

There is a photo of PBM 5 from VPB 27 flying on submarine patrol near Okinawa 

Martin_PBM-5_Mariner_E10_from_VPB-27_Pat

It is very well worn machine  what tempting me a lot.  The scheme is very peculiar with all white leading edges  of external parts of wings (low visibility for antisubmarine - the experience taken from Battle for  Atlantic?) . However the serial of machine is not know, moreover, the white inscriptions is not readable in this resolution.  Has anybody this photo in better quality that can read the inscription?  The "E10" could it be related to serial (with last digit overpainted?) ? Like on  here J047?  (with he same white leading edges scheme), but less worn  https://www.gettyimages.co.nz/detail/news-photo/view-of-a-martin-pbm-mariner-patrol-bomber-as-it-undergoes-news-photo/104081043?adppopup=true       I am considering doing either this machine or the all black    like the one in backgriund behind J047 or C428 https://i.pinimg.com/originals/18/30/96/18309621cbb0f1a0c04f782d771ffa55.jpg from Marians. 

Any help with clarifying those details will be most appreciated. :) 

Regards

J-W

                                             

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Bureau number (that's what the Navy calls them) would have been in one inch high numbers on the outside of each fin.  In 72nd, good luck in trying to read a number that small on a dark background, so I wouldn't really worry about it.  As for the rest of it, I couldn't say.

Later,

Dave

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Greenshirt said:

That aircraft would be overall glossy sea blue, not black. 
 

Tim

Tim, thank you, I thought this before also, but I have serious doubts. Or I am rather convinced that it is black, like on Catalinas. 

 First it is not glossy at all https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/pbm/pbm-5-mariner-c428-saipan/

https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/pbm/pbm-5-martin-mariner-hoisted-aboard-seaplane-tender-1945/

Here, on a color photo it looks really like a mat black, same as on props

https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/pbm/pbm-being-refueled-in-the-marianas-in-early-1945/

 

Regards

J-W

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...