The story
The PBY first flew in 1935 and was built in the United States, Canada and the Soviet Union. Its wing sits on a pylon above the hull, with floats at the tips that retract to become the wingtips in flight, and the PBY-5A was an amphibian with wheels for working from land. A Catalina found the battleship Bismarck on 26 May 1941, a routine patrol spotted the Japanese fleet approaching Midway in June 1942, and Black Cat squadrons flew night missions in matt black paint. After the war many became water bombers, and most of the ones still flying survived because of that work. Seven are airworthy today: two in Canada, one in Britain and four in the United States.
The name comes from Santa Catalina Island in California. In Canada the type was called the Canso, after a town in Nova Scotia.
Quick answers
How do you identify a PBY Catalina?
A big boat hull with the wing perched above it on a pylon and two radials on the wing. Look at the wingtips: the floats hang down for landing on water and fold up to become the tips in cruise. Large blister windows bulge from the rear fuselage.
What does a PBY Catalina sound like?
Two Twin Wasp radials mounted high above the cockpit: a deep, unhurried drone.
How fast is the PBY Catalina?
Top speed is 170 kts.
How many people does the PBY Catalina carry?
Typical configuration: Crew of 8 on wartime patrols (PBY-5A).
How far can the PBY Catalina fly?
Range is about 2,190 nmi.
How big is the PBY Catalina?
It is 63 ft 10 in long and 104 ft 0 in across the wings.
When did the PBY Catalina first fly?
Its first flight was in 1935.
How many PBY Catalinas have been built?
About 3,300 built.
How rare is a PBY Catalina in Bogey?
RARE. A good day. Most spotters go weeks between sightings of something this rare. Your first PBY Catalina catch is worth 250 points.
