| PB2Y Coronado | |
|---|---|
 An early PB2Y-2 in flight. | |
| General information | |
| Type | Maritime patrolbomber |
| Manufacturer | Consolidated Aircraft |
| Status | Retired |
| Primary users | United States Navy |
| Number built | 217[1] |
| History | |
| Introduction date | December 1940 |
| First flight | 17 December 1937 |
| Variant | Consolidated XPB3Y |
ThePB2Y Coronado is a largeflying boatpatrol bomber designed byConsolidated Aircraft, and used by the US Navy during World War II in bombing, antisubmarine, medical/hospital plane, and transport roles. Obsolete by the end of the war, Coronados were quickly taken out of service. Only one known example remains, at theNational Naval Aviation Museum atNaval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Before WW2 large flying boats were important for long distance international routes, as the ability to land on water without a land-based airstrip was useful. It proved to be good supporting aircraft in the Pacific War, which often required transport across long distance of oceans in harm's way, to places with no prepared airstrips.
There were two main configurations, one with several turrets including a prominent ball turret in the nose with two 50-cal machine guns, and one unarmed, with a clean nose.
The aircraft had a unique place in history, bringing AdmiralNimitz toTokyo Bay for the signing of theJapanese surrender for WW2. Also, after the war, one was used byHughes Aviation.
After deliveries of thePBY Catalina, also a Consolidated aircraft, began in 1935, theUnited States Navy began planning for the next generation of patrol bombers. Orders for two prototypes, theXPB2Y-1 and theSikorsky XPBS-1, were placed in 1936; the prototype Coronado first flew in December 1937.[2]
After trials with the XPB2Y-1 prototype revealed some stability issues, the design was finalized as thePB2Y-2, with a largecantilever wing,twin tail with very marked dihedral, and fourPratt & Whitney R-1830radial engines. The two inner engines were fitted with four-bladedreversible pitchpropellers; the outer engines had standard three-bladed feathering props.[3] Like the PBY Catalina before it, the PB2Y's wingtipfloats retracted to reducedrag and increase range, with the floats' buoyant hulls acting as the wingtips when retracted. The price of the PB2Y-2 was US$300,000, or approximately three times that of the PBY Catalina.[4]
Development continued throughout the war. ThePB2Y-3, featuringself-sealing fuel tanks and additional armor, entered service just after theattack on Pearl Harbor and formed most of the early-war Coronado fleet. The prototypeXPB2Y-4 was powered by fourWright R-2600 radials and offered improved performance, but the increases were not enough to justify a full fleet update. However, most PB2Y-3 models were converted to thePB2Y-5 standard, with the R-1830 engines replaced with single-stage R-1830-92 models. As most existing PB2Y-3s were used as transports, flying low to avoid combat, removing the excess weight of unneededsuperchargers allowed an increased payload without harming low-altitude performance.[5]
A prototype of theConsolidated XPB3Y variant was ordered, which would be a long range version of the Coronado, but this was cancelled.
Coronados served in combat in thePacific with the United States Navy, in both bombing and antisubmarine roles. PB2Y-5 Coronados carried out four bombing raids onWake Island between30 January and 9 February 1944.[4] However, most served as transport and hospital aircraft, and additional tasks included executive transport and search and rescue.
The BritishRoyal Air ForceCoastal Command had hoped to use the Coronado as a maritime patrol bomber, as it already used the PBY Catalina. However, the range of the Coronado (1,070 miles) compared poorly with the Catalina (2,520 mi), and theShort Sunderland (1,780 mi). Consequently, the Coronados supplied to the RAF underLend-Lease were outfitted purely as transports, serving withRAF Transport Command. The 10 aircraft were used fortransatlantic flights, staging through the RAF base atDarrell's Island, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico, though the aircraft were used to deliver vital cargo and equipment in a transportation network that stretched down both sides of the Atlantic, fromNewfoundland, toBrazil, and toNigeria, and other parts of Africa. After the war ended five of the RAF aircraft were scrapped, one was already lost in collision with aMartin PBM Mariner and the last four were scuttled off the coast of Bermuda in 1946.[6]
In combat missions PB2Y claimed five enemy aircraft shot down over the course of WW2.[7] Likewise, an example of one lost to combat is at Kerema Rhetto, Okinawa, 5 May 1945. An example of a search and rescue mission is that a PB2Y landed hard on water of Kagoshima Bay to rescue a downed pilot. Unable to takeoff again, aPBM Mariner picked up the crew and pilot, then scuttled the aircraft with a strafe.[8]
Coronados served as a major component in theNaval Air Transport Service (NATS) during World War II in the Pacific theater. Most had originally been acquired as combat patrol aircraft, but the limitations noted above quickly relegated them to transport service in the American naval air fleet also. By the end of World War II, the Coronado was outmoded as both a bomber and a transport, and virtually all of them were quickly scrapped by the summer of 1946, being melted down to aluminum ingots and sold as metal scrap,[9] or used as targets for fighter gunnery practice.[4]
After the war some were used for civilian service; one was reportedly bought byHoward Hughes to practice water landings for the 1947 flight of the HughesSpruce Goose.[10]
%2c_in_January_1943_(80-G-K-1149).jpg)
The bulk of the production was the PB2Y-3, with 210 produced it featured turrets. Significant numbers of unarmed transport version were also produced or converted from existing versions.
The main operator was the United States Navy, and some served with the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force. 5 served with United States Coast Guard. After the war there was some civilian use also.
There were many accidents with the PB2Y incidents of different types.[8]
There is a sunken PB2Y Coronado in Tanapag Lagoon ofSaipan. This wreck has been studied formarine archeology.[13]
After the capture ofEbeye from the Japanese, it was used as seaplane stopover for flying boats transiting the Pacific. At least three Coronados crashed near Naval Air Base Ebeye Island, at Kwajalein Atoll.[14]
Some of these wrecks were discovered in the early 21st century and in some cases are visited by divers.[14]
Additional examples:
On 6 May 1942, a PB2Y crashed and sank inPearl Harbor, Hawaii during an emergency landing, claiming the lives of two.[8]
On 27 December 1942 one crashed landing on theSalton Sea, killing 6.[8]
On 21 May 1943 one crashed with the loss of all crew at Little Creek, Virginia, USA.[8]
23 May 1943 a PB2Y ran out of fuel near Bermuda; on landing the right pontoon ripped off and the aircraft rolled over and sank.[8]
24 May 1943 a PB2Y broke in two when it was forced to land on the ground at San Mieuel Rea, Mexico.[8]
On 26 November 1943 a PB2Y crashed while landing during a training flight atNAS Alameda, USA.[8]
1 January 1944 nine perished in a crash in theGreat Sound of Bermuda and another crash at Bermuda occurred on 26 May 1943.[8]
On 17 February 1944 a PB2Y engine failed during takeoff, causing it to crash into a barracks, killing 2 on the ground and 7 of 12 on the aircraft.[8]
Galapagos, Ecuador, 17 July 1944 landing accident (nosing over) kills five.[8]
31 July 1944, on takeoff fromFunafuti Lagoon a wing clips a ship'sjackstaff causing a crash, killing 22.[8]
On 17 October 1944 one crashed intoCoronado Island near San Diego, California.[8]
On 6 December 1945 a PB2Y-5R (no. 7241) crashed at Canton island.[8]
On 22 June 1945, a PB2Y landed at sea on a flight between Ebeye and Saipan. All were rescued but the aircraft later sank.[8]
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Data fromJane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II[3]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Victor Bergeron created aPB2Y cocktail for hisTiki bars (Trader Vic's) in honor of World War II airmen.[16]
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
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