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The Consolidated Model 28, more commonly known as the PBY Catalina (US Navy designation), is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft designed by Consolidated Aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s. In US Army service it was designated the OA-10 , in Canadian service as the Canso and it later received the NATO reporting name Mop . [ 4 ]
This aircraft was a United States Army Air Forces unit, which landed by accident in the Spanish Sahara in 1943, and finally it was sold to the Spanish Air force for approximately US$100,000. It is currently on display at the Museo del Aire (Madrid) .
PBY Catalina Survivors identifies Catalinas on display, and includes aircraft designations, status, serial numbers, locations and additional information. The Consolidated PBY Catalina was a twin-engined American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s, designed by Consolidated Aircraft Co.
The first production PBY Catalina was launched in San Diego Bay in 1936, [3] and the first XPB2Y-1 Coronado test aircraft made its first flight in 1937. [4] Consolidated vice president Edgar Gott was responsible for securing the company's contract to design and build the B-24 Liberator bomber. [ 5 ]
In consideration of the possibility of war in the Pacific Ocean, the United States War Department in 1937 established a small naval station near Sitka, Alaska as a base for a small fleet of PBY Catalina seaplanes. In 1939 Congress appropriate funds for the construction of naval air stations at Sitka and other sites in coastal Alaska.
The US Navy performed search, combat, rescue, and reconnaissance patrols out of the Perth seaplane base at Crawley Bay (also called Matilda Bay). Out of the base, the US Navy operated 60 Consolidated PBY Catalina and Black Cat PBY that were painted black for night operations. Over 1200 personnel were stationed at the base.
United States Navy. 31 Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina, seaplanes. 6 Grumman TBF-1 Avenger, torpedo bombers (5 lost) United States Army Air Forces. 4 Martin B-26 Marauder, medium bombers; 17 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, heavy bombers; United States Marine Corps. 19 Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless, dive bombers; 17 Chance-Vought SB2U-3 Vindicator, dive bombers
After wartime experiences suggested improvements, Consolidated PBY Catalina aircraft were given extra features to augment their air-sea rescue capability. One such invention was a small platform that could be braced against the side of the flying boat's hull to allow a team of two Catalina crewmen to lean out into the water and rescue a swimmer ...