Ok guys - this is my last offering for the challenge.

The Grumman PBR Gator.

Named so because the low stance of this kite when on land is reminiscent of that of an Alligator.

My thinking was that this was a losing concept in the procurement process that spawned the Consolidated PBY Catalina.

The USN Liked the speed of the Gator (with twice as many Pratt & Whitney R-1830s, she could easily exceed 200 mph - faster then the competing Consolidated design - despite the extra drag of carrying around an extra wing), however, the bomb load was 1000 lbs short of the 4000 lbs the Cat could carry, the low position of the lower wing negated external loads and although a bi plane and anachronistic on the outside, she utilized stressed aluminium monocoque construction, cantilevered wings and many modern touches, such as powered defensive turrets, a fully enclosed bomb bay and fully enclosed and heated crew compartments. Indeed, though appearing old at first glance, this kite was a complex and costly crate to build and maintain.

However, she is a fully functioning and combat ready amphibious patrol bomber - yours for a low low price...

There is a crew of six (camera number given in parenthesis);

1. The Pilot - Unusual for American designs, there is only one pilot station. (3)
2. The Navigator / Medic / Radio Operator (5)
3. The Nose gunner / Observer / Reserve Pilot (1)
4. The Rear gunner / Observer (2)
5. The Flight engineer / Observer (4)
6. The Load Master / Reserve / Engineer (6)

This is a complex bird, so pay attention to the following;

AG1 - Activate nose turret (use Cam 1 and pitch / roll to control)
AG2 - Activate rear turret (use Cam 2 and pitch / roll to control)

The Next groups are all cycled using the GEAR command

AG3 - open bomb bay
AG4 - cycle landing gear
AG5 - cycle floats

AG6 - Drop bomb load (use Cam 6 to check for hang ups)
AG7 - Lights and auto stabiliser
AG8 - lock all controls (except rudder) - use together with AG7 and the turrets for more accurate turret control)

Most of these action groups are tied to a light on the pilots console too - if you like that sort of thing.

Oh! and please check out the interior - I put a bit of effort into this one.

Tally ho!