CFS2/FS2002/FS2004 Martin Mariner X PBM-1 Blue Grey
CFS2/FS2002/FS2004 Martin Mariner X PBM-1 Blue Grey The XPBM-1 prototype first flew on 18 February 1939. It used three-bladed propellers and was initially unarmed, fitted only with dummy turrets. Flight tests showed that the prototype suffered from tail flutter, leading to the redesign of the tail assembly. The flat horizontal tailplane was changed to a distinctive dihedral configuration whose angle matched that of the gull wings. The tailfins remained perpendicular to the horizontal tailplane, giving them an inward cant. The prototype remained in use for armament tests during the war under the designation of “XPBM-1A”. By Jim Jacobson. 4.5MB
