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PBY Catalina was the United States Navy designation for an American and Canadian -built Flying Boat of the 1930s and 1940s . ''PB'' stands for Patrol Bomber, with ''Y'' being Consolidated’s manufacturer identification. It could be equipped with Depth Charge s, Bomb s, Torpedo es, and .50 Caliber Machine Guns and was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II . Catalinas served with every branch of the US Military and in the air forces and navies of many other nations. In the United States Army Air Forces their designation was the '''OA-10''', and Canadian-built PBYs were known by the nickname '''Canso'''. BACKGROUND In World War II, PBYs were used as Anti-submarine Warfare aircraft, Patrol Bomber s, Convoy escorts, Search And Rescue aircraft, and Transports . The Catalina can be considered the most successful aircraft of its kind, as no other flying boat was produced in greater numbers. The last active military Catalinas were not retired from service until the 1980s . Even today, over seventy years after its first flight, the aircraft continues to fly as an airtanker in Aerial Firefighting operations all over the world. The Catalina was originally designed to be a patrol bomber, an aircraft with a long operational range intended to locate and attack enemy transport ships at sea in order to compromise enemy Supply Line s. With a mind to a potential conflict in the Pacific Ocean , where troops would require resupply over great distances, the US Navy in the 1930s invested millions of dollars in developing long-range flying boats for this purpose. Flying boats had the advantage of not requiring Runway s to take off and land, in effect having the entire ocean available as its runway. Several different flying boats were adopted by the Navy, but the PBY Catalina was the most widely used and produced. Although slow and ungainly, Catalinas distinguished themselves in World War II as exceptionally reliable aircraft. Allied armed forces used them successfully in a wide variety of roles that the aircraft was never intended for. They are remembered most by veterans of the war for their role as rescuing aircraft, where they saved the lives of thousands of aircrewmen shot down over the Pacific Ocean. PROTOTYPING AND DEVELOPMENT As American dominance in the Pacific Ocean began to face competition from Japan in the 1930s, the U.S. Navy contracted Consolidated Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft Corporation in October 1933 to build competing Prototype s for a patrol flying boat. Naval doctrine of the 1930s and 1940 s used flying boats in a wide variety of roles that today are handled by multiple special-purpose aircraft. The US Navy had adopted the Consolidated P2Y and Martin P3M models for this role in 1931 , but both aircraft proved to be underpowered and hampered by short ranges and low maximum payloads. Consolidated and Douglas both delivered single prototypes of their designs, the XP3Y-1 and XP3D-1, respectively. Consolidated's XP3Y-1 was an evolution of the XPY-1 design that had originially competed unsuccessfully for the P3M contract two years earlier and of the XP2Y design that the Navy had authorized for a limited production run. Although the Douglas aircraft was a good design, the Navy opted for Consolidated's prototype because the projected cost was only $90,000 per plane. .]] Consolidated's XP3Y-1 design (designated "Model 28" within the company) was revolutionary in many ways. The aircraft had a Parasol Wing with internal bracing that allowed the wing to be a virtual Cantilever , except for two small Streamline d struts on each side. Stabilizing floats that could be retracted in flight to form streamlined wingtips were another aerodynamic innovation. The two-step hull design was similar to that of the P2Y, but the Model 28 had a cantilever Cruciform Tail unit instead of a strut-braced Twin Tail . Cleaner aerodynamics gave the Model 28 improved performance compared to earlier designs. The powerplant for the prototype was comprised of two 825 hp (615 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-54 Twin Wasp Engine s mounted on the wing’s leading edges. Armament comprised four 0.30 in (7.62 mm) Browning Machine Guns and up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs. The XP3Y-1 had its first flight on 28 March 1935 after which it was transferred to the US Navy for service trials. The XP3Y-1 soon proved to have significant performance improvements over current patrol flying boats. The US Navy requested further development in order to bring the aircraft into the category of ''patrol-bomber'', and in October 1935 the prototype was returned to Consolidated for further work. The work included installation of 900 hp (671 kW) R-1830-64 engines. For the redesignated XPBY-1, Consolidated introduced redesigned vertical tail surfaces. XPBY-1 had its maiden flight on 19 May 1936 , during which a record non-stop distance flight of 3,443 miles (5,541 km) was achieved. The XPBY-1 was delivered to US Navy Squadron VP-11F in October 1936 . The second squadron to be equipped was Squadron VP-12, which received the first of its aircraft in early 1937 . The second production order was placed on 25 July 1936 . Over the next three years, the PBY design would be gradually improved and successive models introduced.
Naval Aircraft Factory production The Naval Aircraft Factory made significant modifications to the PBY design, many of which would have significantly interrupted deliveries had they been incorporated on the Consolidated production lines. The new aircraft, officially known as the PBN-1 Nomad, had several differences from the basic PBY. The most visually apparent upgrades were to the bow, sharpened and extended two feet, and to the tail, which was enlarged and featured a new shape. Other improvements included larger fuel tanks, increasing range by 50%, and stronger wings permitting a 2,000 lb (908 kg) heavier gross weight. An auxiliary power unit was installed, along with a modernized electrical system, and the weapons were upgraded with continuous-feed mechanisms. The majority (138) of the 156 PBN-1s produced served with the Russian Navy. The remaining 18 aircraft were assigned to training units at NAS Whidbey Island and NAF Newport .1 Later, improvements found in the PBN-1 – notably, the larger tail – were incorporated into the amphibious PBY-6A. DISTRIBUTION TO THE ALLIES See Also: List of PBY Catalina operators Soviet Union The Soviet Union had shown an interest in the aircraft and this resulted in an order for three aircraft and the negotiation of a licence to build the type in Russia. When these three machines were delivered they were accompanied by a team of Consolidated engineers who assisted in establishment of the Russian production facilities. This aircraft model, designated the "GST", was powered by two Mikulin M-62 Radial Engines with a power rating of 900 to 1,000 hp (671 to 746 kW). The first of these GSTs was put into service towards the end of 1939. It is estimated that hundreds more were put into service with the Soviet navy. Russia also received 137 of the PBN-1 Nomad variant of the Catalina built by the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia along with 48 PBY-6As under the Lend-Lease Act . United Kingdom The British Air Ministry purchased a single aircraft for evaluation purposes, the Model 28-5. This was flown across the Atlantic Ocean to the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment at Felixstowe on the East Anglian coast of England in July 1939 . With the outbreak of war anticipated, the trials were terminated prematurely, and an initial 50 aircraft were ordered under the designation "Catalina I". These aircraft were similar to the US Navy's PBY-5s except for the installation of British armament. The name "Catalina" had been used by Consolidated for their commercial sales prior to the British order, and was eventually adopted by the US Navy on October 1 1941 . Initial deliveries of the Royal Air Force 's Catalinas began in early 1941 and these entered service with No. 209 and No. 240 squadrons of Coastal Command . In all, nine squadrons of Coastal Command were equipped with the Catalina, as were an additional 12 squadrons overseas. The total acquisition was approximately 700 spread over the following designations: Catalina Mk I, Mk IA (PBY-5A amphibian in RCAF service only), Mk IB, Mk II, Mk III, Mk IVB (Canadian built PBY-5, the PB2B-1), Mk IV, and Mk VI (a PBN-1 style tall tail version built in Canada). The Catalina Mk V which would have been PBN-1s were a cancelled order. In British service the Catalina was fitted with .303 inch guns, typically a Vickers K at the front and Browning MGs in the waist positions. Some received the Leigh Light to aid anti-submarine warfare by night. Between 1940 and 1945 seven former RAF examples were used by BOAC (two for a Poole to Lagos service), and QANTAS (five for a Ceylon to Perth service). Canada Canada had its own close associations with the Catalina, both as a manufacturer and customer. Under an agreement reached between the Canadian and US governments, production lines were laid down in Canada, by Boeing Aircraft Of Canada (as the PB2B-1) in Vancouver , and by Canadian Vickers ('''PBV-1''') at the Canadair plant in Cartierville . Canadian aircraft were known as the “Canso”. New Zealand New Zealand used Catalinas from 1942 to replace the Short Singapore with the Royal New Zealand Air Force 's 5 Squadron and 6 Squadron , operating in the South Pacific initially out of Hobsonville and Fiji on maritime patrol and air-sea rescue roles. In the battle of the Atlantic 490 (NZ) Squadron operated Catalinas in the anti submarine role out of Jui in East Africa. When Short Sunderland MR Mk 5s replaced the New Zealand Catalinas, one of the ex-RNZAF machines was transferred to TEAL and made pioneering air survey flights throughout the Pacific. The Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum is restoring an RNZAF Catalina. An airworthy Catalina Catalina in 6 Squadron markings is privately owned. Other nations Soon after the receipt of Britain's first order for production aircraft, a French purchasing mission ordered 30 aircraft in early 1940. Allocated the Consolidated identification Model 28-5MF, none of these were delivered before the Battle Of France . Other orders received around the same time covered 18 aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force , some of which would be used to re-establish the British-Australian airlink through Asia (see Order Of The Double Sunrise ), and 48 ordered by the Netherlands for use in the Dutch East Indies . Other Catalina operators were Argentina , Brazil , Chile , the Dominican Republic , Ecuador , France , Indonesia , Israel , Mexico , Netherlands , Netherlands East Indies , Norway , Peru , South Africa , Taiwan , Uruguay . ROLES IN WORLD WAR II The final construction figure is estimated at around 4,000 aircraft, and these were deployed in practically all of the operational theaters of World War II. The Catalina served with distinction and played a prominent and invaluable role in the war against the Japanese. This was especially true during the first year of the War in the Pacific, because the Catalina and the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress were the only two aircraft with the range necessary for these operations. As a result they were used in almost every possible military role until a new generation of aircraft became available. Anti-submarine warfare Catalinas were the most extensively used anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft in both the in 1944 against U-347 and in the same year Flight Lt. David Hornell RCAF (posthumously) against U-1225 . Nearly 40 U-boats in total were lost to Catalinas. Maritime patrol In their role as patrol aircraft, Catalinas participated in some of the most notable engagements of World War II. The aircraft's parasol wing and large waist blisters allowed for a great deal of visibility; this combined with its long range and endurance made it well suited for the task.
Night attack and naval interdiction Several squadrons of PBY-5As and -6As in the Pacific theater were specially modified to operate as night convoy raiders. Outfitted with state-of-the-art Magnetic Anomaly Detection Gear and painted flat black, these "Black Cats" attacked Japanese supply convoys at night. Catalinas were very successful in this highly unorthodox role. Between August 1943 and January 1944 , Black Cat squadrons had sunk 112,700 tons of merchant shipping, damaged 47,000 tons and damaged 10 Japanese warships. Search and rescue Catalinas were employed by every branch of the US military as rescue aircraft. Catalinas continued to function in this capacity for decades after the end of the war. EMPLOYMENT IN PEACETIME With the end of the war, flying boat versions were quickly retired from the US Navy, but amphibious versions remained in service for many years. The last Catalina on active service for the US military was a PBY-6A operating with a Naval Reserve squadron. She was retired in 1967.Scarborough, William & Sewell, Joe (1995). ''Walk Around: PBY Catalina''. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications. ISBN 0-89747-357-4. The Catalina subsequently equipped the world's smaller armed services, in fairly substantial numbers, into the late 1960s . Of the few dozen remaining airworthy Catalinas, the majority are in use today as Aerial Firefighting planes. CATALINA AFFAIR See Also: Catalina affair A Swedish military Catalina was shot down by Soviet aircraft over the Baltic Sea in June 1952 while investigating the earlier crash of a Swedish Douglas DC-3 . SPECIFICATIONS (PBY-5A)
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