Consolidated PBY Catalina

Maritime aircraft play an understated role, especially in that of war time. Fly boats came to pass, first in peace-time development as early as 1901, and ultimately in the First World War. Their development, with experience garnered in peace time between the two world wars, led to some impressive designs - most notably at the hands of British aviation engineers. With the arrival of the Second World War, the role of the flying boat extended to that of patrol, reconnaissance, search and rescue and anti-shipping with armaments as varied as bombs, torpedoes and mines.

The PBY Catalina series ("Catalina" would later become the generic term for all PBY derivatives) was an exceptional American-produced aircraft in the Second World War. Produced by the Consolidated Aircraft Company in the United States (and under license and through Lend-Lease in other countries) the PBY Catalina series would etch its identity into the page of aviation history.

The PBY Catalina was a twin engine aircraft capable of land and / or sea landings. The system was crewed from 7 to 9 members depending on the model type and could run the gamut of missions as utilized primarily by the United States Navy. The system first flew in 1935 as a prototype in which Consolidated beat out the Douglas aircraft company in trials for the USN. Production models would begin as the PBY-1 in 1936.

War time would see an increase in various powered-powerplants, defensive and offensive armaments and expanding of roles for the system. Tricycle landing gear tests on late PBY-4 systems would yield the truly amphibious PBY-5 and PBY-5A series models. Production of the PBY series would be undertaken by Consolidated in the United States, Canadian Vickers and Boeing of Canada in Canada, the Naval Aircraft Factory in Britain and state factories in the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease Act. In all, 2,398 PBY Catalina-based systems would be produced (the Soviet Union produced the system under the designation of GST, whilst Britain went with their tell-tale "Mark" Mk I series).

In all, flying boats would go on to serve a most pivotal role, particularly in a war that was not only fought in the skies and on land, but on the water and under it as well. Flying boats would see service up until the 1960's where more land-based maritime patrol aircraft would take it's place.

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Last Revision: 6/10/2009