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| PBY Catalina | |
|---|---|
 A restored OA-10 Catalina inUS Army Air Corps colors | |
| General information | |
| Type | Maritime patrol bomber,search and rescueseaplane |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Consolidated Aircraft |
| Built by | Boeing Canada (PB2B) Canadian Vickers (PBV) Consolidated Vultee (PB4)[1] Naval Aircraft Factory (PBN) Soviet Gidrosamolet Transportnii factory atTaganrog (GST) |
| Primary users | United States Navy |
| Number built | 3,308 (2,661 U.S.-built,[2] 620 Canadian-built, 27 Soviet-built)[3] |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1936–1945 |
| Introduction date | October 1936,United States Navy |
| First flight | 21 March 1935 |
| Retired | January 1957 (United States Navy Reserve) 1962 (Royal Canadian Air Force) 1982 (Brazilian Air Force) |
| Variants | Bird Innovator |
TheConsolidated Model 28, more commonly known as thePBY Catalina (US Navy designation), is aflying boat andamphibious aircraft designed byConsolidated Aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s. InUS Army service it was designated theOA-10, in Canadian service as theCanso and it later received theNATO reporting nameMop.[4] It was one of the most widely used seaplanes ofWorld War II. Catalinas served with every branch of theUnited States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other nations. The last military PBYs served until the 1980s. As of 2021, 86 years after its first flight, the aircraft continues to fly as awaterbomber (or airtanker) inaerial firefighting operations in some parts of the world.
The PBY was originally designed to be apatrol bomber, an aircraft with a long operationalrange intended to locate and attack enemy transport ships at sea in order to disrupt enemysupply lines.[5] With a mind to a potential conflict in thePacific Ocean, where troops would require resupply over great distances, theU.S. Navy invested millions of dollars in the 1930s developing long-rangeflying boats, which had the advantage of being able to land in any suitable waters.
As American dominance in the Pacific Ocean began to face competition from Japan in the 1930s, the U.S. Navy contracted Consolidated,Martin andDouglas in October 1933 to build competingprototypes for a patrol flying boat.[6] Naval doctrine of the 1930s and 1940s used flying boats in a wide variety of roles that today are handled by multiple special-purpose aircraft. The U.S. Navy had adopted theConsolidated P2Y andMartin P3M models for this role in 1931, but both aircraft were underpowered and hampered by inadequate range and limited payloads.[citation needed]
Consolidated and Douglas both delivered single prototypes of their new designs, the XP3Y-1 andXP3D-1, respectively. Consolidated's XP3Y-1 was an evolution of the XPY-1 design that had originally 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 because the projected cost was only $90,000 per aircraft.[citation needed]
Consolidated's XP3Y-1 design (companyModel 28) had aparasol wing with external bracing struts, mounted on a pylon over the fuselage. Wingtip stabilizing floats were retractable in flight to form streamlined wingtips and had been licensed from theSaunders-Roe company. The two-step hull design was similar to that of the P2Y, but the Model 28 had a cantilevercruciform tail unit instead of a strut-bracedtwin tail. Cleaner aerodynamics gave the Model 28 better performance than earlier designs. Construction was all-metal,stressed-skin, ofaluminum sheet, except theailerons and wingtrailing edge, which arefabric covered.[7]
The prototype was powered by two 825 hp (615 kW)Pratt & Whitney R-1830-54 'Twin Wasp'radial engines mounted on the wing's leading edge. Armament comprised four .30 in (7.6 mm)Browning AN/M2 machine guns and up to 2,000 lb (910 kg) of bombs.
The XP3Y-1 had its maiden flight on 21 March 1935,[8] after which it was transferred to the U.S. Navy for service trials. The XP3Y-1 was a significant performance improvement over previous patrol flying boats. The Navy requested further development in order to bring the aircraft into the category ofpatrol bomber, and in October 1935, the prototype was returned to Consolidated for further work, including installation of 900 hp (670 kW) R-1830-64 engines. For the redesignated XPBY-1, Consolidated introduced redesigned vertical tail surfaces which resolved a problem with the tail becoming submerged on takeoff, which had made lift-off impossible under some conditions. The XPBY-1 had its maiden flight on 19 May 1936, during which a record non-stop distance flight of 3,443 mi (2,992 nmi; 5,541 km) was achieved.
The XPBY-1 was delivered to VP-11F in October 1936. The second squadron to be equipped wasVP-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 design was gradually developed further and successive models introduced.
The aircraft eventually bore the name Catalina afterSanta Catalina Island, California; the name was coined in November 1941, as Great Britain ordered their first 30 aircraft.[9]
TheNaval 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.[10] The new aircraft, officially known as thePBN-1 Nomad, had several differences from the basic PBY. The most obvious upgrades were to the bow, which was sharpened and extended by 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) increase in gross takeoff weight. An auxiliary power unit was installed, along with an improved electrical system, and the weapons were upgraded with continuous-feed mechanisms.[10]
138 of the 156 PBN-1s produced served with the Soviet Navy, after the NAF transferred ownership via Project Zebra (1944–1945).[11] The remaining 18 were assigned to training units atNAS Whidbey Island and the Naval Air Facility inNewport, Rhode Island.[12] Later, improvements found in the PBN such as the larger tail were incorporated into the amphibious PBY-6A.
The designation "PBY" was determined in accordance with theU.S. Navy aircraft designation system of 1922;PB representing "Patrol Bomber" andY being the code assigned toConsolidated Aircraft as its manufacturer. Catalinas built by other manufacturers for the U.S. Navy were designated according to different manufacturer codes, thusCanadian Vickers-built examples were designatedPBV,Boeing Canada examplesPB2B (there already being aBoeing PBB),Consolidated Vultee examplesPB4[1] and Naval Aircraft Factory examples were designatedPBN. In accordance with contemporary British naming practice of giving seaplanes service names after coastal port towns,Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) examples were namedCanso, forthe town of that name inNova Scotia.[citation needed] TheRoyal Air Force used the nameCatalina and the U.S. Navy adopted this name in 1942.[13] TheUnited States Army Air Forces and later theUnited States Air Force used the designationOA-10. U.S. Navy Catalinas used inthe Pacific against the Japanese for night operations were painted black overall; as a result these aircraft were sometimes referred to locally as "Black Cats".
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The PBY was the most numerous aircraft of its kind, with around 3,300 aircraft built. During World War II, PBYs were used inanti-submarine warfare, patrol bombing,convoy escort,search and rescue missions (especiallyair-sea rescue), andcargo transport. The type operated in nearly all operational theatres of World War II. The Catalina served with distinction and played a prominent and invaluable role in the war against Japan.
These patrol planes shared combat roles with land-based patrol bombers, while the very long rangeConsolidated LB-30 Liberator and theConsolidated Coronado were pressed into service to increase the all-important logistic strategic air lift capability in the vast Pacific theater. The pairings allowed the Catalina to take on the role of eyes of the fleets at longer ranges than thefloatplane scouts.
Several different flying boats were adopted by the Navy, but the PBY was the most widely used and produced.
Although the Catalina was slow and ungainly,Allied forces used the aircraft in a wide variety of roles for which it was never intended. PBYs are remembered for their rescue role, in which they saved the lives of hundreds of aircrew downed over water. Catalina airmen called their aircraft the "Cat" on combat missions and "Dumbo" in air-sea rescue service.[14]
The Catalina scored the U.S. Navy's first credited air-to-air "kill" of a Japanese airplane in the Pacific War. On 10 December 1941, the Japanese attacked theCavite Navy Yard in the Philippines. Numerous U.S. ships and submarines were damaged or destroyed by bombs and bomb fragments. While flying to safety during the raid on Cavite, Lieutenant Harmon T. Utter's PBY was attacked by three JapaneseMitsubishi A6M2 Zero carrier fighters. Chief Boatswain Earl D. Payne, Utter's bow gunner, shot down one, thus scoring the U.S. Navy's first kill. Utter, as a commander, later coordinated the carrier air strikes that led to the destruction of the Japanese battleshipYamato.[15][16]
The Catalina performed one of the first offensive operations against the Japanese by the US. On 27 December 1941, six Catalinas ofPatrol Squadron 101 bombed Japanese shipping atJolo Island against heavy fighter opposition, with four Catalinas lost.[15]
Catalinas were the most extensively used anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft in both theAtlantic and Pacific theaters of World War II, and were also used in the Indian Ocean, flying from theSeychelles and fromCeylon. Their duties included escorting theArctic convoys toMurmansk. By 1943,U-boats were well-armed with anti-aircraft guns and twoVictoria Crosses were won by Catalina pilots pressing home their attacks on U-boats in the face of heavy fire: Flying OfficerJohn Cruickshank of the RAF, in 1944, received the award for sinking what was believed to beU-347 (although now known to have beenU-361[17]) and in the same year RCAF Flight LieutenantDavid Hornell received the decoration posthumously for the sinking ofU-1225. Their aircraft was damaged in the fight before it sunk the U-boat and Hornell (with two other crew) died from exposure. Catalinas destroyed 40 U-boats, but not without losses of their own. A Brazilian Catalina attacked and sankU-199 in Brazilian waters on 31 July 1943. Later, the aircraft was baptized as "Arará", in memory of the merchant ship of that name which was sunk by another U-boat.[18]
In their role as patrol aircraft, Catalinas participated in some of the most notable naval engagements of World War II. The aircraft'sparasol wing and large waist blisters provided excellent visibility and combined with its long range and endurance, made it well suited for the task.
AnRAF Coastal Command Catalina flying fromCastle Archdale Flying boat base,Lower Lough Erne, Northern Ireland, located the German battleshipBismarck on 26 May 1941, some 690 nmi (1,280 km; 790 mi) northwest ofBrest. Bismarck was attempting to evade Royal Navy forces as she sought to join otherKriegsmarine forces in Brest.[note 1][19][20][21][22][23] This sighting eventually led to the destruction of the German battleship.
On 7 December 1941, before theJapanese amphibious landings on Kota Bharu, Malaya, their invasion force was approached by a Catalina flying boat ofNo. 205 Squadron RAF. The aircraft was shot down by fiveNakajima Ki-27 fighters before it could radio its report to air headquarters in Singapore.[24] Flying Officer Patrick Bedell, commanding the Catalina, and his seven crew members became the first Allied casualties in the war with Japan.[25] Patrol Wing 10 of theU.S. Asiatic Fleet had 44 Catalinas under its command but lost 41 within 90 days. Patrol Wing 10 also lost its mainseaplane tender,USSLangley, to Japanese aircraft during theDutch East Indies Campaign while it was transporting 32Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter planes.[26][27]
A flight of Catalinas spotted the Japanese fleet approachingMidway Island, beginning theBattle of Midway.[28]
A RCAF Canso flown by Squadron LeaderL.J. Birchall foiledJapanese plans to destroy the Royal Navy's Indian Ocean fleet on 4 April 1942 when it detected the Japanese carrier fleet approaching Ceylon.[29]
During the Battle of Midway, four U.S. Navy PBYs of Patrol Squadrons 24 and 51 made a night torpedo attack on the Japanese fleet on the night of 3–4 June 1942, scoring one hit which damaged the fleet oilerAkebono Maru, the only successful American torpedo attack in the entire battle.[30]
During theGuadalcanal campaign, some U.S. Navy PBYs were painted matte black and sent on night bombing, torpedoing, and strafing missions against Japanese supply vessels and warships, including conducting interdiction raids on theTokyo Express. These PBYs were later called "Black Cats". Subsequently, special squadrons of Black Cats were formed, commencing in December 1942 withVP-12, with an additional thirteen squadrons coming into service thereafter.[note 2] Flying slowly at night, dipping to ship mast height, the Black Cats bombed, strafed, and torpedoed all kinds of Japanese vessels, sinking or damaging thousands of tons of shipping. The Black Cats also performed bombing, strafing and harassment regarding land based Japanese installations, as well as conducting reconnaissance and search and rescue operations. The Black Cat squadrons continued to be active into 1944 with thePB4Y-2 beginning to come in service in greater numbers and replacing the PBYs, the last Black Cat squadrons returning to the U.S. in early 1945.[31][32]
TheRoyal Australian Air Force (RAAF) alsooperated Catalinas as night raiders, with four squadrons Nos.11,20,42, and43 laying mines from 23 April 1943 until July 1945 in the southwest Pacific deep in Japanese-held waters, bottling up ports and shipping routes and forcing ships into deeper waters to become targets for U.S. submarines; they tied up the major strategic ports such asBalikpapan which shipped 80% of Japanese oil supplies. In late 1944, their mining missions sometimes exceeded 20 hours in duration and were carried out from as low as 200 ft (61 m) in the dark. Operations included trapping the Japanese fleet in Manila Bay in assistance of GeneralDouglas MacArthur's landing at Mindoro in the Philippines. Australian Catalinas also operated out of Jinamoc in the Leyte Gulf, and mined ports on the Chinese coast fromHong Kong to as far north as Wenzhou. Both USN and RAAF Catalinas regularly mounted nuisance night bombing raids on Japanese bases, with the RAAF claiming the slogan "The First and the Furthest". Targets of these raids included a major base atRabaul. RAAF aircrews, like their U.S. Navy counterparts, employed "terror bombs", ranging from scrap metal and rocks to empty beer bottles with razor blades inserted into the necks, to produce high-pitched screams as they fell, keeping Japanese soldiers awake and scrambling for cover.[33] There was a Catalina base onDrimmie Head on theGove Peninsula in the Northern Territory.[34]
Catalinas were employed by every branch of the U.S. military as rescue aircraft. A PBY piloted byLCDR Adrian Marks (USN) rescued 56 sailors in high seas from theheavy cruiserIndianapolis after the ship was sunk during World War II. When there was no more room inside, the crew tied sailors to the wings. The aircraft could not fly in this state; instead it acted as a lifeboat, protecting the sailors from exposure and the risk ofshark attack, until rescue ships arrived. Catalinas continued to function in the search-and-rescue role for decades after the end of the war.
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Catalinas were also used for commercial air travel. For example,Qantas Empire Airways flew commercial passengers fromSuva toSydney, a journey of 2,060 miles (3,320 km), which in 1949 took two days.[35] The longest commercial flights (in terms of time aloft) ever made in aviation history were the Qantas flights flown weekly from 29 June 1943 through July 1945 over the Indian Ocean, dubbed the Double Sunrise. Qantas offered non-stop service betweenPerth andColombo, a distance of 3,592 nmi (4,134 mi; 6,652 km). As the Catalina typically cruised at 110 kn (130 mph; 200 km/h), this took from 28 to 32 hours and was called the "flight of the double sunrise", since the passengers saw two sunrises during their non-stop journey. The flight was made in radio silence because of the possibility of Japanese attack and had a maximum payload of 1,000 lb (450 kg) or three passengers plus 143 lb (65 kg) of military anddiplomatic mail.[36]
An Australian PBY named "Frigate Bird II", an ex RAAF aircraft, registered VH-ASA, made the first trans-Pacific flight across the South Pacific between Australia andChile in 1951 by (Sir)Gordon Taylor,[37] making numerous stops at islands along the way for refueling, meals, and overnight sleep of its crew, flown from Sydney to Quintero in Chile after making initial landfall at Valparaiso via Tahiti and Easter Island.[38] One of six ordered by the RAAF was used as part of the air route across the Pacific from Sydney to Valparaiso, is in the collection of theMuseum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney.[39]
With the end of the war, all of the flying boat versions of the Catalina were quickly retired from the U.S. Navy, but the amphibious versions remained in service for some years. The last Catalina in U.S. service was a PBY-6A operating with a Naval Reserve squadron, which was retired from use on 3 January 1957.[6] The Catalina subsequently equipped the world's smaller armed services into the late 1960s in fairly substantial numbers.
The U.S. Air Force'sStrategic Air Command used Catalinas (designated OA-10s) in service as scout aircraft from 1946 through 1947.
TheBrazilian Air Force flew Catalinas in naval air patrol missions against German submarines starting in 1943. The flying boats also carried out air mail deliveries. In 1948, a transport squadron was formed and equipped with PBY-5As converted to the role of amphibious transports. The 1st Air Transport Squadron (ETA-1) was based in the port city of Belem and flew Catalinas and C-47s until 1982. Catalinas were convenient for supplying military detachments scattered along the Amazon. They reached places that were otherwise accessible only by helicopters. The ETA-1 insignia was a winged turtle with the motto "Though slowly, I always get there". Today, the last Brazilian Catalina (a former RCAF one) is displayed at the Airspace Museum (MUSAL) inRio de Janeiro.[40]
OceanographerJacques-Yves Cousteau used a PBY-6A (N101CS) to support his diving expeditions. His second son,Philippe, was killed in an accident in this aircraft that occurred on the Tagus River near Lisbon. The Catalina nosed over during a high-speed taxi run undertaken to check the hull for leakage following a water landing. The aircraft turned upside down, causing the fuselage to break behind the cockpit. The wing separated from the fuselage and the left engine broke off, penetrating the captain's side of the cockpit.[41]
Air race champion, stunt pilot, and airline operatorPaul Mantz converted an unknown number of surplus Catalinas to flying yachts at his Orange County California hangar in the late 1940s and early 1950s.[citation needed]
Steward-Davis converted several Catalinas to theirSuper Catalina standard (later known asSuper Cat), which replaced the usual 1,200 hp (890 kW)Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines withWright R-2600 Cyclone 14 engines of 1,700 hp (1,300 kW). A larger, squared-off rudder was installed to compensate for the increased yaw which the more powerful engines could generate. The Super Catalina also had extra cabin windows and other alterations.[42]
Of the few dozen remaining airworthy Catalinas, the majority are in use asaerial firefighting aircraft.[citation needed]China Airlines, the official airline of theRepublic of China (Taiwan), was founded with two Catalina amphibians.[43]
In July 2023 a company called Catalina Aircraft, current holder of the Type Certificates for the Catalina, announced an intent to build the Catalina II, a new aircraft on the basic design principles of the original Catalina but using turboprop engines and other modern aviation tools.[44][45] Deliveries are said to commence by 2029.[44]
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The Catalina Affair is the name given to aCold War incident in which aSwedish Air Force search and rescue/maritime patrol Catalina (Swedish designation "TP 47") was shot down by SovietMiG 15 fighters over theBaltic Sea in June 1952 while investigating the disappearance of a SwedishDouglas DC-3 (later found to have been shot down by Soviet MiG-15s while on asignals intelligence mission; it was found in 2003 and raised 2004–2005).
An estimated 4,051 Catalinas, Cansos, and GSTs of all versions were produced between June 1937 and May 1945 for the U.S. Navy, the United States Army Air Forces, theUnited States Coast Guard, Allied nations and civilian customers.
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| Model | Production period | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| PBY-1 | Sep 1936 – Jun 1937 | 60 |
| PBY-2 | May 1937 – Feb 1938 | 50 |
| PBY-3 | Nov 1936 – Aug 1938 | 66 |
| PBY-4 | May 1938 – Jun 1939 | 32 |
| PBY-5 | Sep 1940 – Jul 1943 | 684 |
| PBY-5A | Oct 1941 – Jan 1945[55] | 802 |
| PBY-6A | Jan 1945 – May 1945[55] | 175 |
Data fromEncyclopedia of World Air Power,[56]Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II,[55]Handbook of Erection and Maintenance Instructions for Navy Model PBY-5 and PBY-5A Airplanes,[57]and Quest for Performance.[58]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
Inglasat foto på Tp 47 - The Consolidated Vultee Consolidated PB4-54 "Catalina" 1946-1958.
Ces 50 avions comportaient des modifications prescrites par Mat-major de 1'Air canadien et etaient les premiers de ce type h porter la designation "Canso" - Canso "A" pour la version amphibie - au sein de 1'ARC (les neuf Catalina que la RAF avait prztks avaient 6t6 construits selon des specifications britanniques quelque peu differentes et continukrent donc de porter ce nom).
