PBM-3S
In order to enhance the PBM-3C variant, a simplified and lighter version was created, referred to as the PBM-3S. To reduce the aircraft’s weight, the nose and dorsal turrets were eliminated, while the tail armament was reduced to a single machine gun, and a pair of guns were mounted on flexible mounts in the nose. A single weapon was also kept on the port side, while the starboard side was assigned to the navigator. The nacelle bomb bays could carry four 650 kg (1,433 lbs) or 325 kg (716 lbs) depth charges. Alternatively, if needed, bomb bay tanks containing 1,502 liters (397 gallons) of fuel could be installed. Additional fuel could be carried in two self-sealing hull tanks, two self-sealing wing tanks, and seven steel hull tanks, for a total of 12,712 liters (3,362 gallons). As with other sub-hunter aircraft, the PBM-3S featured a paint scheme resembling that of many Coastal Command planes in the Royal Air Force. A total of 94 new aircraft were built, with several others converted from sixty-one PBM-3Cs.