PBM-5A "Mariner"

PBM-5A "Mariner"

PBM-5A "Mariner"

USA

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.7	3.7	3.7

Class:

PREMIUM

Bomber

Hydroplane

Torpedo bomber

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

Description

The PBM-5A "Mariner" is a premium gift rank III American bomber with a battle rating of 3.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during Update "Seek & Destroy" as a reward for Battle Pass: Season XVI, "Skilled Marksman".

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 3 963 m344 km/h

Turn time33 s

Max altitude6 500 m

Engine2 х Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34W

TypeRadial

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight35 t

The flight performance on this vehicle ( like every single PBM) is rather poor, with a really bad top speed, acceleration, climb rate, manouverability and speed limit, its almost a sitting duck on air battles, its only redeming quality is in terms of defensive armament, payload and insanely durable airframe. Turning and diving should be avoided, due to the amount of energy bleed, terrible dive performance, climb rate, compression and wing rip speed and also climbing is ESSENTIAL for the survival of the plane, even if the plane has a really bad climb rate. Even with its better engines, they dont make much diference on an airframe that big.

Characteristics	Max speed (km/h at 3,963 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	320	309	6500	34.3	35.8	5.3	5.3	1,100
Upgraded	371	344		31.8	33.0	9.0	6.9

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
405	450	405	405	320	~__	~__

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< ___	< ___	< ___	> ___

Survivability and armour

Crew7 people

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear450 km/h

The PBM-5A "Mariner" is not very survivable. The PBM-5A is very slow,and cannot climb well, making it vulnerable to any sort of enemy fighter, or even other bombers. To increase the chance of survival and making it tothe target, the PBM must side climb to the sides of the map, while doing some 5 degrees climbing when the plane is about 300kmh, even if it is slow and might take a while. If done so, the majority of the anemy team will be below, and by the time the vehicle gets to the bases, its altitude will be about 6000m depending on the map, making it almost untouchable and free to drop all the payload on the bases and also the airfield if possible.

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB681

RB1 186

SB2 289

Crew training10 000

Experts67 000

Aces400

Research Aces570 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 70 / 150 / 250 %

2 × 136 / 136 / 136 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Radiator Compressor Wings repair Engine Engine injection	Airframe Cover	bmg50_turret_belt_pack TC mk.I SBC mk.I bmg50_turret_new_gun LBC-25 Mk 13 Mod 0 AN-Mk 1

Armaments

The PBM does not have any kind of offensive armament, making it only able to deal damage with its multiple turrets, which means that any kind of engagements with an enemy plane should me avoided.

Suspended armament

The PBM-5A "Mariner" can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

	1	2	3	4
100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs		6	6
500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs		4	4
1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs		4	4
1,600 lb AN-Mk 1 bombs	1	4	4	1
2,216 lb Mk.13-6 torpedoes	1			1
Type A Mark I mines		4	4

Default weapon presets
12 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (1,200 lb total) 8 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (4,000 lb total) 8 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (8,000 lb total) 8 x 1,600 lb AN-Mk 1 bombs (12,800 lb total) 2 x 1,600 lb AN-Mk 1 bombs (3,200 lb total) 2 x 2,216 lb Mk.13-6 torpedoes 8 x Type A Mark I mines

Note that equipping Mk.13-6 torpedoes will block landing gear, and needs to be deployed or jettisoned in order to allow the landing gear to unfold. The best payload to outfit this plane are the Type A Mark I mines, because at its battle rating of 3.7, a singular bomb can take out a base, which means that its possible to wipe out 3 bases and an airfield with a single run (Its a big IF). With its amazing payload, a singular pbm is a force to be reckoned with if left alone close to the bases.

Note: Be aware that if the PBM is not on level flight, the bombs might spawn on the engine room, destroying it with the bomb.

Defensive armament

The PBM-5A "Mariner" is defended by:

• 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, nose turret (400 rpg = 800 total)
• 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, dorsal turret (600 rpg = 1,200 total)
• 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, tail turret (1,000 rpg = 2,000 total)
• 1 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun, 2 x beam turrets (420 rpg)

Even with the large amount of defensive turrets, its really difficult to defend the plane from most fighters below, which is completely vulnerable, so staying at altitude and keeping enemies on the tail is the only way to effectively defend it.

Usage in battles

Realistic Battles:

There are two ways on which the plane can be used effectively, being that a REALLY shallow side climb to get to atleast 5000m, but preferably 6000m to avoid contact with the enemy, and by the time the plane gets to the bases, the enemy team will probably be at a really low altitude, making it almost impossible to cathc the pbm, and then dropping the payload on to the bases and the airfield. This strategy is the best in the long run, because the more time you live = the more RP and SL you get, nad paired with the multiple bases and a kill or two, it is an efficient way to grind all the way to rank 4 USA.

The second way of using the vehicle is to do a shallow dive towards the bases, getting it up to 400kmh, and try to get as fast as possible to drop the payload (Which is not recommended, because the chance of fighters engaging it is tremendously big, making the PBM vulnerable and defenseless) and fly out, being a faster but more unreliable way of making RP and SL.

Simulator Battles

The PBM is a Monster in simulator battles, because it allows you to kill multiple bases without the need to rearm, being its only downside the quirky way it manouvers and flies and also by how easy it is to spot. Climb to altitude and unleash havoc on the enemy team.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Can land on either land or water
• Gigantic payloads, removing almost the entire need to rearm
• Lots of defensive turrets
• Extremely survivable at tha Battle Rating
• Effective vehicle for grinding

Cons:

• Extremely bad flight performance
• Huge target and if not on a good altitude food for enemy fighters
• No offensive armaments
• Belly is vulnerable to enemy fighters
• Any kind of damage ruins its already bad flight performance
• If not on level flight when droppping bombs, they might spawn on the engine room, killing the engine and also despawning the bomb.

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Devblog] Battle Pass Vehicles: PBM-5A Mariner

Glenn L. Martin Company
Attackers	AM-1
Bombers	B-10B · B-26B · PBM-1 · PBM-3 · PBM-5A
Jet bombers	B-57A* · B-57B*
Export	Martin 139WC · Martin 167-A3 · B-26C
	* These aircraft were license-built from The English Electric Company Limited who developed and built the British English Electric Canberra.