the later dash 5 onward would be more likely to have the larger rivet type. an earlier -2 would more likely have the smaller prewar construction. just an off the cuff thought as I really haven't looked into the history of the PBY.
Perhaps you should do so. Until you find documentation that the PBY-2 was built any lighter than later versions of the airplane we'll consider it, as you say, just an off the cuff thought.
I don't know specific details, but I do know that of course the PBY-2 was lighter... as the PBY-5 had more power and retractable gear as opposed to the strictly flying boat that the -2 was. this would have required a completely different internal structure around the landing gear.
so maybe you should consider it more than an off the cuff thought
First, I hope you will notice that I was not 'off the cuff' or dismissive in having perused the PBY-5 data rather carefully...
Kevin, if you "know that of course the PBY-2 was lighter" and all that then you are far more of a PBY expert that I will likely ever be, and apparently have access to at least as much data as I can hope to ever find, so why not jump in and help get this past the 'cuff'? I'm sure we can use all the research help you can muster.
As Ric notes, six PBY-2 visits are recorded, so given your confidence in there having been a war on (somehow I had not overlooked that fact) and that there must have been a smothering of field repairs - including perhaps for the coral head strike at Gardner by a PBY-2 you "swear" happened then by all means, please jump in. That's the first I'd ever heard of a coral head strike by a PBY at Gardner - where did that come from that you can swear it to have been true?
As interested as I am in getting to the bottom of every single lead, I cannot possibly do so personally and frankly, find it impossible to give priority to every single supposed-event or supposition about how a given variant was constructed. It's great to brain storm possibilities, but as has been said (by me), those who would challenge 2-2-V-1 need to provide plausible alternates - meaning factually probable 'other types' that are a) known to have been within reasonable proximity (meaning the Phoenix area and Howland, etc.), and b) had some sort of history involving damage or destruction so as to make them a likely donor, and c) a former repair that became detached in the course of subsequent repair or salvage.
That means not just throwing ideas on the kitchen wall like Oscar's pasta surprise...
Not meaning to be snide, simply asking for your help if you sincerely want to explore these possibilities as I am simply unable to accomodate the meat sauce on the wall for now and foreseeably... if that sounds a bit too colorful, consider that simply tossing 'maybes' into this approaches no more than blowing smoke into the room.
I, with others, will be perusing rivet patterns on a number of types in Dayton in about 10 days - mayhaps you could help us define what to look at while there, do they have an example of the PBY-2, for example? Can you find data for it? Ric is populating a spread sheet with candidates for us to look at - HELP APPRECIATED.
You are welcome.