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| Martin PBM Mariner | ||||||
| One of the most easily recognized aircraft in all Uncle Sam's vast aerial armadas is the Martin PBM-3 Mariner. It is a huge flying boat with a very graceful, bird-like silhouette. Designed for very long range operations, the craft is equipped to remain away from its base for protracted periods while fulfilling its duties as a patrol bomber, convoy escort or fleet operations scout. It's capability to fly very long range missions is underscored by it having a galley and sleeping accommodations. The Mariner was built to replace the older Consolidated PBY series, but so many patrol planes were needed, that it ended up as an addition and not a replacement. Over 1,000 Mariners were built during the war. They proved so useful and reliable that many remained in service for decades. |
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